Domains of Israel: Annexing the territories while overcoming the ‘demographic’ issue - opinion

Of the many battles fought on behalf of the Jewish people by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, his views regarding shleimut ha’aretz – the preservation of Israel’s territorial integrity and borders – are more relevant than ever for the situation we are living through today.

A giant personality worldwide who passed away 30 years ago this week, the leader of the Chabad movement believed and strongly argued that relinquishing any area under Israel’s control would put Jewish and non-Jewish lives at risk.

This obviously is extremely relevant to events of the past year, and the decisions Israel is making now and in the coming days, weeks, and months.

After many months of deferred discussion on plans for the “day after” the war in Gaza, the government has finally revealed its plan. In a TV interview two weeks ago, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alluded to a new plan being implemented by the IDF, elaborated upon by his National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi at the Herzliya Conference: top-down local leadership that would be led by moderate Arab, as well as Western, nations.

Hanegbi argued that while “Hamas cannot be eliminated completely because it is an idea,” the government’s new approach was an “alternative” that could, in fact, eliminate the “idea of Hamas.” Instead of eliminating this idea, however, this new approach gives oxygen to “armed struggle.” 

Gaza’s governance would be overseen by a coalition of nations guaranteed to advocate the prospect of a Palestinian state – leading to one of two outcomes. Either Israel manages to resist an independent “Palestine,” which will give legitimacy to continued “armed struggle,” or the Jewish state eventually agrees to an independent “Palestine,” and “armed struggle” continues – because the true meaning of “Palestine” was, is, and will always be from the “river to the sea.”

HANEGBI IS correct that the “idea” of Hamas needs to be replaced by an alternative. But the only serious alternative that achieves the objective of eliminating this idea is Israel ending the idea of “Palestine” by annexing and taking full responsibility for the land and all its inhabitants, as the Rebbe always advocated.

Yet for decades, it has been convincingly argued that annexation is impossible due to the “demographic issue.” If Israel annexes the land, it will have to give citizenship to its inhabitants, which in turn results in an Arab majority in Israel’s democratic institutions, bringing an end to Israel.

However, the Global Policy Initiative recently published on X the Domains of Israel (DoI) framework, which resolves the demographic issue.

According to their framework, reported on by Israel National News, Israel would annex all the land of Judea, Samaria, and Gaza and simultaneously establish around 10 DoIs within those areas. These would each be governed by domain constitutions established and amended by the State of Israel, demarcating boundaries, rights, and areas of law legislated by the Knesset and others devolved to be legislated by the directly elected ministers and local mayors of each domain, but enacted only with Israel’s “sovereign assent.”

Key to the DoI framework, and how it resolves the demographic issue, is that – conditional on accepting Israel’s sovereignty – inhabitants would be able to hold citizenship in their domain, giving them rights, but they would not have citizenship in Israel. Thus, the DoI framework offers a key to end the “occupation” and provides for human rights, equality under the law, and good governance by representatives who do not reject Israel’s right to exist but have embraced it – and, finally, a conclusive end to the pursuit of two states.

Defining Israel's boundaries

OF COURSE, the single most important question is whether Domains of Israel would be accepted. Indeed, Hanegbi at the Herzliya Conference argued, “Any Israeli proposal will not materialize because anyone cooperating with it will lose legitimacy” among Gazans. The most visceral example of this is post-1967 Judea and Samaria when Israel tried to coordinate local Arab governance under the IDF. At that time, many Arabs who agreed to help govern were hunted down and murdered as “collaborators.” 

And it is true: An Israeli proposal that maintains conditions where people called “Palestinian” have no rights, state, or citizenship will not be popular. (Instead, Israel is attempting the same under the auspices of Western and moderate Arab nations.)

But what about an Israeli proposal that does give rights and citizenship? Surely under such circumstances, the only lessons to draw from post-1967 Judea and Samaria is that there were people who were happy to govern their communities under Israel, despite no citizenship and “occupation” – and despite the lethal backdrop of rising demands for continued Arab colonization of the Jewish homeland within those communities.

YET HERE, the Domains of Israel framework provides clarity and permanence by annexing, establishing domains, granting citizenship, ensuring a good education, establishing democratic institutions, removing bad actors, and establishing rule of law. 

All this will create a comprehensively new reality that will relatively quickly and completely change the equation for the Arab public in these regions of the Land of Israel – both for those seeking to do bad and those seeking to do good. While Israel removes those seeking to lead their people to doom, the rest who are happy to live under Israel’s sovereignty will live in security, peace, freedom, and prosperity.

For decades we have lived under the illusion that the Rebbe’s views were impractical due to demographics. Thirty years after his passing, the Domains of Israel framework shatters that illusion.

The Rebbe always emphasized and advocated for Israel and its leaders to act independently and decisively, without being swayed by external pressure or influenced by international opinions. Today, we must put aside external pressure, expectations, and demands and consider a Domains of Israel solution or something similar that provides the constitutional means for the Jewish state to take full responsibility for the peace, security, and good governance of all the inhabitants of the Land of Israel.

This article was written with the help of experts in this area. ■

The writer, originally from Italy, lives in Jerusalem with her husband and four children. She heads HadassahChen Productions and hosts a weekly talk show on Arutz Sheva.