Weekly Commentary: Thinking Out of the Box: Swiss Cheese Area C

Content preview: Weekly Commentary: Thinking Out of the Box: Swiss Cheese Area
C Annexation Plus Gaza Strip Kill Zone Win-Win for Israeli Left and Right
Dr. Aaron Lerner, 22 December 2023 At first glance, a “Swiss Cheese Area
C annexation plus the Gaza Strip Kill Zone” may sound more “off the wall”
than “thinking out of the box”. So, let’s walk through the situation:

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Weekly Commentary: Thinking Out of the Box: Swiss Cheese Area C =
Annexation Plus Gaza Strip Kill Zone Win-Win for Israeli Left and Right
Dr. Aaron Lerner, 22 December 2023

At first glance, a “Swiss Cheese Area C annexation plus the Gaza Strip =
Kill Zone” may sound more =E2=80=9Coff the wall=E2=80=9D than =
=E2=80=9Cthinking out of the box=E2=80=9D. So, let=E2=80=99s walk =
through the situation:

#1 Uncertainty over a Palestinian state could drive our next elections.=20

This would serve Benjamin Netanyahu=E2=80=99s interests by making the =
vote a quasi referendum over a possible future Palestinian state, thus =
dramatically increasing support for the national camp at the ballot box.

Concern over the possibility of a Palestinian state could also serve as =
the key factor in determining the composition of the ruling coalition, =
with the Haredi parties exploiting this to the hilt.

#2. The ongoing competition over Area C is exploited to hurt Israel.

#3. Annexed territory isn=E2=80=99t off the bargaining table. Since day =
one, the maps of supporters of a Palestinian state included areas which =
Israel had annexed in the Jerusalem area, such that annexation =
in-and-of-itself was never seen as preventing a particular parcel of =
land from being on the bargaining table. It only meant that the =
=E2=80=9Cannexed land=E2=80=9D was protected from a snap deal which did =
not enjoy the broad public=E2=80=99s support.

Protection from a =E2=80=9Csnap deal=E2=80=9D makes it possible for =
ruling coalitions to form for the purposes of serving Israel=E2=80=99s =
pressing needs.

#4. Efforts to undermine the establishment of a Gaza Strip Kill Zone to =
protect Israeli border communities by both international and domestic =
elements. While Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara didn=E2=80=99t cite =
any law when she recently stated that we can=E2=80=99t have such a =
protective zone after things cool off, that doesn=E2=80=99t mean that =
our Supreme Court might also follow suit in the future.

Now to the plan:

#1. A =E2=80=9CSwiss Cheese Area C Annexation=E2=80=9D would be in the =
spirit of the map of the Jordan Valley annexation which Prime Minister =
Netanyahu proposed and then ostensibly traded for the Abraham Accords.

It=E2=80=99s a =E2=80=9CSwiss Cheese Annexation=E2=80=9D because =
literally not one Arab community is annexed.

In this case, it is proposed that those Arab communities be delineated =
to include, as possible, some room for expansion, with their status =
being Area B (Palestinian civil control) so that, with the exception of =
edge cases involving serious security concerns, there is no Israeli =
control on Arab construction within the communities.

Annexation of the remainder of Area C makes the handling of property =
rights and construction activity subject to the same regulations and =
procedures as in the rest of Israel. Suffice it to say that just like =
anywhere else subject to Israeli law, you can=E2=80=99t set up a caravan =
on someone else=E2=80=99s property, or for that matter, public land.

Annexation of the Gaza Strip Kill Zone makes it much harder for a future =
government to buckle under about the Zone from either international =
pressure or domestic lawfare.

It is noteworthy that annexation would compel Israel to compensate =
Gazans who privately own land in the Kill Zone as this would be a case =
of the exercise of eminent domain.

The results of the implementation of the plan:

#1. Both the elections and the forming of a ruling coalition take place =
with a focus on the urgent needs of the country. Such a coalition, for =
example, would not be compelled to continue policies which encourage =
poverty by choice and unskilled by choice.

#2. Stability in what was Area C as key contributors to the friction =
associated with the =E2=80=9Cdevelopment race=E2=80=9D are removed.

#3. Long term security of Gaza border communities dramatically enhanced.

Would I prefer leaving out the =E2=80=9CSwiss Cheese=E2=80=9D element to =
the plan?

Yes. But leaving out the Arab communities from the annexation avoids =
opposition from those who don=E2=80=99t want any Arabs to gain =
citizenship from annexation. At the same time, turning the Arab =
communities from Area C to Area B status could be seen as a gain by the =
Israeli Left.

And what of the rest of the Gaza Strip?

With the end of COGAT (The Coordinator of Government Activities in the =
Territories) in Area C, COGAT could focus on administering the Gaza =
Strip for the very long time it will take to come up with a reliable =
alternative.

Please take note: this annexation would be by a simple quick cabinet =
vote:

Ordinance Law and Administration, 1948

11B The law, jurisdiction and administration of the State shall apply to =
any area of =E2=80=8B=E2=80=8Bthe Land of Israel that the Government =
sets in an order.

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