•
16
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, July 2, 1982
Territorial Plan Would Annex Judea and Samaria
(Continued from Page 1)
agreement, will be
situated outside Israeli
sovereign territory.
About 55 percent of the
Jewish population in Judea
and Samaria (as of the end
of 1980) would come under
Israeli sovereignty accord-
ing to the plan. As for the
Jewish settlements outside
the region being proposed
for annexation, their fate
would be decided at a later
stage.
The chief factor that
guided the Davis Institute
seminar participants was
what they termed the Prox-
imity Principle; that is, the
nearness of a given area to
the Green Line and the ef-
fect such proximity would
have on life within the
Green Line, given a situa-
tion of total separation. All
the suggested border ad-
justments, are designed to
preclude possible disrup-
tions of normal life in Israel.
Thus, it is proposed to annex
to Israel areas which are not
densely populated; which
have a strong economic at-
tachment to Israel; and
most of whose inhabitants
make their living from work
inside the Green Line. The
proposed border adjust-
ments, then, are just across
the 1949 armistice line.
A return to that line
would be unacceptable to
any Israel government, the
authors point out. However,
full. Israel annexation of
Judea and Samaria by
means of a border congruent
with the Mandate boundary
of Western Palestine, would
prove unacceptable to the
Arab side. Hence, the ter-
ritorial range within which
negotiations can be held to
determine an agreed border
will lie between these two
extremities: the 1949 armi-
stice line, and the interna-
tional boundary of Western
Palestine during the Man-
date period.
Moreover, in view of
the fact that the border
may .pass through de-
nsely and contiguously
populated areas, demog-
raphic and economic
considerations — which
are no less meaningful
than security issues —
must also be taken into
account.
On the basis of the above
principles and guidelines,
the authors divided Judea
and Samaria, and the ap-
proximate areas to which
they are economically
linked, into four sub-zones:
the western slopes (includ-
ing metropolitan Tel Aviv);
metropolitan Jerusalem;
the Jordan Rift Valley (in-
cluding the eastern slopes);
and the hilly areas (includ-
ing the areas of Hebron,
Ramallah and Samaria).
The western slopes lie
close to the heart of Israel,
at certain points no more
than 14 km. from the sp.
This region is of crucial im-
portance because of its un-
derground water sources
and because it is located
near key sites such as
Ben-Gurion Airport. It is
also a region of dense Arab
population.
Thus, it is proposed to ad-
just the Green Line by an
average width of 6 km.
north of the Jerusalem cor-
ridor, and by varying
widths south of the corridor.
In certain places of critical
security importance, a strip
of up to 13 km. in width
would be annexed to Israel.
With respect to the Jor-
dan Rift Valley, one of the
key considerations was the
desire to ensure a natural
and unbroken connection
between the Arab popula-
tion on the western side of
the ridge line and the in-
habitants residing east of
the Jordan River. Addi-
tionally, the southernmost
area of the valley has major
tourist potential, while the
expanses of the Judean
Desert could serve as IDF
training zones adjacent to
the future border. Given
these data, it is proposed to
adjust the border in the
northern and southern
parts of the Jordan Rift Val-
ley. The area between the
Adam Bridge and Jericho,
which is about 44 km. long
as the crow flies, would re-
main outside Israeli sover-
eign terroritory.
A major factor in the
proposals regarding the
Jerusalem area was that
the shortest route be-
tween the city and the
coastal plain is through
the Beit Horon area. An
expressway is planned
0
for that route, and a rail-
way line may also be built
there.
Other points of considera-
tion were the need to ensure
an unbroken link between
Jerusalem and the Dead
Sea — which could, con-
comitantly, ensure -
Jerusalem's function as a
major transit point, rather
than the marginal status it
had until 1967.
In view of these factors,
along with the existence of
large urban centers north
and south of the city —
Ramallah-El-Birah,
Bethlehem, Beit Jallah,
Beit Sahour — the proposed
border adjustments include
the creation of territorial
continuity between the cap-
ital and the Dead Sea in the
east and the broadening of
the corridor leading to the
city in the west — but the
large Arab centers would
not be included in Israeli
territory.
In addition, to ensure free
transportation access be-
tween_ the areas which
would remain outside Is-
raeli sovereign territory,
the Davis Institute seminar
members are proposing two
free-access routes for the
exclusive use of traffic
whose origin and destina-
tion are outside Israel. Each
such route would be approx-
imately 12 km. long.
Similar extraterritorial
roads exist elsewhere.
For example, between
the city of Basel and its
airport, which is an
enclave within French
territory.
The fourth zone —
Ramallah, Hebron and the
Samaria area — would not
be made part of Israel, in ac-
cordance with the principle
of not annexing densely
populated regions.
Concluding, the authors
urge that consideration be
given already now to inten-
sifying Israeli supervision
in the areas which have
been singled out for annexa-
tion to Israel in accordance
with the Proximity Princi-
ple. This could be seen to
within the framework of an
autonomy agreement.
The rationale behind
such increased supervi-
sion is to prevent attacks
or disruptions of life in
Israeli territory adjacent
to the areas which, are
candidates for annexa-
tion.
Table 1: Areas, Population and Settlements Being Proposed for Annexation to
Israel in the Wake of Border Adjustments.
Arabs
Jews
Area
Settlements Population
Settlements Population Sq. Km . Sub-District
4(1)
11,000
10
2,000
508 Bethlehem
9
8,000
8
750
436 Jordan
3
2
1,300
340 Hebron
34
12
33,500
2,000
328 Ramallah
70,000
4
25
1,000
286 Tulkarm
10 -
10,000
2
1,000
140 Jenin
Total 85
133,500
38
6,750
2,038
-
54(2)
18.8(2)
37.2
% of Judea
and Samaria
(1) Including Bedouin
(2) Estimate as of end of 1980.
International border
1949 Armistice Line
1974 Cease-fire line
Proposed Border
Free-Access Route
Road
Border Adjustment
••• ■
11 ■ 11
•■■
.1. A.
EARRINGS & EARRING JACKETS
20% OFF
regular
retail
All new styles, all new selection. Direct from New York. The finest
designers have sent us their most exciting new styles. All 14K, all
20% regular retail prices. Hurry, they won't last long...Where else
but Tappers!
CASH
REFUNDS
OMNI
VISA
MOM=
Tapper's
\
deumbut
26400 West Twelve Mile Road
in Southfield's Racquetime Mall
Northeast corner of 12 Mile & Northwestern Hwy.
357-5578
FREE
GIFT
WRAPPING
MON.-SAT.
10:00-5:45
THURSDAYS
10:00-8:45
Tel A4;40
"*t -C°
b ran
!
a
I
ick^