‘8 Palestinian emirates – only solution for Israeli-Palestinian problem’

Palestine should exist in the form of emirates built on tribes, otherwise it will become another failed state like Syria, Iraq, Libya or Sudan, Dr. Mordechai Kedar, Director of the Center for Middle East and Islam studies at Bar-Ilan University, told RT.

The EU’s newly appointed High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy said she would pursue the creation of the Palestinian state.

‘I’d be happy if by the end of my term, a Palestinian state was to exist,’ Federica Mogherini said.

However, so far only eight EU countries recognize Palestine, with Sweden the latest to do so.

RT:Sweden’s recognition of Palestine, Federica Mogherini commented … Why the sudden change in the European attitude and what do you make of it?

Mordechai Kedar: I think that no state in the world - neither Sweden, nor the EU, US and even Russia can prevent a situation when a future Palestinian state will turn into a “Hamastan,” just like what happened after the elections of the 2006 when Hamas won the majority of the seats of the Legislative Council in the Palestinian Authority and Hamas of course took Gaza by force in June 2007. So who can prevent it if this thing happens in the West Bank, if God forbid the will of the Palestinian state? Will Sweden do anything about this? Or the EU? We’ll get stuck with another terrorist state. This is why all these Europeans are thinking like Europeans, they don’t understand the Middle East. This region is a failure only because Europe created failing states like Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen and Sudan. The only solution can be here - Palestinian Emirates, emirates in the cities, while Israel should remain in the rural areas in order to prevent another “Hamastan” in the West Bank.

RT:But the two-state solution is the concept the whole international community sees as the only way out of the situation. What’s your opinion?

MK: Another Palestinian state will be like Syria or Iraq, or Libya, or Sudan, or Yemen because this is the nature of this region. There is nothing we can do about this; the only solution which can prevail in this region is the Emirate paradigm just like what we see in the Gulf – Kuwait, Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi. This is the only thing, when you take a tribe and you build state on a tribe, even if it is a small state. This is the only paradigm that can work in the Middle East.

RT:So you believe that the Palestinian state should exist in one way or another?

MK: We should have eight Palestinian Emirates, not one state, because one state will be a conglomerate of tribes which will end up like Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen or Sudan. And this is the problem because the world thinks from a European point of view or a European mindset, an American mindset.

RT:Would Israel agree to eight Palestinian Emirates? It’s really doubtful.

MK: This is the only thing that can work based on the sociology of this region. There is a website palestinianemirates.com where you can read [about the project], it is well-stated and well-explained.

RT:You mentioned that Hamas won 40 percent of votes in the 2006 election. Do you believe that Palestine can be a terrorist state because of the Hamas majority? Not all Palestinians were voting for Hamas and definitely not all of them are terrorists.

MK: Definitely, they have 70 percent of the seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council, it can repeat itself. They are governed by a terror organization like Hamas as you can see very easily in Gaza. So what, Russia will come here to deal with Hamas if we wake up in one morning and find out another “Hamastan” in the West Bank?

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