by Doug Lamborn
Since
the beginning of the Oslo paradigm, security experts, intellectuals and
politicians from the right warned of the outcomes. We were warned that
if Israel supplied Palestinians with weapons and the U.S. trained the
Palestinian Authority forces, those weapons and that training would be
aimed at Israeli soldiers and civilians. But the hope for an era of a
new Middle East was dazzling and these prophecies were scornfully
rejected.
The same people warned
that tracts of lands conceded to the Palestinians would be used as bases
of war and terror against Israel. When they spoke of the threat of
rockets that could shut down Ben-Gurion International airport, and
ultimately all of Israel, American and Israeli security experts scoffed
at them and brushed them off, asking the Right to stop disseminating
fear. Instead the Israeli Left, together with the U.S State Department,
continued to push Israel's leadership to make greater and more painful
concessions to appease the Palestinians, believing almost religiously in
the spirit of Oslo and the two-state solution.
While they remained
obtuse and ignored reality, the harsh reality did make its way into the
hearts and minds of other Americans and Israelis. For years now, more
and more Israelis and Americans are beginning to understand that the
two-state paradigm does not fit into reality and that the time has come
to recalculate.
It is hard to guess how
the current war in Gaza will end. However, it seems that this war will
mark the tipping point in the way we view the two-state paradigm. During
this latest Gaza operation, all the warnings and prophecies
materialized. Flights were grounded and the airport was shut down. Hamas
death tunnels from the below and Hamas rockets from the air made it
very clear why a border fence is not enough, and why the size of the
land does carry importance. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud
Abbas' support of Hamas' aggression made it clear not only that there is
no partner on the Palestinian side, but that any future Palestinian
state would become a second Gaza, only bigger, less isolated and more
threatening.
Seeing as the
prophecies of the Right have materialized, it seems prudent to heed the
solutions proposed by the Right. It is time to consider keeping Judea
and Samaria under Israeli sovereignty and applying Israeli law there.
There are a number of different ideas. There are ideas with gradual
implementation, like the one proposed by Economy and Trade Minister
Naftali Bennett. There are comprehensive suggestions such as was
outlined by Caroline Glick. There are other, similar proposals and they
all require further thought, but a thorough examination of these ideas
can bring about a new paradigm. Not only will such a paradigm provide
better security for Israeli citizens, but it will also promise a better
future to the Arabs living in Judea and Samaria, and will afford them
better quality of life.
As President Barack
Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry continue with their messianic
and obsessive approach, hurting the trust of America's allies and
chiefly Israel, some in Congress have begun the recalculating process.
Last week I initiated a conference where some of these ideas were
shared. This is but the first step, but the attendees enjoyed the breath
of fresh air and new out-of-the-box thinking. It seems that slowly, the
discourse on this conflict is shifting, and ideas other than the
two-state solution are gaining legitimacy.
I can understand people
from the Left who refuse to give up their dreams. Being a religious
person they remind me of Israel in the books of prophets. Despite
explicit prophecies and warning from God, they refused to believe the
coming evil and chose to believe in the false prophets. We the Americans
and Israelis pursue peace and justice. We dream and hope for a just and
better future. Sadly it seems that some people confuse reality with our
hopes and wishes. They convince themselves that the dream is the
reality and don't allow facts and reality to deter them. But we must not
be dragged by them; we cannot wait for more evil to materialize. The
process of change will be long; other players such as the Europe will
have to get accustomed to the idea. But I believe and hope that in
America and Israel it is already understood it is time to take the first
steps on this new path.
Congressman Doug Lamborn (R)
represents Colorado's 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of
Representatives and is the Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional
Israel Allies Caucus.
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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