MK (Bayit Yehudi) Betzalel Smotrich, a member of Uri Ariel’s Tekuma faction, is calling for the annexation of Yehuda and Shomron. In an interview in the Yisrael Hayom newspaper, Israel’s largest daily, the right-wing MK states Israel should annex Yehuda and Shomron and pay the approximately 50,000 Arab residents of those areas to leave. Smotrich’s plan is bolder than the vision of party leader Minister Naftali Bennett, who calls on annexing areas with a ‘C’ designation under Oslo. Smotrich calls for annexing all areas, ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’.
NOTE: Under the 1993 Oslo Agreements, there are three designations for areas in Yehuda and Shomron.
· Areas ‘A’ are under total exclusive PA (Palestinian Authority) control but Israeli security forces maintain a right to enter if and when necessary.
· Areas ‘B’ are under PA civil control but Israeli security control.
· Areas ‘C’ are under exclusive Israel control.
Opponents of his plan feel that for one thing it is unrealistic. In addition, they explain it would create a new unwanted demographic, with an Arab majority.
Smotrich suggest paying Arab residents $100,000 to leave, his solution to the demographic concerns of opponents to such a plan. However, a PA (Palestinian Authority) resident would not be compelled to leave. S/he would be permitted to remain as a permanent resident as Israel did following the June 1967 war for Arab residents of Jerusalem. A second option offered by Smotrich is permitting the Arab residents remaining to live under autonomous rule with the understanding the land remains under Israeli sovereignty.
Opponents insist such a plan would be attacked by the international community but Smotrich feels this is not the case. He feels his plan offers the best option since today and it is just and ethical. He also views the world as primarily religious and therefore it will understand.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
If you offered every Jew $100,000 (that’s a million dollars for a family with a grandparent, two parents, and seven kids), along with a “green card” to the country of choice (money is somewhat useless if you are stuck in a DP camp) – how many Israelis would leave? Given that many Palestinians have few credible options outside of where they are now (you really expect them to move to Syria or Lebanon?), not many would be interested. The more secular Arabs have been moving out as soon as they can get immigration visas to safe western countries, so what’s left are ones who don’t want to go. But again, what if the Arabs offered the Israelis $100K/person and an American green card?
Kahane may have been right, but tell me Smotrichy, how much money do you have for this????
why do that, do what Stalin did with the Crimean Tatars, Chechens, Russian Germans and other enemy sympathizers.