Peace in the Holy Land

The peace conference between Israel and the Fatah faction of the Palestine Authority
now going on in Washington is on its death bed. The Palestinian President Abbas
represents only a minority of the Arabs who call themselves Palestinians. He does
not speak for the irredentist factions--Hamas, Hezbollah, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and other splinter groups. Any "peace" made with him would
be an illusion, and would likely bring on him the same violence which is daily visited on Israel. Netanyahu is also unable to speak for all Israelis. The religious
settlement zealots could bring down his government if he compromises their agendas.
But he has more gravitas to make an agreement than any other Israeli politician, and
could make one stick if the advantages to Israel, in terms of security, were sufficient.
If the Palestinians could be given the hope of a better, more prosperous, healthier life while dwelling on this earthly realm, perhaps the zeal of the terrorists to get to Paradise by killing Israelis, Westerners and Arabs from other religious factions, might cool. Israel is in a position to help make that a reality for the
Palestinians, but only if they abandon their dream of wiping Israel off the map
and give up terrorism as an instrument of policy.
As with many Arab states, the controlling oligarchy has failed to improve the lives
of their subjects. Many motives---desire to maintain control, rejection of modernity, suppression of women, corruption, greed and zealotry can be cited for those failures. Israel is a roaring success, politically, economically and socially.
That alone is enough to feed the Arab hatred of a successful non-Muslim state in their midst. If such attitudes were changed, Israel would play a significant role
in improving the lot of their Palestinian neighbors.

The economy of the Palestinian territories is based on agriculture, of a relatively
primitive form. It competes with the highly advanced Israeli agriculture. However, that is not the reason for their poverty. Lack of access to the Israeli market and ports, because of border closings for security concerns, is the main cause.
If the Arabs would accept the reality of Israel, and coexistence as the future, Israel could become the engine of a powerful revival of the Palestinian people, in
a thriving state, as part of a natural regional economic entity. Israel would have to open its market to Palestinian agricultural products. They would need to provide technical assistance to modernize farming methods, improve roads and water supply to bring the Palestinian farmers up to Israeli standards. To compensate for the impact of food imports Israel would concentrate on the export market, where it already has a major presence.
For some period certain, perhaps twenty years, Israel would pledge to extend to the Palestinian state any improvements it makes to Israel's infrastructure so the viability of that state would be bolstered. In the absence of terror Israel could open its borders and its impressive medical facilities to Palestinians. During those twenty years Israel, together with the international community, could assist in building infrastructure, clinics, hospitals, and schools in the Palestinian state
so that it will be able to offer to its citizens the quality of life found in its neighbor.
The cost to Israel for the assistance it provides will be offset by the savings from reduced security requirements and from the increased trade and tourism which peace will permit. For the Arabs, Paradise would be available in the here and now.