Elon touts plan in Congress

By · November 30, 2007

Benny Elon, the Israeli lawmaker touting a plan that would extend Israeli sovereignty to the West Bank and encourage Palestinian emigration, met with U.S. lawmakers.

An e-mail sent this week to supporters of the “Israeli Initiative” reported that Elon toured Washington and met with Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), and U.S. Reps. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.), Mike Pence (R-Ind.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), the minority whip in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Brownback had endorsed the initiative during his run for the U.S. presidency, which he abandoned last month, and the e-mail says the senator is now ready to tout it in the region during a tour early next year. In addition to Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank, the plan calls for the dismantling of refugee camps and encouraging their residents to move to other countries. Palestinians who remained would become citizens of Jordan.

The plan does not address how Jordan would administer its responsibility for citizens living in another country, nor does it mention that Jordan has for decades adamantly rejected such a solution.