Build a trans-Palestine Corridor to Gaza to secure peace.

Last week, The Economist published a leader recapping the roadmap to peace in Palestine. I've heard the same proposal for over 20 years, yet with the focus on securing a peace agreement, no one explains to me how the peace would be maintained against the focused efforts of a small minority of radicals (on both sides) who don't want a two-state solution.

I think that most Palestinians, like most people everywhere, would rather support themselves and their family than strap a bomb to their chest and wreck havoc. Yet with unemployment in Palestine at 16% and Gaza at 41%, the sheer number of rootless men will prevent a lasting peace.

I propose the addition of a "trans-Palestine Corridor", connecting southern Palestine with Gaza, to the peace roadmap. In exchange for the Israeli West Bank settlements and land enclosed by the security barrier, Palestine would receive a wide corridor between their two territories. This would be a world-class transportation corridor, funded by the international community.

I'm imagining a mile-wide stretch of four-lane highway with room for 12 lanes, high-speed passenger and freight rail lines, power transmission, water canal, natural gas pipeline, fiber optic lines, gas stations, rest stops, emergency vehicle areas, a manned security barrier isolating the corridor from Israel, secure crossing points to leave the corridor (part of Palestine) and enter Israel, north-south tunnels under or bridges over the corridor connecting the resulting northern and southern portions of Israel. This 30-60 mile corridor through current desert, coupled with the construction of a major port in Gaza, would take a generation to complete, creating hundreds of thousands of long-term jobs at all skill levels for Palestinians, billions of dollars worth of contracts for companies from Israel, Palestine, America, Europe, and other countries who pay the bills and ensure the security during the transition period. The resulting work-driven economic boom in Palestine could be enough to unite a majority against the violent minority, instead of standing by indifferently as we see today.

Would Israel give up 50 square miles for a corridor between Palestine and Gaza in exchange for the West Bank land and settlements they have already built? Will the world stop spending money on military actions and repeat the conflict for another 50 years, or find the billions needed to develop a viable Palestine and lasting peace?