ASIDE FROM THE FACT THAT Abu Mazen & Friends won’t let it (two-state deal) happen, it’s interesting to speculate on what might have been.
Some things that need close examination.
The Tunnel
A tunnel from PLO-occupied land to Gaza might be OK if
* It has only two terminals, one at each end
* It is carries only an electrified train for fewer emissions; think of the San Francisco Bay area’s BART; no cars, no trucks, no buses
* It is deep underground
* It is constructed of earthquake (and bombs-from-inside) material such as heavily reinforced concrete
Both passenger trains and freight trains could use the same rails; all it takes is scheduling. Since the U.S. probably will have to pay for it anyway, perhaps the tunnel should be wide enough to accommodate a double set of rails.
In order to keep Israel happy and its citizens safe, an intermediate opening may be needed so trains can be stopped and inspected while under Israel. If Israel controls the electricity to drive the train, halting a train should be no problem.
High Tech & Ag/Housing Areas
The Trump plan calls for a new road along Egypt’s border.
Did anyone ask what the Egyptians think about this?
Down this road he proposes to build a “high tech” center and, a little farther down the road, an agricultural and residential area.
Why?
The web site uniRank (https://www.4icu.org/ps/gaza-strip/) shows that Gaza has 10 institutions of higher education, including:
* The Islamic University of Gaza (Gaza City)
* Al Azhar University-Gaza (Gaza City)
* Al-Aqsa University (Gaza City)
* University College of Applied Sciences (Gaza City)
* University of Palestine (Al Zahra City)
* Palestine Technical College (Deir El-Balah)
* University College of Science and Technology (Khan Yunis)
* Gaza University (Gaza City)
* Arab College of Applied Sciences (Rafah)
* Palestine College of Nursing (Khan Yunis)
Gaza seems to have sufficient land FOR many more residential properties. Perhaps Mr. Trump is expecting a mass of immigrants to suddenly move to the Strip. Since Gazans seem to be emigrating to other places, an influx oF immigrants seems less than likely.
Gaza DOES have farmland. It’s farmers export products to other Muslim areas and, in fact, to Israel. (Gaza also imports Israeli products, but no one is supposed to know that.)
So why, Mr. Trump, expand Gaza beyond its present borders?
Why bring a road so close to Eilat and the new international airport?
And, once again, did anyone ask the Egyptians? Egypt has cleared a wide swath of land in an effort to keep Gaza’s terrorists in Gaza.
Arafat airport
If Mr. Trump wants to help the Gazans — and if America’s “progressives” want to endanger Israel, the U.S. could repair (parts of) Yassir Arafat International airport, making it suitable for small (30 passenger) planes.
That might not be wise until those controlling the new state prove to be good neighbors. Given the rhetoric coming out of Gaza, Ramallah, and Tehran, the prospects of this happening under the current regimes is someone’s pipe dream.
On the other hand, if those controlling the new state would allow Israeli observers… Another pipe dream.
No Peace in Our Time
Given that the children of the PLO and Hamas have hate and fear of Israel inculcated in every aspect of their lives — tv shows with pseudo-Mickey Mouse characters, text books from K through 12 (with matriculation exams to assure the student knows the “politically correct” answers), with celebrations when they join their elders at the border fence, and when they celebrate the martyrdom (suicide) of a shahid, there absolutely is zero chance that there will be “peace in our time.”
Which is both interesting and sad.
Israeli Muslims, while complaining they don’t get all they deserve, peacefully live, work, enjoy their families just like non-Muslims. They sit on the highest court; they are in the Knesset, some in “Jewish” parties, some in Arab parties. They serve in the government and may serve in the military.
Meanwhile, a Jew’s life is at risk if he or she wonders into some Muslim villages, and most assuredly is in danger if the Jew enters a PLO or Hamas controlled area.
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