Joseph Abileah - Confederation in the Middle East

an article by Joseph W Abileah

(We recommend reading: Israel Pacifist - The Life of Joseph Abileah, Anthony G. Bing with foreword by Yehudi Menuhin, Syracuse University Press, ISBN 0-8156-2488-3)

The Middle East consists of deserts and fertile land, mountains as well as valleys and wide plains. Israel and her neighbour in the East, the Hashemite Kingdom, which together formed the British Mandate from 1918 to 1948, are formed according to these geographic patterns, constituting an economic unit. From the shores of the Mediterranean a chain of mountains of middle height rises which, interrupted by the steep depression of the Jordan valley, mounts to a higher range further east up to the outskirts of the Syrian desert. In the year 1922, the British government created the emirate of Abdullah (grand­father of King Hussein) east of the Jordan river. This, in order to fulfil a promise to the ruler of Saudi-Arabia. Here an injustice was done to the Jewish National Home and an economic disaster created at the same time. The eastern part, which was later raised to a small kingdom, was cut off from the Mediterran­ean and its economy became since dependant on British support. After the unhappy partition of the western area of the Jordan in the year 1947 and the creation of the state of Israel, a third region emerged, which was designated by the UNO as an arab-palestmian state, but practically remained undefined. In the war of 1947/48 which followed the UNO-decision, it was annexed by King Abdullah to his kingdom and together was named the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Populated by Palestinian arabs, it was never politically an autonomous unit. This area was occupied by Israel in the year 1967, together with parts of Syria, the Gaza strip and the Sinai peninsula and is now termed the West Bank. The same as the armistice boundaries of 1948 did not take into consideration any economic necessities, the newly created frontiers of 1967 were again unnatural. The natural boundary is only the desert which starts in the east of the Hashemite Kingdom. Many times the Jews tried to cancel the mistake of the first partition of the year 1922. First, there were trials of approach to which a Jewish leader named Arlozoroff became a victim. Liter, when the official entrance of Abdullah into the fighting was imminent;, the present Prime Minister, Mrs Golda Meir, was sent to an historical meeting with King Abdullah. This was an unpardonable error, as a mohammedan ruler would never enter with a woman an agreement the validity of which, according to the oriental custom, cannot be maintained. Even in jewish-rabbinical law evidence of a woman at the court is not valid. Abdullah himself was assassinated later on ground of an alleged approach to Israel.

The vast desert of Syria and the repeated population explosions were already in the past a reason for antagonism between the Assyrians of Mesopotamia and Egypt. In our time, this is repeated in a competition between Egypt and Iraq-Syria. The above mentioned areas of Israel and Jordan were before and are also today victims of this rivalry. They were alternately in one or the other hand or under the respective spheres of influence, Also today the fear from northern influx makes King Hussein speak from Nasser's throat from whom he expect protection. This from north to south. Prom east to west we have to consider the permanent danger of penetration of desert dwellers into settled areas. It is a fact since thousands of years that when­ever population explosions in the desert fall together with political rivalries in neighbouring settled areas, attacks from the desert start. In the eastern part of Jordan, along the Roman Road, we can see the ruins of fortifications of all conquerors and inhabitants of the country from Nabatheans to Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Crusaders and Turks. To this we must add the vital way to the Mediterranean. Today we are again witnesses to such a development. We axe using tanks and fighting-plan es instead of fortifications of the past, but should preferably bring water to the desert in order to relieve these poor people.

Much discussion is going on nowadays about the restitution of the West Bank to Jordan. This is asked on basis of the UNO security council's decision of 22.11.67. The recognition of the sovereignty of Israel by the arab states should be done concurrently. In Israel herself many arc voicing this step and there are even movements which ask for full evacuation of the occupied territories. These are minorities, but they express their opinion in public.

If the evacuation is executed, we return to the situation of the beginning of June, 1967 i.e. an armed peace with with neighbouring sovereign states. The period of relative peace will be used, like before, for armaments on both sides and after a certain time the whole fighting will start again with increased vigour.

Moreover, the decisions of the UFO and the recognition of Israel were accepted only by part of the arab states. On a 5 days' enquiry which I made some time ago on the West Bank, I found out that even after the evacuation the recognition of the sovereignty of Israel remains a great question mark. Israel herself has not accepted the UNO decisions and, considering the present radical nationalistic trends and their increased representation in parliament, cannot start on a policy of compliance.

There remains the wise solution of federation advocated by M.P. Uri Avneri. This federation consists of a 2 states - union of Israel on one part and a new state to be created on the occupied West Bank, without Jordan - of the east bank. If we consider this plan scrutinizingly, we find its shortcomings. The new union will cut the way to the sea for the Hashemite Kingdom. This vital way will remain a bone of contention and the Jordanians will not hesitate to start fighting the arabs of the West Bank. Besides, the West Bank is tightly linked with Jordan economically and ethnically, so that an artificial political boundary is impossible at the present time.

Instead, I propose the following solution:

1. Confederation of three states, viz. Jordan, Arab Palestine (West Bank) and Israel with a federal capital in Jerusalem.

2. The federal government should deal, for now only, with foreign policy and economic integration.

3. The economic integration will enable the federation to solve the refugee problem almost without help.

4. The help of the UFO is required for an immediate irrigation system in the Syrian desert, with the waters of the Euphrates and the Tigris, in order to put irrigated land at the disposal of Iraqi and Syrian soldiers, so that they can leave Jordan and return to their families.

5. A religious council, which will form a second house in the federal parliament, should be composed of representatives of all faiths and religious communities in the area.

6. The federation should be open for any other country in the Middle East to join and is formed with a view to create a United States of the Middle East.

The above points evolved from a former proposal which visualized a common government on both banks of the Jordan (the original mandatory area) and which goes back as far as 1947, when it was submitted by me in the form of a memorandum to the IMS COP (UN Special Committee on Palestine). I was invited to Jerusalem to give evidence to the commission and was already at that time opposed to the partition plan and the erection of a Jewish State with national sovereignty limiting, at the same time, Arab national aspirations. The underlying idea is that, viewing the rant tor geo-politically, Jordan cannot develop without a way to the Mediterranean, while Israel cannot live without the hinter­land of Trans-Jordan. The Jordan river, common to both territories is essential for irrigation of deserts. The Lowdermilk irrigation plan published at that time w-s the central point of my submission. In this connection I had personal talks with Messrs Ralph Bunche, Stravlopoulos, and many more.

 Today, Egypt is involved in the conflict. This country is now dependant on Russia. As soon as the United States of the Middle East are in the  process of being formed, Egypt could be integrated in the economy and can regain its independence.

Haifa, March 1970