Why the Middle East Conflict Never Ends | 46 comments (46 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Why the Middle East Conflict Never Ends (none / 0)

European Tribune - Why the Middle East Conflict Never Ends

Fears, such as those expressed by the King of Jordan, about his country's national character being overwhelmed by the increase of new citizens are a type of cultural racism. History has shown that immigrants integrate into the general society, almost completely by the third generation, if they are allowed to. If the US can accommodate people of widely differing backgrounds, Jordan can accept some who differ only slightly from the native population.

IIRC, in the 48-67 period Jordan politics was dominated by a palestinian/jordanian split. So I would guess it is history more then racism talking here. Also, there is a difference in absorbing immigrants and new territories complete with inhabitants. How would the US if it incorporated Mexico as a number of new states?

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by A swedish kind of death on Mon Jan 5th, 2009 at 12:07:14 PM EST

Re: Why the Middle East Conflict Never Ends (none / 0)

Yes, I was going to quote the Jordanian experience. The palestinians were expelled becasue they were destabilizing Jordanian politics with demands for a perpetual military conflict with Israel; something that was not in Jordan's interest, politically or economically.

So finally they accepted that if the palestinians refused to assimilate and become Jordanian, instead continuing to agitate over their own foreign concerns, then they couldn't be in Jordan.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Mon Jan 5th, 2009 at 03:45:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Jordan (none / 0)

First, one has to define what one means by Jordan's "interests". The King has interests, but are they same as the population at large?

Second, Jordan is one of the places without oil, which means that it is on the losing end of the current arbitrary arrangement of sovereign states.

Third, difficulties with integration is why I'm suggesting a new type of "special administrative district" for the west bank.

Finally, Palestinian hopes from then have been modified by years of new experience, all of them bad for their cause. The new generation may not be as wedded to impossible aims as was the prior one.

Cultivating moderates and educating people to be more cosmopolitan may not solve everything, but can be a step on the way.

A century ago Italians and Irish immigrants to the US were regarded with suspicion (especially since most were Roman Catholics), but they are now "real" Americans along with the English protestants who preceded them. Place and environment change affiliations as time progresses.

Policies not Politics
---- Daily Landscape

by rdf (robert.feinman@gmail.com) on Mon Jan 5th, 2009 at 04:02:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jordan (none / 1)

Yes, but the irish and italians were trying to become americans. They weren't trying to make the US wage war on the english to the detriment of American society.

So it's no surprise they became accepted. the palestinians didn't seek acceptance as Jordanians, they wanted to co-opt jordan into their war.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Mon Jan 5th, 2009 at 04:50:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jordan (4.00 / 2)

The Palestinians and the Jordanians are more closely related than your analogy makes it sound. In addition, the Palestinians came to Jordan as refugees.

Most economists teach a theoretical framework that has been shown to be fundamentally useless. -- James K. Galbraith

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Jan 5th, 2009 at 04:58:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jordan (4.00 / 2)

Yes, 2 million refugees on a population that was about the same size, or smaller. Comparisons to integration in the US are really... well, an advanced form of cultural myopia.

by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Tue Jan 6th, 2009 at 04:07:49 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jordan (4.00 / 2)

It's a bit more problematic in Jordan in that the last time around, the Palestinians tried to kill the king.

BBC ON THIS DAY | 9 | 1970: King Hussein escapes gunman's bullet

Following the 1967 war with Israel, Jordan lost the West Bank of the Jordan River. Thousands of Palestinian refugees fled into Jordan, swelling the refugee population to two million.
From their new base in Jordan, Yasser Arafat and his Palestine Liberation Organisation began launching military operations against Israel, drawing bloody reprisals that killed and injured Jordanians.
Feelings of anger among Palestinians have been exacerbated by King Hussein's involvement in Middle East peace moves which have involved talks with Israel.
The leader of Al Fatah, the largest of the Palestinian guerrilla groups, has said any Arab Head of State trying to reach a peaceful settlement with Israel will be murdered.

Jordan doesn't want the West Bank. What would it do with it?

by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Tue Jan 6th, 2009 at 04:02:16 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jordan (none / 1)

Well, people should note that the West Bank was under Jordanian control and therefore the Palestinians were technically internal refugees. They didn't come from outside though they did "swell the refugee population" in a reduced geographical area.

The legal claims on the West Bank are a little more complex than that, though. This is the Middle East after all:

Allied powers allocated the area to the British Mandate of Palestine. The 1948 Arab-Israeli War saw the establishment of Israel in parts of the former Mandate, while the West Bank was captured and annexed by Jordan. The 1949 Armistice Agreements defined its interim boundary. From 1948 until 1967, the area was under Jordanian rule, and Jordan did not officially relinquish its claim to the area until 1988. Jordan's claim was never recognized by the international community, with the exception of the United Kingdom. The West Bank was captured by Israel during the Six-Day War in June, 1967. With the exception of East Jerusalem, the West Bank was not annexed by Israel.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Most economists teach a theoretical framework that has been shown to be fundamentally useless. -- James K. Galbraith

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Jan 6th, 2009 at 04:24:11 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jordan (none / 1)

The Palestinians were "external" refugees in Lebanon and we saw how that ended.

Most economists teach a theoretical framework that has been shown to be fundamentally useless. -- James K. Galbraith

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Jan 6th, 2009 at 06:45:25 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jordan (none / 1)

Theres at least one faction of Israeli Magic sand people who are of the opinion that all of the West bank should fall within the boundaries of Israel.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Wed Jan 7th, 2009 at 09:51:12 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Why the Middle East Conflict Never Ends | 46 comments (46 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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