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May 11, 2009
Fanciful Map Indeed
Robert Mackey, writing in the New York Times blog, uses a fanciful map of a future Palestinian point to argue:
since Israel has no intention of withdrawing completely from the West Bank, what kind of map might incorporate part of the territory into Israel and still make the remaining part a truly “viable�? state?
Mackey's talk of "Palestinian Archipelago" aside, all it takes is a glance at maps drawn up by President Clinton's team during Camp David negotations to realize that Mackey is making much ado about nothing.
At left, you see the pretend map drawn by somebody called Julien Bousac and used by the New York Times writer to argue that Israeli territorial intransigence is blocking a Palestinian state. At right is the real map devised by President Clinton but ignored by the Times writer. Clinton's map demonstrates that Palestinian territorial contiguity is possible and not beyond the means of "any sensible mapmaker," to borrow from Mackey's words. Israel agreed to it, so while there are serious obstacles blocking the way of a successful Palestinian state, Mackey is barking up the wrong tree with his fanciful musings about maps. (Map at right is from Dennis Ross' The Missing Peace.)
Posted by TS at May 11, 2009 05:21 AM
Comments
Perhaps Mr. Mackey has not properly thought through what it will mean to have "a Palestinian state." What it means is the addition to the world of a totally apartheid state, a concept which is loudly decried by the left when the principle is so incorrectly applied to Israel. No Jew will be allowed to own land there, run a business there, or live in this new state. Whose criterion of justice does such a situation meet?
Posted by: Jerry at May 11, 2009 07:14 PM
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