I suggest these newly reclaimed lands be renamed. "The USS Liberty," comes to mind, or a proper Arabic equivalent.
2
A long trime ago, literally in a different century(the 20th), I surprised my fellow Christian neighbors by knocking on their doors to collect money for "the Israeli homeland." I was just helping my friend Paul, from a Jewish family who, nonetheless, had enrolled him to parochial school. Really, being a kid, that was all I knew about Israel back then.
Which is why, no doubt, I have been dismayed and confused by the way the country has been governed since. I admit that, however I try, I still don't comprehend the totality of Israeli concerns, and I am, therefore, not in a position to criticize specifically a country that is continually facing existential threat.
But. What is the wisdom of fueling the creation of generations of anti-Israel Palestinian youth? What hope of a positive future could a young person (especially a young man) in Gaza have? Even if only for blatantly strategic reasons, it would seem smarter to offer the youngest Gazans some way to see Israel other than as Monster. But no. The status quo continues, and Israel continues to swallow up the West Bank.
I do realize that any land at all is valuable and significant in this area (Jordan-Israel) for obvious and not-so-obvious reasons. I look at pictures online of the Baqura area--scrubland, all of it, with barely a tree. The discussion is about some farmers who will have to farm elsewhere--that's the window dressing.
What's really going on is strategic: mind games, politics, emotional reckoning.
(big sigh)
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@Allen it is baffling until you consider the possibility that Israel has an interest in maintaining the status quo of the conflict in order to justify the occupation of highly valuable lands.
18
Shame on you for promoting such a ridiculous conspiracy theory. Fact is that Hamas and other terrorist factions within Palestinian leadership and people reject an Israeli state forcing Israel to perpetually be on the defensive.
3
Nonsense. The Palestinians have resisted the creation of an independent state side by side with Israel. They will not be satisfied until Israel is replaced with Palestine from “sea to sea” as they say.
3
"Though the peace treaty has proved firm and lasting, and has led to tight security coordination, it remains unpopular with ordinary Jordanians."
The leader of every Arab nation walks a tightrope when it comes to peace with Israel. None of them want to end up like Anwar Sadat. This is especially relevant in Jordan, where in the early 1970s the PLO attempted to assassinate King Hussein not once, but twice.
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@Middleman MD Of course they don't want to end up like Sadat. Nor does any Israeli leader want to end up like Yitzchak Rabin, who was murdered by right-wing religious Israeli terrorists.
6
Legally Jordan had the right to reclaim control over these two tiny bits of land. The decision also reflects the state of mind of most Jordanians about the relationship with Israel. However the irony is that the Kingdom's survival pretty much depends on Israel's strength. Jordan is surrounded by Syria and Iraq, both at Iran's mercy, and Saudi Arabia. Without the implicit support of Israel and the USA, Iran would already have infiltrated Jordan.
Therefore it is high time that King Abdullah starts educating his people that Israel is in fact not the enemy but a solid and friendly neighbor.
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"...for many Israelis, the failure to negotiate an extension of the border area-land access was disappointing, and attested to the sorry state of relations 25 years after the peace accord was signed"
Its all so passive, "the sorry state of relations", "Jordan's decision..."
All this stuff just seems to happen to Israel for no reason, you know? Who would ever treat such a wonderful nation, such a polite and inviting neighbor in this way? Why? Why?
Israel is the Donald Trump of countries. Ugly, belligerent, dishonest, entitled, oblivious, covetous.
Its many other things, of course, good things; but under Netanyahu, Israel has been a braggart, a brute, a violent neighbor, a threatening and dishonest presence.
For a country that until recently held all the marbles, had all the powerful friends backing them up, Israel has become a brilliantly effective whiner and complainer. Which explains the shock and disappointment at these developments.
Now that Trump has indicated his willingness to abandon even his own troops at any stressful moment, Israelis should probably get used to this. Being treated as they have always treated others, I mean.
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@oogada "Israel is the Donald Trump of countries." Such ignorant proclamations are indicative of the American tendency to view global conflicts through a narrow and, ultimately, meaningless parochial lens.
Israel is not Netanyahu. And Israel (which has made immeasurable contributions to science and culture), is most certainly not the Donald Trump of countries.
In a region where hundreds of thousands are being slaughtered by strongmen, security forces and dictators, you choose to focus on the least offender.
Why? I can think of only two answers: ignorance or antisemitism.
9
@Levi The Arabs are Semites, too. Accusations of "Antisemitism" can be double-edged swords.
2
@Levi
Try answer three:
Israel, for all the questionable circumstances of its modern genesis, began brilliantly. Vision, commitment, a sense of right and wrong, a philosophical place in the world.
Israelis established a system, a culture that honored the best in themselves, and expected the same from others.
Beset by hostility among neighbors, Israel followed its better angels.
Then you let the Jewish version of Evangelicals take over. Gave them privileges no other Israeli enjoyed, exempted them from caring for their nation with their time and their lives.
You encouraged their worst instincts, tolerated assertions of special status based on events two thousand years old, set them apart...a perverse nation within a nation; bitter, arrogant, mean.
After a few preliminary beats like killing a leader who dared make progress toward regional understanding...Netanyahu. And again. And again.
Israel is not Netanyahu, but they love him to death, couldn't stop, and abandoned faith and trust for course pragmatism and manipulation.
Bibi was a bully, thief, and conman, he made his living and enhanced yours abusing your neighbors, provoking then chastising then provoking them again.
Duplicity and bad faith as your banner, you stride the world complaining about bad guys, an excuse for every transgression.
You could be Catholic or Evangelical and do the same. This isn't antisemitism, its disappointment.
Many had hope you might get it right where we so frequently fail.
4
Israelis griping about being cut off from private property... that's rich.
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@DisplayName Israel does not dispute Jordan's right to these small pieces of land. These two enclaves were symbolic of peace and the non-renewal of their status is symbolic as well of the King's endangered leadership. King Abdullah represents a Bedouin minority control of a country that is largely an Arab Palestinian country. He gives in to popular sentiment though he well knows that his survival depends on Israel (and the USA). Regardless of what King Abdullah says in public, the last thing he wants is an Arab Palestinian State in the West Bank, as this would embolden his own Arab Palestinians in seeking majority control.
17
@Harry
Why do you deflect from the essential irony that Israel is complaining about their farmers not having access to land that didn't belong to them when Palestinians are imprisoned in the West Bank and Gaza, have no freedom of movement, and have been thrown off land they previously owned?
Is that the way to justify Israeli arrogance?
17
@Mimi I do not at all deflect from reality. Jordan has every right to reclaim full sovereignty over these lands. Israel has the right to regret and be concerned that Jordan chose not to renew these leases in the spirit of peace, but it recognized Jordan's right. As far as your comment regarding the Arab Palestinians inn the West Bank, you are wilfully mistaken. Abba Eban once rightfully said that Arabs never lose an opportunity to lose an opportunity. And indeed they rejected peace in 1947, 1949, 1967 and right now. In fact your comment about Gaza is the ultimate chutzpah. Israel left Gaza more than 10 years ago and then Hamas took control of it, and instead of building the first part of the State they say they want, they chose to launch rockets on Israel. Obviously Israel is not going to make it easy for them and the border controls that it imposes on Gaza are entirely justified. If Arab Palestinians want a better life, then accepting to live WITH Israel will make that happen a lot quicker. In fact Israel employed a large number of Arab Palestinians and this was a boom to the Arab Palestinian economy, of course until the open borders were used to infiltrate terrorists, and Israel had to put up a fence. Your criticism of Israel is very suspicious as you say nothing of the lack of democracy and human rights that Arab Palestinians suffer in Jordan. I can imagine the real motivation behind your comment.
11