Bigwig has essentially proposed that we hold out immigration to the US as a bribe to the broader Palestinian community to a) stop the violence against the Israelis; and b) abandon the Right of Return which is probably one of the key issues holding the two sides apart.
Im attracted to the idea, but for different reasons than Bigwig sets out. I reserve the right to change my mind once I sleep on it, but restate my belief that right now two very stubborn and resilient people are playing Irish Sit-Down (a game I’ve seen played in which two thickheads take turns hitting each other until one of them can’t get up). Even if we dont care about the players, all the furniture is getting broken. The solution to this problem is going to either come from exhaustion, which I doubt, or from outside the narrow band of negotiation both parties seem trapped in.
Comments and email have flowed, and they make two sensible points:
1) The Palestinian crisis is really a mask for a deeper crisis with Arab world, so solving this problem will only deal with the symptom, not the problem;
2) Why would we let thousands or hundreds of thousands of virulently Anti-American folks into the country?
First, let me explain why I think this would be a brilliant move.
It seizes the moral high ground: No one can accuse the US of not extending a hand to the poor oppressed Palestinian population after we make an offer like this. Im ignoring the fine details of Bigwigs plan, like the tax, and simplifying the plan into: if youll stop bombing and accept a peace plan, well let 100,000 Palestinians who pass security checks into the US per year.
It gives us a stick to hold over the Palestinian and Arab leadership: Play ball or we turn off the tap. I have to believe that the hope of immigrating to the US would be a strong enough lure for the average person that the PA would risk losing control if they messed with it.
It divides our opponents: I believe there is a silent middle in the Palestinian world; people who just want to live their lives and raise their kids. Right now they are cowed by the thugs with guns, in large part because they have nothing to fight for. The thugs steal the aid dollars, kill political opponents, and will wind up with whatever wealth can be created. This is an appeal to them, an offer to them of a future both in Palestine, and possibly here in the U.S. What is needed is for the Arab and Palestinian middle-class to stand up; something that has been rare up until now because, in part, they havent had anything to stand up for. Suddenly the political spectrum there isnt narrowed to IJ, Hamas, and Hezbollah, and while the PA might get away with retail violence – the occasional murder of a political opponent, wholesale violence against large crowds would not play well for them at all.
As to the issues raised, my responses are simple:
Yes, I deeply believe the Palestinians are a proxy used to mask a deeper conflict between the Arab/Islamist world and the West (and its beachhead, Israel). We keep getting stuck in the proxy argument and not being able to deal with the deeper one. Lets get the proxy off the table so we can see whats really going on.
No, I dont think that the Palestinian immigrants will substantially place us at risk; were already at risk. The only reason Hamas hasnt attacked on U.S. soil is that they dont want to, and I dont believe that Homeland Security could do a damn thing about it.
I dont think that the average Palestinian is virulently anti-American. If that was the case, wed have no choice except to kill them. I think they are trapped physically and economically and culturally, and the question is how can we help them out of the trap?
Date: 08/04/2002 00:00:00 AM
I thought the Palestinians just wanted all the Jews run out of the territory…isn’t that the ultimate goal? If they all wanted to come to America, wouldn’t they be bombing McDonalds? You’re nice people and all, but your idea will cause so many more problems than it solves. Eventually, something over there is going to break…the US never had to be involved in this, it would be great if we could just start sneaking away from the problem, rather than bringing the freaky death-cult people over here.
Date: 08/03/2002 00:00:00 AM
(copy from thread below as message here is a copy)I’ve never said that poverty was the cause; the sick culture, combined with intractible facts of history are the cause.I agree that they won’t suddenly get subscriotions to National Review when they move here, but you’ll note that there’s a dearth of Americans moving back to Palestine and blowing people up. There’s a reason for that…A.L.
Date: 08/04/2002 00:00:00 AM
“you’ll note that there’s a dearth of Americans moving back to Palestine and blowing people up. There’s a reason for that…”They don’t have to move back and blow themselves up. They can fund the bombings from right here in the good ol’ USA. And they are. The number of Hamas supporters among Palestinian-Americans is significant. Not far from where I live, one of the top Hezbollah people (and an effective recruiter and fund-raiser) was a local university professor. (This was in Tampa.)As for the notion that there is no real Palestinian terror activity in the USA, go to this link:http://www.laweekly.com/ink/02/37/news-crogan.php
Date: 08/02/2002 00:00:00 AM
Howard:Sure, I’d worry about that but I think that a key prior project is to start looking closely at and possibly closing some of the Wahabist mosques and schools that are here already.I’m all about freedom of religion; but it can’t be used as a cloak to cover activities aimed at physically attacking the U.S.Note: This is amost certain to be found or at least perceived as unconstitutional…
Date: 08/03/2002 00:00:00 AM
My point is not that a Palestinian Diaspora will necessarily result in homicide bombings in the United States, but that bringing Palestinians here will not “reform” them. Many are here now and hold views just as bad as the average Palestinian in the Middle East. Location or “being given a decent life” does not change a person’s basic beliefs. Poverty is NOT the motivating factor in the Palestianian uprising. The idea that living in a pink house and having plenty of cash rather than living in a hovel will transform anyone into some kind of Republican is not only laughable, but perverse. The reason is that that idea is based on Marx’s notion that the tools of production condition one’s thinking rather than vice-versa.Giving someone (a chance at) a nice American house, a nice neighborhood school, wads of cash, a professional career, and all the showgirls boobs he can squeeze, does not change his ideas and transform him into an American patriot. Just ask Mohammed Atta.
Date: 08/02/2002 00:00:00 AM
I love the idea, but that’s mostly because I love immigration. I’m not sure, though, that I buy the ‘proxy for broader conflict’ point. IMHO, the last thing the broader arab world wants is any sort of setlement of that conflict – including victory. Palestine is the smokescreen that arab dictatorships put up to distract both their own people and the Americans away from the unbelievably poor way that they run their countries. Or maybe I’ve just spent too much time reading Commentary.Either way, cheers.
Date: 08/02/2002 00:00:00 AM
AL — would you be concerned that we would be bringing in many more people who have Islamists views (even if not terrorists themselves) would create a problem down the road. I mean, ideally, they would assimulate, but not all Muslims here have assimulated, and I’ve read reports that as many as 80 percent of the mosques in this country are controled by Islamists.
Date: 08/02/2002 00:00:00 AM
“I believe there is a ?silent middle? in the Palestinian world; people who just want to live their lives and raise their kids. [They constitute] a large crowd[….]”Nice article of faith. Little reason behind it. The “average middle-class Palestinian” (why, the terrortories are just full of swarthy Ward Cleavers!) takes his infant to the equivalent of the KMart Photo Center, to be snapped wearing a gunbelt.As to Palestinians in America – who have all the wonderful wealth and opportunity that makes people sane (isn’t this Marx’s idea that the tools of production condition people’s thinking rather than vice-versa?) – just read this USA TODAY editorial by a young American woman “of Palestinian descent” who lives in Michigan:http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/2002-08-02-muzher-mideast_x.htm