Weekly Commentary: Annexation – No Free Lunch
Dr. Aaron Lerner Date: 21 July 2011

Given the choice between the existential threat that a sovereign Palestinian
state constitutes and the challenges the Jewish state will no doubt face
should it annex Judea and Samaria, annexation is most definitely the
preferable option.

Annexation is anything but a theoretical option.

The Palestinian leadership itself (including PA PM Fayyad) is on record
accepting Israeli annexation as a substitute for a Palestinian state.
Interestingly, he mentions the annexation option without even requiring
Israel to throw in the right of return of refugees into the package.

Annexation is hardly a free lunch for Israel.

Because the only way that Israel can pull it off is if the Arabs now
residing in Judea and Samaria are offered the opportunity to take Israeli
citizenship and vote in Israel’s elections – as was the case for the
residents of the Golan and eastern Jerusalem.

Sure, all kinds of ideas have been thrown around by some annexation
proponents for ways to either prevent these Arabs from getting citizenship
or voting schemes to limit their say via gerrymandering.

But all these schemes have the same basic problem: the only way the
international community will accept this move is if there is a simple and
transparent arrangement for the annexed Arabs to become Israeli citizens.

Anything short of that would guarantee Israel a nightmare of international
condemnation, pressure and sanctions.

The morning after?

The only thing preventing an Arab from Nablus from moving to Haifa would be
real estate prices.

UNWRA would close down operations in Judea and Samaria since the “refugees”
would no longer be “refugees”.

Israel would face a tremendous budget challenge as it struggles to put
together a plan to bring municipal and other services as well as
infrastructure in Judea and Samaria up to national levels.

On the flip side, the flood of worker from Judea and Samaria would help make
it possible to slash back on foreign workers in the country.

Again, annexation is not a free lunch.

But given the choice between living with annexation and the existential
threat of a sovereign Palestinian state I choose life.

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(Mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
Website: http://www.imra.org.il