Bibi's Final Blunder, a One State Solution

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Israel is back on the settlement bandwagon and intent on laying claim to all the historic lands of Israel. With American money bankrolling the Jewish state, that of course makes us complicit in whatever they do. Obama has been attempting to curtail these settlements, while the administration of Bibi Netanyahu is trying to go full speed ahead. With that it is interesting to make the note of the history of this region of the world since before Obama took office.

A huge political earthquake shook the land of Israel in 2005 when the old war horse Ariel Sharon, broke with the Likud party to form a new centralist party called Kadima. Unlike Likud this new party was formed in attempt to disengage from Palestinian territory, remove settlements and pursue a two-state solution. That this policy was pursued by Arik Sharon, a man not known for strategic retreats was pursuing this path is quite remarkable.

Sharon's career goes back to the war of Independence. During the '56 Suez offensive where he led the Paratroopers that attempted to capture Mitla pass, far in advance of Israeli forcing and bottling up Egyptian forces in Sinai. Exceeding orders he precipitated a battle inside the pass that resulted in high casualties which stymied his career for a period of time. Taking part of all the big Arab-Israeli wars Sharon's character was fully on display in the '73 Yom Kippur War where he lead a tank division in the Sinai where his actions were both bold and reckless. Twice the Chief of Staff recommended Sharon be replaced only to be overruled by Defense Minister Dayan.

After initially being caught unaware, the Israeli forces were pushed back into the Sinai before the front stabilized and a counterattack was planned via a corridor that was pushed westward to the Suez canal. Sharon, ever the swashbuckling type wanted to float his tanks to the Egyptian side of the canal, before bridging operations could be completed, before a supply line could be established and before the large Egyptian counterattack had been thwarted. If Sharon had gone into Egypt without a clear supply line he could have met the fate of Rommel in his "dash to the wire" at El Alamein where he ran out of gas. Israel could not afford the loss of one of its top armored divisions. Yet, Sharon was bridled enough to wait for the proper moment. Israeli forces invaded Egypt and surrounded and doomed the Egyptian 3rd Army before a cease fire was imposed by American intervention.

The Pattonesque quality in Sharon is readily apparent, and in later years this was carried forward as Prime Minister and also as minister of housing where he was an avid builder of settlements. These settlers were induced with cheap housing, day care and other inducements; many effectively paid for with aid money from the USA.

The plan was to lure Jews from the USA, Europe and other places to settle here and win the battle of demography and squeeze the Palestinians into every decreasing pockets where they could be controlled. With the Intifada and the incessant fighting these Jews never materialized. Instead the Palestinians were the ones being fruitful and multiplying. Instead the Palestinians with time on their side, would eventually transform Israel into a majority Palestinian state. The long-term outlook for a Jewish State appeared pretty grim.

Sharon's actions of unilateral withdrawal from Gaza and removal of settlements was fought by Likud and it's leader Bibi Netanyahu. The old general's finally coming to realize the larger strategic dimension to the conflict and choosing a strategic withdrawal to defensible lines was a real watershed. Unfortunately, he soon suffered a stroke and left the picture. His successor Olmert never had the prestige to advance much further before he was finally felled in a corruption scandal.

The seizure of power by Hamas and the Gaza rocket attacks weakened the new Kidima party and with the election of Obama, Israel passed back into the hands of the Likud under Bibi. Unlike the Bush administration, Obama did not want to give Israel carte blanch. Our relations with a billion Muslims had to be considered and not be subservient the desires a few million Jews. Many of these Israeli Jews in fact want accomodation and final peace with the Palistians.

If the Obama administration has been cursed with the realization that after 8 years of George Bush and the Israeli lobby giving Likud policies the seal of approval, Bibi is now stuck with the Obama administration not wanting to become a Likud lap dog.

Obama and in fact George Bush have for a time thwarted Bibi's desire to bomb Iran and ignite the whole mid-east in flames. This self defeating plan will result in many more American body bags coming out of Iraq and Afghanistan, sky high oil prices and a host of other evils. From Bibi's perspective it would enhance Israeli-US relationships since those with the Arab would tank leaving Israel still in position as our best friend in the middle east.

Meanwhile, with attention diverted to Iran, Israeli settlers are about to put the final coup de grace to a two-state solution, the plan to expand the Israeli settles to the east of Jerusalem and encircle the Arab areas with new Jewish settlements.

The lynch pin of this effort is the settlement known as E-1 just to the west of Ma' ale Adumim, which is the subject of the Goggle imagery in this article. Just to the west we see a system of roads and roundabouts all going nowhere. Once complete this new complex will thwart any effort to establish a contiguous Palestinian state.

A few hours of Goggle Map "flyovers" of Palestinian and Israeli settlements, followed by looking up photographs of these areas will leave the viewer with an indeligible impression on what is happening here. Palestinians are being forced into ghettos while virtual resort communities with horse stables, pools and other amenities are in walled off sections, exclusively the providence of these settlers.

Once Bibi and Likud's master plan is complete, what is left? The long hard slog will continue for decades and eventually become a Civil Rights struggle for Palestinians's rights. Over time how can the "Jewish State" remain a Jewish State if a large number of its people are non-Jews, marginalized and imprisoned in their isolated communities? Is this where the Israeli public wants to go?

Looking down the road Bibi may yet become the most successful jihadist of all time, the man that took down the Jewish State.