Different Slants

First, some background: My family came to America between 1902 and 1916 from Eastern Europe, where some of my immediate ancestors were murdered during the World War One years. They were non-combatants. I grew up with grim tales of unending, irrational persecution and in sync with my left-of-center politics beginning in the later Sixties, I wouldn’t wish that kind of terror and life on anyone.

I grew up on the South Side of Chicago and never met any Middle-Eastern people. The neighborhood was Polish-Jewish-Irish. In 1968, at seventeen, I was severely beaten by two plain-clothes Chicago cops, hand-cuffed, thrown in a paddy-wagon and booked for resisting arrest. What soon became apparent was that I had been assaulted by mistake because to the two cops who captured me, I evidently looked like a local Arab youth they were unsuccessfully pursuing who was suspected of numerous breaking and entering incidents. I was eventually released and went immediately to a hospital, but none of my subsequent antagonism was aimed at the unknown Arab teen I supposedly resembled.

Over the course of my varied career, I never had any conflict with any person with roots in the areas around Israel. I have no prejudice and never had any difficulties with someone being a Muslim, or any other religion. Even when terrorist-inspired fears to the airlines caused me to be endlessly pulled out of line at airports to be scanned by metal detectors, and/or have my luggage searched, I never blamed Arabs whom I must closely resemble or why would so many people agree about that?

The point is, I’m fair and rational and don’t judge other people or nations collectively for any evil acts that may have occurred in history, or to my family, or to Israel. Otherwise, you have to hate someone, somewhere, all of the time and that uses up a lot of energy, pointlessly. The co-writer of this blog, Rick Munden, and I went to Israel in May, 2000. We had different adventures and a very good experience overall. The times we were in the company of Palestinians, or in their neighborhoods or cities we were treated very well, with courtesy and respect.

We even took a side trip to legendary Petra in Jordan, spending the whole day traveling through southwestern Jordan on a bus and touring amazing sights. That day was the longest continuous time I was ever in the company of people from the Middle-East who weren’t Jewish. The experience was unforgettable and the many Bedouins we encountered and Jordanians were more than civil to Rick and I. They were friendly and talkative. I would go back again. l believe Rick would as well without any reservations.

How Jewish am I? Well, I went to Hebrew school from 1958 to 1963. I had a bar mitzvah. I am very aware of the culture my grandparents left and brought with them, as well as what I have learned about the history of my people on my own, over the last forty years. Today I belong to a vibrant Temple near Chicago where I’m actively involved and am part of a Talmud study class. My ten year- old daughter goes to Hebrew school there as well. I like the atmosphere and I celebrate the major Jewish holidays several times a year. So, in short, I have a clear and very positive Jewish identity.

That fact doesn’t require me to hate Arabs, or Palestinians or any other group that has conflicts with Israel. Mostly, I feel continuous sorrow for the insanity and the madness that makes its home in Israel, Palestine and the angry countries nearby.

I came up with this idea that might please all sides. Maybe it’s so simple no one will give it a second thought. But that would be a big mistake. The people in those explosive areas could have a better life than blowing up each other’s children, soldiers, tourists, news people, doctors, and elected officials. If you think my idea has any validity, tell someone else to read it. Maybe, just maybe, the person who could set the wheels in motion to make this plan get going will read it and think to him or herself:

“Damn! This makes so much sense. And it’s so uncomplicated and fair to all sides, too. I’d better call my Congressman/ Senator/ Mover and Shaker right away!”

So, this is,

 Chicago Bob’s Plan for Peace in Israel and Palestine:

People say, “Think outside of the box”. How about thinking “Outside of the country?” Why must all solutions to stop the anger and begin a cooperative relationship between Israel and Palestine be contained within the small borders of those countries?

Israel is about the size of New Jersey or Wales, or about 7,000 sq. miles and has about 7,000,000 people. Palestine, presently located within Israel, has about 2,263 sq. miles with a population of 3,570,000 people crammed into that tiny place, the size of Delaware. Jordan, immediately to the east of both of those countries is mostly empty desert, 34,445 sq. miles of sand, a little smaller than Indiana, with a population of 5,160,000 people, two million less than Israel but living in five times the space. Or 1.5 million more than Palestine in over 15 times the space. I feel there is room for creativity here that will benefit all parties and stop all the shooting.

After all, the countries I speak of were created by the British or the French victors of World War One 90 years ago in their present forms and borders and certainly most anyone can do the job better than the British or the French! God did not draw those borders. Men did.

If all emotion is kept out of this and the overview is one of logic, fairness, safety, innovation, equal access to fresh water, business development, the contentment of all fifteen million plus persons currently living in those 44,000 sq. miles and a willingness of all parties to start fresh, then there’s no reason the following re-allocation of land can’t work successfully.

Upfront, I know that I can’t solve the religious conflicts, and mostly that involves Jerusalem. But if all other matters seem reasonable, then people of good will can work that out in a less poisoned atmosphere. Hopefully.

I suggest that Jordan offer to the Palestinian people an area that is almost a mirror image of Palestine’s current kidney-shaped borders, on the eastern side of Palestine’s border with Jordan, beginning immediately south of the Sea of Galilee, with the River Jordan running through the middle of the proposed new state, and the Dead Sea subdividing the bottom third of its land. That would give the new, larger Palestinian state about 5,000 sq. miles (about the size of Connecticut) because the area I suggest that Jordan contribute is slightly larger than the size of the existing West Bank. There would no longer be a “West Bank” because the Palestinians would occupy both sides of the Jordan River.

If you have a good map of Jordan, you can easily follow this next part. The coordinates of the additional eastern part of my proposed new country would be as follows, going clockwise from the north to the south, with a deep western indentation that excludes Amman, the capital of Jordan, from the new area. The cities/towns are: Fiq, Mafraq, Zarqa, (then zipping westerly in a curve around Ammon) Jiza, Daba Station, Kahn ez Zal Station, Qutrana Station, ending with Karak defining its southern perimeter with Jordan.

Why would Jordan even begin to consider the rationality of such a plan that consumes about 7% of its territory?

Madness??  No!!

No. If Jordan were to enter the impossible-to-resolve political situation between Israel and Palestine, Jordan would instantly transform from being an impoverished, powerless, resource-less and politically insignificant player on the world stage to a central, historic, generous and heroic role. Wealthy, Middle-Eastern oil-rich countries would gasp in amazement…an then crash into each other trying to find ways to generously express their appreciation to “Noble, Self-Sacrificing Jordan.”

The Western Powers would stand dumb-founded that this poor, odd-shaped little sandbox of a country would be so willing to be the one to volunteer the most precious missing piece of the puzzle–its land–that the stampede from the grateful European countries, the United States and Asian nations (endlessly nervous about their safe and continuous access to oil) would electrify Jordan’s meager economy virtually overnight.

What gift would be too much for the wise and kind Jordanians? None. Who would ever be allowed to harm the wise and kind Jordanians? No one. Need oil? Got it. Need water? Got it. Electricity or nuclear plants to power the country? Got it. Need some really new cities and industries to upgrade the quality of life for all of Jordan’s people?

Man, you got it!!

Jordan would go from bit-player on the world stage to front and center. America would (and should) reallocate, out of the three billion dollars, each, it supplies to Egypt and Israel every year, a cool billion to Jordan, evenly removed from both other countries. How could they complain? Who would give a damn? Not the US Congress, since it’s merely a change of address where the money goes, but NOT an increase in spending, with very obvious benefits immediately apparent to all sides of the American political spectrum.

I haven’t forgotten about Israel in all of this, but why not address the Palestinians situation first? I have read that Jordan’s population is 70% Palestinian anyway, so if that is correct they should not be in any way hostile to seeing the lives of their brethren improved, especially if it showers a world-wide bounty on their country. But as I define Israel’s newest and (one hopes) very delighted eastern neighbor’s tangible improvements, and I refer to Palestine here, the implications to Israel’s safety and prosperity will become obvious.

Where would the current inhabitants of those small cities or towns in the new country of Palestine live? They could stay, if they desired to, remaining Jordanian or be granted dual-citizenship like Americans Jews are with Israel, or they could sell their homes…fairly…to the new governing body, or (more likely) be compensated by Jordan and resettled within Jordan.

Which leads me to water.

Or Water, Water No Where, as things stand now in these desert economies.

Why not change that? REALLY change that. If there are endless billions available on all sides for war and making war with expensive weaponry, why can’t those same resources go toward transforming the desert of both Israel and Palestine with the latest technology in water desalinization? Why couldn’t they work cooperatively to make that happen? And perhaps create two (or three) economies that would peacefully Intertwine in the process. What if all the brilliance on both sides of the new borders went toward creative solutions to environmental and human problems instead of how much infrastructure both sides could obliterate?

Israel has the Technion and The Weitzman Institute, two of the world’s premiere research facilities. They haven’t yet figured out how to make gold out of lead, but water is more valuable than gold in the Middle-East anyway. With money contributed by the surrounding wealthy nations, Israel and Palestine could jointly construct a series of giant pipelines running from the Mediterranean Sea to a point agreed upon by both states, between them, filter the salt water through the most advanced desalinization technology existing and create a freshwater lake for their joint benefit and use.

Don’t be so quick to smile, as in: “He’s really crazy, isn’t he?”

I’m not. I’m practical. People from the South Side of Chicago have no choice. We play the hand we’re dealt.

If both countries use only their own people and companies to create this fabulous soon-to-be world famous tourist attraction, they’d be forced to cooperate. They might discover that friendship is possible between them, and the goal is so motivating, neither would allow anyone to sabotage the giant construction project. It could be used for irrigation, fishing—if it was stocked with local favorite species of hardy fish—swimming or whatever both sides want to use it for. I have this idea that if there was a way to build an infrastructure of supports all across the area to be designated as the new lake, then there might be a way to build a form of roof that let in sun light, but prevented massive evaporation. If the “roof’ were high enough, air could flow through, it wouldn’t be excessively humid and water loss could be controlled.

Man has built the Panama Canal, gone to the Moon, created test-tube babies and watched the Soviet Union choose to disintegrate without a shot being fired in anger, creating fifteen new countries just like that. Why would reallocating where fresh water could exist be such a daunting goal? Not if all involved want it to happen. Not if all sides stand to gain from it. Not if the wages to construct that modern marvel went to the people who live in the countries the lake will serve.

With the world’s oceans rising, the more creative ways mankind can think of to rearrange where some of that extra water should go, is a very logical concept. I propose the new lake be called “Waters of Abraham” because both the Jews and the Moslems revere him as a common ancestor. That was my second choice, because I really doubt “Lake Katzman” would get much support.

The more reason Israel and Palestine/Jordan have to work together for their common good, the more ties will be forged. If they sold what each manufactured to each other, if Israel helped create complimentary and not competing industries or businesses on the east side of the Jordan, then the prosperity that was being generated by all that I have described would be perpetuated by ongoing commerce. Maybe a new university could be built to bring a higher level of education to all the inhabitants of Palestine. Maybe Israel could send some visiting professors to teach there from their existing schools and vice-versa, to foster even more good will between the neighboring nations? Maybe professors from countries in Latin America, Asia, North America and Europe could do the same thing to increase the international ties–and friendships–between the new Palestine and the world, ending its spirit-killing isolation?

So, this is a group of ideas that could work, if all sides want them to. One more thing, perhaps a difficult pill to swallow.

The area known as the Gaza Strip should be given to Israel, for its own protection, to stop arms smuggling from Egypt, to prevent the endless shelling back and forth for irrational reasons and to bring even more peace and stability to the region. There will never be a clear safe way to tie that little scrap of land on the coast to the larger Palestinian State. No matter what idea is offered, a train in a tunnel, an airport in Palestine, a highway between them…all would be easy targets for terrorism and death. It is a knot that needs to be untied.

If a truly international governing body were to decide the fairest way to compensate the inhabitants from Gaza, and Israel wasn’t on it, and all of the Palestinian Gazans were peacefully relocated via Egypt or Jordan to the new massively enlarged Palestine nation, then they wouldn’t have to travel through Israel to get to their new homes. That might eliminate a touchy issue, too.

Also, if all the earlier proposals I offered were a good idea for the people who now live on the West Bank, wouldn’t they also be a good idea for the people in Gaza? If Israel is willingly involved in the creation of a viable new state next to it, including agriculture, infrastructure (railroads, highways, environmentally positive trash recycling and everything else…) an electrical grid, water distribution, why would the Palestinians not see Israel as a partner and friend?

Friendship would create the best of all world’s. Maybe there could be a Middle-Eastern Economic Union to benefit all of them.

I see Assyrians, Palestinians, Iranians, Iraqis, Lebanese, Moroccans, and Egyptians all the time in my store just north of Chicago, in the middle of North America. We are friendly, talk about all kinds of things, sometimes politics, and never has anyone of them reacted negatively to the bright and shiny Jewish star around my neck. Sometimes the Palestinians are surprised I sell their green, red, white and black flag in my store, but I tell them, “Why not? It’s a country just like all the rest.” They smile and appreciate that obvious truth and my attitude as well.

It could be this way everywhere, if people valued other people’s children…and other people’s lives…as much as they do their own. I don’t hate anybody. I ask you, the (patient) readers of my new plan to tell other people about it, if you agree with its fairness and kindness to all involved, and see if one man’s idea for a better world can make any difference at all. I pray for a free, fair and prosperous New Palestinian State, and a safe, fair and prosperous Israel along side of it, united only by friendship, goodwill and the mutual desire for uninterrupted peace.

Peace, be with all of us.

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Published May 18th, 2007 in honor of my father, Irving, on the seventh anniversary of his death, at age 87

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Note from the Author:

 

Robert M. Katzman, owner of Fighting Words Publishing Company, with four different titles currently in print and over 4,000 books sold to date, is seeking more retail outlets for his vivid and non-fiction inspirational books: 

 

Independent bookstores, Jewish and other religious organizations, Chicago historical societies or groups, English teachers who want a new voice in their class who was a witness to history, book clubs, high schools or museum gift shops.  I will support anyone who supports me by giving readings in the Chicago Metro area.  I have done this over 40 times, and I always sign my books, when asked.  Everyone, positively everyone, asks.  I was amazed, at first, by that.

 

Individuals who wish to order my books can view the four book covers and see reviews of them at www.FightingWordsPubco.com 

 

There are links to YouTube and podcasts, as well.  Or, anyone can call me directly at (847) 274-1474.  Googling my name will also produce all kinds of unusual results.  That other Robert M. Katzman, now deceased, whose name will also appear and who also published, was a doctor.  He actually bought one of my books!  Such a nice man.  Rest in peace, Dr. Katzman.

 

There will be short poems, stories and essays published in this space every two weeks by either myself or my co-blogist Richard G. Munden, or both.  If you find our postings thought provoking, moving or even amusing, please tell others to come view this site.  We will find our strength in your numbers.

 

 Next year, I will publish my fifth book, a collection of my best poetry and essays, called,

                                         

        I Seek the Praise of Ordinary Men

 

Individuals who know of independent bookstores that might be interested in a rough-hewn guy like me, who ran a chain of newsstands for 20 years in Chicago, please tell them about my books, will you?  I am partial to independent bookstores, having owned two, myself, until my last one was killed by the giant chains, in 1994. I still miss it. 

 

I’m also looking to find someone who would want to make a play out of some of my stories in the Chicago area, so I could go there and do some readings sometimes.  I think there’s enough honest sex, drugs and rock n’ roll to hold anyone’s interest, as well as a lot of authentic dialogue from ordinary people in extraordinary situations.  I think the plays would work anywhere, frankly, in some intimate theater with talented actors.