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| Hamas fired rockets leave Gaza for Israel. |
There is a lot of debate in the media about what to do with Israel and Palestine. Terrorists and violent protesters in the West Bank and Gaza are fighting for Palestinian statehood, while Israeli security forces take actions to secure the safety of their citizens and their right to the area. The best solution to this crisis there would be to allow Israel to take over both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, since it would be a legal action that would help the Palestinians.
First, the Palestinians have no right to the land. Legitimate rule is contingent upon the ability of the state to keep its people safe both from itself and from foreign powers. The fact that Israel is able to build all of its settlements in the first place without any action from the Palestinian Authority just goes to show that the Palestinian Authority is not strong enough to be considered the legitimate owner of the West Bank. The West Bank is governed by an ineffective and bankrupt state, the Palestinian Authority, that is unable to provide even the most basic health care and education to its people.1 The Palestinian Authority's corruption is largely self-caused, since poor relations between Hamas and Fatah caused the Palestinian Authority to become so bitterly divided between Hamas supporters and Fatah supporters that the government simply could not function. The Gaza Strip is governed by Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the State Department, and with good reason: it massacres its political opponents2, uses civilians as human shields2, and has dedicated itself to the destruction of Israel.
In addition, there would be numerous benefits to allowing Israel to take control over the West Bank and Gaza. Israel is a modern democracy with functioning legal institutions, rights for women, halfway decent education systems, welfare institutions, and some basic civil liberties and rights3. Israel has a booming economy that is entrepreneur driven3, so a unification of Israel and Palestine would help lift Palestinians out of poverty. Although there is anti-Palestinian discrimination in Israel, discrimination in Palestine is as severe or worse, although it is directed at different targets. For example, enforcement of Shari’a in some areas of Palestine have caused women there to have virtually no rights4, and the disabled are discriminated against equally heavily5. Israeli security forces can provide real law enforcement, and could effectively defeat terrorists. An Israeli takeover would dramatically boost the Palestine standard of living, and give them freedoms that a Palestinian state would not be able to offer. It is thus not surprising that polls show that most Arabs in East Jerusalem who have experienced the benefits of Israeli welfare, education and health care want to live in Israel instead of Palestine.6
Contrast this with Palestine. The Palestinian economy is nearly entirely agricultural, with some small industries, making it barely a developing nation. The main barrier to prosperity there is costly and limited access to capital thanks to government policies, and nearly all economic growth has been caused by foreign aid instead of private sector development. The Palestinian Authority, the government that controls Palestine, is swamped with debts, causing it to cut welfare and raise prices on things like power. Unemployment stands at 25% in the West Bank and 40% in Gaza, compared with 5.6%% in Israel.7 Health care in Palestine is a failure: infant mortality is high compared to the rest of the Arab world, treatable non-communicable diseases are the leading cause of death, and thousands of Palestinians are forced to seek health care in other nations due to the lack of health care in much of Palestine.1
Thus Israel should take the Palestinian territories under her wing to rescue the Palestinian citizens from the oppressive regime of Hamas and the useless Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, and raise them up to a modern standard of living.
Cites
1. Mataria, Awad, et al. Heath in the Occupied Palestinian Territory 5. N.p.: n.p.,
2009. Print. 5.
2. Under Cover of War: Hamas Political Violence in Gaza. New York City: Human
Rights Watch, 2009. Print.
3. Oren, Michael. "The Ultimate Ally." Foreign Policy. Washington Post, May-June 2011. Web. 9 Feb. 2012.
4. Facts on Violence Against Women in Palestine. Jerusalem: MIFTAH, 2005. Print.
5. Amro, Nuereddin. "From discrimination to an inclusive future for the visually handicapped in Palestine." Strong Voices. N.p., 6 Dec. 2011. Web. 10 Feb.2012.
6. Diehl, Jackson. "Why Palestinians want to be Israeli citizens." Post Partisan.Washignton Post, 12 Jan. 2011. Web. 10 Feb. 2012.
7. "West Bank." CIA World Factbook. CIA, 18 Jan. 2012. Web. 6 Feb. 2012.
