A. UNRWA Under Debate
B. The Failure of the Two State Solution
C. The Jordanians React
D. Netanyahu's Upcoming Address

The need to address UNRWA’s problematic role in the Middle East conflict is penetrating into public debate in Canada, a country whose support is critical for UNRWA’s economic survival. In an article published last week, Michael Bell - a researcher and former Canadian Ambassador to Israel, Jordan and Egypt - defended UNRWA, as rumors spread that his country will cease to support it, because the organization has now been caught attempting to undermine Israel.

See his article at: The only Palestinian relief agency that counts

Bell does not advocate disbanding UNRWA, since he considers the agency successful in managing the refugee’s lives in a competent manner. Bell claims that dismantling UNRWA will put the onus of this difficult task on Israel or the Palestinian Authority. which, to him, is inconceivable.

In principle, the Israeli Initiative agrees with Bell. The disbandment of the organization is not a goal in itself: dismantling UNRWA must occur in the context of a broader international effort to solve the refugee problem, putting an end to the Palestinian refugee status.

The Israeli Initiative has been and continues to lobby for the reduction of international support for UNRWA, specifically from the U.S., Canada, and E.U. countries. Its goal is to effect a change in policy towards Palestinian refugees. Instead of perpetuating the problem, which is what UNRWA has been doing, what is needed in order to lead to a realistic, permanent solution is a change in outlook.

This new outlook promotes rebuilding the lives of the refugees, which will take them out of their refugee status, and resettle the many who choose to leave Judea, Samaria and Gaza and grant them the opportunity for better lives in a different country.

While the Israeli Initiative disagrees with Bell’s support for UNRWA, it is satisfying to witness the arising of public debate about the rule of this organization, coming from countries that have supported UNRWA from its foundation day.

Although there is much talk surrounding to the Two-State solution, it is already understood that the time has come for alternative peace options. Here again Canada is wakening: While the chairman of the Palestinian Authority Mahmud Abbas was visiting in Ottawa, the Vancouver Sun published an interesting interview with Palestinian journalist Haled Abu-Toehma, explaining that the Two-State solution is no more than an illusion.

See his article at: The two-state solution illusion

American Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) phrased this sentiment boldly and simply in a speech he gave at the Heritage Foundation last week:
"After 16 years, billions of dollars spent, dozens of international summits and limitless diplomatic support, the grand experiment of pursuing statehood above all else has failed. Not only are the Palestinians no closer to obtaining independence than when the process began, but during that time, thousands of innocent people have died and the influence of radical ideology has never been greater.

"The legacy of the 16-year two-state experiment is one of a lost opportunity. Rather than looking at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and crafting solutions that served the humanitarian interests of the Palestinians and that reflected the facts on the ground, our policy-makers got too clever. They felt they knew the answer before studying the problem. They talked about creating two states side by side, but also contiguous, even though they are separate, subject to final status issues, et cetera. As time went on, the two-state plan grew more and more distant. But rather than causing a reevaluation or critical thinking or strategizing anew, it only caused two-state advocates to dig in their heels deeper and push forward with the same failed concept."

The full speech can be viewed or read at: Video: Brownback at Heritage on Israel/Palestine

Jordan’s sharp response to MK Eldad’s speech in the Knesset in which he asserted that "Jordan is Palestine", can be better understood on the grounds of the widening recognition of the failure of the Two-State solution. Eldad’s position is nothing profound and has been voiced by both Israeli officials and the King of Jordan himself in the past, only this time it led to the Israeli ambassador being summoned and rebuked by Jordanian officials.

In the wake of Eldad’s remarks, PM Netanyahu commented that "Jordan is an important stabilizing factor in the region". He continued to praise Jordan, saying that "they are a responsible and moderate government who has shown ability to fight terrorists with expediency. We have peaceful relations with Jordan and hope that those relations will continue."

As the Director of the Israeli Initiative, I stated to the press that there is no contradiction between Eldad’s comments and Netanyahu’s remarks. "We have always emphasized the importance of the current Jordanian government and the need to strengthen it. However, the attempt by Jordan to detach themselves from the Palestinian population in Judea and Samaria endangers the stability of the Jordanian government."

"An independent Palestinian State in Judea and Samaria will threaten the survival of the Jordanian regime and lead to possible chaos for the entire region. In contrast, halting negotiations with the Palestinians and renewing Israeli-Jordanian dialogue regarding the future of the Arab residents of Judea and Samaria, with the guaranteed support of the Hashemite Kingdom, America and Israel - can help achieve progress in the seemingly never-ending negotiations."

If so, why does Jordanian so staunchly reject Eldad’s remarks? "While the whole world is talking about a Two-State solution it is important for Jordan to portray itself as a proponent of the Palestinian cause. Since a majority of Jordan's population are Palestinian, there is a severe internal threat should they veer from this norm. Once the Jordanian option becomes the center of international discourse, including President Obama, Amman will change its tune."

The Israeli Initiative rests on three principles:
1. Rehabilitation of the Palestinian refugees while dismantling Palestinian refugee camps in Judea and Samaria;
2. Disbanding the Palestinian Authority and basing any future settlement on negotiations between Israel, Egypt and Jordan;
3. Annexing Judea and Samaria to Israel, while giving special status to those residents who will receive Jordanian citizenship.

The Initiative cites that although many feel that the Jordanian option is antiquity, its relevance is becoming more and more evident by remarks expressed by policymakers and researchers in the past few months. These feelings have been reiterated in the past few weeks by former minister Shlomo Ben Ami, author and former MK Michael Bar Zohar, Middle Eastern Researcher Professor Ephraim Inbar, Professor Shuka Porat, and former National Security Council Head Giora Eiland.

PM Binyamin Netanyahu has announced that early next week he will respond to President Obama's Cairo statement in a speech, in which he will elaborate on his vision concerning the Middle East peace process.

The speech might simply be an attempt by Netanyahu to sidestep the American pressure to stop building for Jews in Judea and Samaria. However, the Prime Minister has a greater responsibility than merely sidestepping upon him. With Washington signaling an appeasing approach towards Iran, Israel must join with Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia in order to stop the Tehran-Gaza-Beirut axis.

Promoting a Palestinian state, which will then immediately become a Hamas state, means promoting the Iranian axis. It is vital that Israel presents the world and the moderate Arab regimes with an alternative, in the form of a regional agreement that does not involve the creation of a Palestinian state.

"If PM Netanyahu will have the courage to present a significant alternative to President Obama's vision, instead of seeking a way to avoid confronting Obama, He will be remembered as a brave and visionary leader," our press release concluded.

To read the article in INN click: Israeli Group Offers Alternative to 2-State Solution

We all look towards next week with the hope that the change of government in Israel will be translated to a real shift in policy.

Sincerely yours,
Yoav Sorek
Director, Israeli Initiative
www.Israelinitiative.com