Anopinion about Gaza
I guess first I advise you to read this timely reminder (I swear I was going to write that but was less timely).
I am now going to discuss what I think should be done for the people who live in the Gaza strip. I know it won’t happen
First I confess that roughly 20 years ago (the day Ariel Sharon was elected prime minister) I decided that the Israeli/Palestinian case was hopeless and tried to tune out — people are suffering — but many people are suffering in many other places and maybe we can do something for them.
I think it is clear that too many people live in the Gaza strip — one of the most densely populated and poorest areas of the world. There are no jobs. There isn’t enough water. All have always agreed it makes no sense. Palestinian refugees in the Gaza strip in 1948 were determined to return to Israel. Now their children and grandchildren are still there. I think they should be allowed to move somewhere else if they choose. This is universally agreed (Arabs say move to Israel — most others say move to Egypt). My view is that is too limited, and they should be allowed to move to, say, Rome (where I live) or the suburbs of Washington DC (I generally support open borders).
This will not happen (see “hopeless”). Partly lots of people would benefit from migration and aren’t allowed. Also particularly, Hamas terrorists (and the displays demonstrating at least some popular support) make people from the Gaza strip extremely undesired as immigrants.
Another point is that this would be self- ethnic cleansing and is what Netanyahu wants. So ?
I write partly because the always fascinating, typically brilliant, and occasionally reasonable Noah SMith proposed a three state solution in which the Gaza strip became a country. He explains why one and two state solutions won’t work and then gets to three.
The problem is with arguing that the Gaza strip could be a country fit for human habitation.
“Economics would be another powerful incentive. Right now, cut off from seaborne trade, Gaza isn’t able to build wealth. Its per capita GDP is estimated at just $1257, making it one of the most impoverished places on Earth. If it were independent and could carry out seaborne trade, this number would undoubtedly shoot up — Lebanon’s per capita GDP is about 3x as high. The easiest industry to spin up would simply be tourism — Gaza has a lot of nice beaches, plenty of historical sites, etc. In the future it would be a destination for investment from Turkey and possibly the Gulf states and Europe.”
Look Noah, murder rape and kidnapping are not the way to attract tourists. Who would visit the Gaza strip ? Gulf Arabs have their own beaches and much more important historical sights. I think Gaza’s main claim to fame is that Samson was allegedly there long ago.
Also it’s been tried. The Oslo approach was Gaza and Jericho first. Gaza was open to international trade (there was even a Gaza international airport). This did not work. The develop as a country in formerly occupied territory was the Al Fatah strategy (among many many other strategies all followed at once). Hamas won an election. The issue was not Fatah focus on the West Bank. The issue was that a whole lot of Palestinians want to destroy Israel.
Also a whole lot of ethnic Palestinians get along OK with Israel — many in Israel, many in Jordan, and many managing small businesses providing goods and services to oil-state Gulf Arabs. They all have something in common — they don’t live in the Gaza strip, so they can make a decent life for themselves.
I say the only hope is emigration/self ethnic cleansing. There is no chance it will be allowed. There is no hope.
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Even the Liberal Jonathan Chait is Fed up with Netanyahu, Angry Bear, Robert Waldmann
Some version of this might occur this time. There are people calling for humanitarian corridors to provision Gaza during the war, but this is atypical in such a situation. More typical are corridors to allow non-combatants to exit in the other direction. Once they have crossed the lines, they need to go somewhere and Israel won’t want to hold them really, so the international community could step up to the task. But it’s a long shot that Hamas lets anyone cross the lines.
Forgive me, but I find the expression “self-ethnic cleansing” to be highly offensive and suggest a change. The essay “seems” interesting, but this expression would stop me from properly considering and discussing the essay.
@ltr,
Forgive me, but I find the hope of the Israeli government that Gaza Arabs will practice “self-ethnic cleansing” to be highly offensive and suggest a change. But until people stop whining about words that accurately describe reality and start being offended by the reality itself, nothing will improve.
The last power plant in Gaza has shut down because Israel has blockaded Gaza. There is no food, water or medicine, and the buildings are being reduced to rubble. There is no recourse for the Arabs living there–whether or not they participate in or support Hamas terrorism–except self-ethnic cleansing (or self-deportation, if that sounds more congenial to you).
I would contend that human suffering, not political lexicon, is what matters. YMMV.
Thank you Joel.
Maybe Israel thinks any Hamas in Gaza is no longer tolerable. So if non-combatant Gazans just serve as a sea for Hamas to swim in, well they got to go too. Maybe Israel will stop bombing and just get on with siege warfare. Grim, but I’d guess they will operate as if the hostages lives are already forfeit. ‘Here’s the deal: exit corridors open for non-combatants provided these ~150 hostages are sent through alive at the head of the columns.’ Not thinking it happens though.
@Eric,
In your “deal,” where do you suppose Gaza Arabs will go? Who will take them?
Gaza is an unbearable open air prison. No growth, no jobs, no hope. Surviving on handouts from other nations, allowed only 400 trucks for a population of 2.3 million, and trapped.
Is there any surprise that when you treat a huge population in a tiny cage like animals that they behave like animals to survive?
The only solution is 3 state solution, if they are free, and they resort to terrorism, bomb them to the stone ages if they do not self-police, but while trapped and caged, you cannot accept Gazans to display a morality we in the west have the liberty to pontificate.
Arab nations with their wealth and similar culture and religion are the best places for Gazans to migrate, but it should be their choice, and then Arab nations have no excuse to not help or open their borders.
Finally, can we stop giving billions in ‘aid’ to the Israel, a developed first world country? If we didn’t have a $33trillion deficit and a homeless/poverty crisis, we could afford to fund multiple conflicts.
Independent Gaza has been tried – it wasn’t always blockaded.
I think emigration from the Gaza Strip is needed totally aside from Israel making trouble for Gaza, because it is so crowded with no source of income.
I think all countries *should* let people from the Gaza immigrate. That’s what I wrote. I think this would be good policy and also admit that it can validly be called ethnic self clensing.
I know this won’t happen (that’s also what I wrote).
‘Gaza, because it is so crowded with no source of income.’
Palestinians are said to be the best educated Arabs anywhere.
Many Gazans used to commute to work in Israel. That seems to have stopped in recent decades.
Picking a nit.
What is ‘Anopinion’? Is that like an anti-opinion? Fix this please, if it isn’t.