Airstrip One

Oxymoron: Libertarian Realpolitik - 16th November 2002, 13.45.

Seth Fehrs of libertyforall puts forward a libertarian solution to the problems of the Middle East: a peace treaty between Israel and the Arab states with the United States as guarantor and Turkey providing peacekeeping troops. The US would remove all troops from the Middle East.

Removal of all US forces from the region and a pledge to end US meddling in the internal affairs of all treaty nations.

Turkey would be included in the treaty, along with as many nations as possible from approximately Egypt to Afghanistan.

Pledges that an attack on any treaty nation would be viewed as an attack on them all. This is includes recognizing Israel as a nation and member of the treaty, and sincere efforts to eliminate terrorist organizations.

Israel cedes Palestine as a fully independent country and allows limited Arab pilgrimages to Jerusalem. Roughly speaking, Palestine would consist of territories seized in the 1967 war.

The United States agrees to come to the protection of Israel, and other member states who ask, in the event of a total breakdown of the treaty that results in war. [This part of the treaty might be optional, seeing as Israel has survived so far.]

The only problem is that the article presumes all parties would respect international law and underestimates the religious hatred that motivates many Arab states. I cannot see Arab states ganging up on one of their own if it attacks Israel.