The point is that the US power elite were not interested in developing settler colonies even when settler colonialism was still in vogue. The archetype of American imperialism is the Platt Amendment (1901, <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1901platt.html>).
The last of settler colonialism is Zionism. Palestinians, unlike American Indians, could not be decimated by germs brought by settlers, for any germ that came with settlers was not new to them. The state of Israel was founded in 1948, in the twilight of colonialism in general and settler colonialism in particular, so it never acquired the same recognition of fait accompli that America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand gained, to the chagrin of Zionists. In one respect, though, Israel fits into the pattern of empires' development economics: current and former settler colonies tend to receive more investment than non-settler colonies.
What can be done to solve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict? One way to go is to blame the British Empire: whenever Palestinians are outraged by Zionist settlers, blame the British Empire; whenever Zionists are appalled by Palestinian suicide bombers, blame the British Empire; whenever Americans feel the burden of Israeli demands and Palestinian grievances, blame the British Empire. That way, they can avoid blaming one another. Conveniently, the British Empire is no more, and the architects of its Middle East policy are safely dead, so they are perfect villains for people condemn to their hearts' content. Besides, the theme of It Is All British Imperialists' Fault has enough truth in it to make it satisfying as a receptacle for collective anger, which should help them live together.
Another way to go is to create a new Zionism. The Soviet Union tried it: the Jewish Autonomous Region of Birobidzhan, <http://www.swarthmore.edu/Home/News/biro/>. But it didn't work. Why? It hit upon a bright idea of making Yiddish the Jewish national language, an attractive and progressive alternative to Hebrew, but it insultingly located it in the far east of Siberia. Thousands of hardy Jewish Communists braved its inhospitable climate, but, understandably, it never became a very popular destination for Jews.
If not in Palestine and Birobidzhan, where may Zion be found? The best location for a new Zion is a place where most Jews already live and live well: the United States of America (where 5,800,000 Jews live, with the median household income of about $50,000, which is a larger number than 4,847,000 who live in Israel). Already, many Israeli Jews have come to live in America: "Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports state that 600,000 Israelis currently reside in the US" (<http://www.globes.co.il/DocsEn/did=880707.htm>). Although anti-immigrant measures taken by Washington after the 9/11 terrorist attacks have made immigration into the United States more difficult than before, more Jews would still rather immigrate from Israel to America than vice versa (cf. <http://www.globes.co.il/DocsEn/did=880707.htm> and <http://www.nefeshbnefesh.org/news/sum2004/Seattle%20Post_071504.htm>), and many more are bound to come if more visas are offered.
The first Jews arrived in what was to become the United States in September 1654, so we are in the midst of celebrating 350 years of Jewish life in America: <http://www.celebrate350.org/>. 2005, I submit, is an auspicious year to launch a new model Zionism, encouraging Jews in the rest of the world to join prosperous communities that their liberal and secular brothers and sisters have built in a new Zion in the New World. -- Yoshie
* Critical Montages: <http://montages.blogspot.com/> * Monthly Review: <http://monthlyreview.org/> * Greens for Nader: <http://greensfornader.net/> * Bring Them Home Now! <http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/> * Calendars of Events in Columbus: <http://sif.org.ohio-state.edu/calendar.html>, <http://www.freepress.org/calendar.php>, & <http://www.cpanews.org/> * Student International Forum: <http://sif.org.ohio-state.edu/> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osudivest.org/> * Al-Awda-Ohio: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Al-Awda-Ohio> * Solidarity: <http://www.solidarity-us.org/>