Interviewing ‘Hashemite KIngdom of Palestine’ plan initiator, author Ali Shihabi
T. Belman. Singer avoids mentioning this paragraph in the Saudi Plan.
“This proposed enlarged kingdom would include present-day Jordan, Gaza, and the West Bank (areas populated by Palestinians attached in a contiguous manner and physically connected to Jordan, i.e., not broken up into islands). Israeli arguments as to the need to retain the Jordan Valley become moot since the valley will now be controlled by a Jordanian government with a reliable record of maintaining peace with Israel. “
Notice that it isn’t limited to Areas A, B and Gaza. It is close to Trump’s plan which gave Israel 30% of Area C and included the Jordan Valley. The Saudi Plan can do without the Jordan valley.
The Jordan Option differs from the Saudi Plan in that it involves the replacement of the monarchy and the birth of Jordan as a republic. Its present western boundary of the Jordan River remains. The New Jordan does not get sovereignty over any lands west of the River. It simply puts Jordan in charge of the Palestinian Authority which has an administrative role in A, B and Gaza, maybe forever. As such it should be totally acceptable to a majority of Israelis.
The Jordan Option goes further and supports incentivizing Palestinians to emigrate to Jordan. Jordan under Mudar’s leadership is prepared to accept all emigrants but is against the expulsion of Palestinians from Israel. So is Israel.
Will an Israeli De Gaulle emerge to endorse Mr Shihabi’s plan as part of his platform in the upcoming Israeli elections?
Dry Bones – which one is the statesman? Y. Krischen
A plan proposed by Ali Shihabi – a Saudi author and commentator on Middle Eastern Politics – proposing the merger of Jordan, Gaza and part of the ‘West Bank’ into one single territorial entity to be called “The Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine” – has received little attention in the Israeli media or been commented on by Israeli politicians since its release on 8 June.
Yet the plan contains the following features which should excite Israel’s reluctant media to be seeking responses from its political leaders:









