Biden should push for Jordan & Israel to divide Judea & Samaria
President Biden’s proposed visit to the “West Bank” is promising to end up becoming a fruitless trip to an artificially-coined destination supposedly inhabited by a mythical ancient “Palestinian people”.
This scenario is far removed from the biblical and historic realities that had existed for 3000 years prior to 24 April 1950 – when Biden’s destination was called “Judea and Samaria” – the ancient and biblical heartland of the Jewish people.
Biden’s Press Secretary – Karine Jean-Pierre –exposed Biden’s – and her – apparent ignorance of these indisputable facts when announcing the President’s forthcoming visit in these terms:
“The President will also visit the West Bank to consult with the Palestinian Authority and to reiterate his strong support for a two-state solution, with equal measures of security, freedom, and opportunity for the Palestinian people.”
United Nations resolutions and Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) propaganda has used Jean-Pierre’s faux narrative since 1967 in a concerted effort to deny the Jewish people have any right to reconstitute the Jewish National Home in Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem under article 6 of the 1922 League of Nations Mandate for Palestine and article 80 of the 1945 United Nations Charter.
This post-1967 narrative differs from that used on 1 December 1948 when a conference organized in Jericho and attended by numerous Arab delegations including mayors of Hebron, Bethlehem, Ramallah, the Arab Legion Military Governor General and military governors from all districts, and other notables adopted the following resolution:
“Palestine Arabs desire unity between Transjordan and Arab Palestine and therefore make known their wish that Arab Palestine be annexed immediately to Transjordan. They also recognize Abdullah as their King and request him proclaim himself King of new territory.”
The Jericho Conference came after:
- The Mandatory Power – Great Britain – had granted independence on 27 June 1946 to Transjordan – 78% of the territory comprised in the 1922 Mandate for Palestine located East of the Jordan River
- Transjordan had invaded Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem– 4% of the Mandate territory located West of the Jordan River – on !5 May 1948 – driving out all the Jews living there as it assumed control of these areas.
The Jericho resolution confirms:
- There was then no identifiable “Palestinian people” – only “Palestine Arabs”.
- The leaders of the “Palestine Arabs” were not calling for the creation of a second Arab State in the territory formerly comprised in the Mandate for Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital –in addition to Transjordan.
Despite International and Arab League objections – unification of these two exclusively-occupied Arab territories – comprising some 82% of the territory of the Mandate for Palestine located on both sides of the Jordan River – was achieved on 24 April 1950 – resulting in:
- “Judea and Samaria” being designated the “West Bank”
- The newly-unified entity being named “Jordan”
- “Palestine Arabs” living in the “West Bank” becoming “Jordanian citizens”
- A two-state solution in former Palestine: one Jewish State called Israel in 18% of former Palestine and one Arab State called Jordan in the remaining 82% of Palestine.
The Palestinian people were only identified for the first time in the 1964 PLO Charter -but the PLO expressly did not claim to exercise regional sovereignty over the “West Bank of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan” under article 24
Unification lasted until Jordan’s loss of Judea Samaria and East Jerusalem to Israel in the 1967 Six Day War – although its Arab inhabitants enjoyed Jordanian citizenship until 31 July 1988.
Dividing Judea and Samaria between Israel and Jordan in direct negotiations aimed at redrawing their existing international border is certainly attainable.
Biden should push for this two-state solution that accords with history, geography and demography.
Author’s note: The cartoon — commissioned exclusively for this article — is by Yaakov Kirschen aka “Dry Bones”- one of Israel’s foremost political and social commentators — whose cartoons have graced the columns of Israeli and international media publications for decades.
David Singer is a Sydney lawyer and a foundation member of the International Analysts Network
Paul
The Jericho Conference – like so many other important historic milestones that have marked this conflict – has been erased in favour of creating a false narrative that is all myth and no substance.
There was no “Palestinian people” or “Palestinians” in 1948 – only Palestine Arabs – and they chose unification and annexation – which makes current claims for a separate and third state with East Jerusalem as its capitol for the first time ever in history a real obstruction to ending the conflict. It will have to be abandoned.
My solution which has virtually remained unchanged since I proposed it more than 40 years ago – two States in former Palestine – one Jewish and one Arab – not three States – worked between 1950 and 1967.
Why not try and rejig that outcome to achieve a similar result – backed by a peace treaty that did not exist then?
Imagine if this solution had been adopted back in 1993 when Israel and Jordan had signed their peace treaty.
The Arab residents of Judea and Samaria would once again have become Jordanian citizens under my proposal.
Gaza can be addressed by becoming:
1. part of Jordan – with its citizens becoming Jordanian citizens
2. part of Egypt – with its citizens becoming Egyptian citizens
These are the concessions the Arabs need to make
If my proposals are tried and fail – so be it. Whilst they remain untried and untested the conflict will certainly continue.
This 100 years conflict could be quickly resolved by simply drawing a new international border separating Israel from Jordan leaving Jordan (including Gaza) with about 80% of former Palestine and Israel with the remaining 20%. Isn’t this worth striving for?
You can bash your head against a brick wall and allow this conflict to go unresolved with the horrible consequences that occur almost every day – or try to end it by negotiations. Go explain your hard line and unyielding position to the 16 Jewish children and their mothers made fatherless and widows when their three fathers and respective husbands were hacked and knifed to death on 5 May.
Rewarding Jordan which illegally occupied Judea & Samaria and ethnically cleansed Jews from Jerusalem and destroyed Synagogues and desecrated the Mount of Olives cemetery, by handing them even one centimeter of this territory is insane. They have no historical or legal rights to claim anything.
Michael
I am proposing a solution to a conflict that has been going on for 100 years. That involves unpleasant concessions on both sides.
Everything you say is absolutely correct but in my opinion is an offer that needs to be explored in the interests of ending a conflict that has claimed so many Jewish and Arab lives and ruined the lives of millions of others.
We are talking about an area of land one-twelfth the size of Tasmania to be divided between Jews and Arabs. Should that be too hard to divide when 95% of the Arab residents presently live in 40% of that land?
Ending the idea of another State between Israel and Jordan is the concession the Arabs need to make.
Interesting history re Jericho conference. However, the author fails to explain why his favourite proposal should be preferred. The Arabs of former Palestine have been and continue to be defeated in their jihad. They deserve nothing. Jordan illegally stripped the Arab residing in Judea and Samaria of their citizenship. That should be restored and the continued residence of those people should be conditional on their abiding by Israeli law, otherwise, over the Jordan with them. And the division proposal ignores the Moslem Brotherhood regime in Gaza. Conditions on the ground have changed and so too should out of date thinking.