Lebanon & MEFTA (Middle East Free Trade Area)

[AliArz]

The U.S Government initiated the MEFTA (Middle East Free Trade Area) project back in 2003 in order to establish a framework for future trades and investments between Middle Eastern countries and integrate them with greater effect into the world economy.

It is argued that trades among countries reduce the threats of war as the powerful activities of the private sector makes peace endurable between trading nations. The goal of MEFTA is to reduce war economies in the region and inaugurate a peace economy. As a consequence, this will make the politics and society of the Middle East less sectarian, less ethnic-hatred and more promising for the future.

It is hoped that the project for MEFTA will be born in 2013.

Should Lebanon join this future organization?

For more on MEFTA...

Middle East Free Trade Area Initiative (MEFTA) | Office of the United States Trade Representative

Another link on the "business peace" of MEFTA...

Peace Plans Summary

Here's a link on the resolution for the Lebanese-Israeli disputes of the Litani River (South Lebanon) in which full sovereignty to this territory is promised for Lebanon (if the country makes peace with Israel)...

South Lebanon Mefta Rider

Are you in favour of the future MEFTA project? Will war be reduced by then?

Regards,

Ali Arz

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by AliArz

Here's a link on the resolution for the Lebanese-Israeli disputes of the Litani River (South Lebanon) in which full sovereignty to this territory is promised for Lebanon (if the country makes peace with Israel)...

Sovereignty isn't conditional.

[AliArz]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

Sovereignty isn't conditional.

Sovereignty isn't conditional, but war and occupation is.

And this undermines any country's territorial sovereignty.

The Litani River has been a source of Israeli invasion and occupation for a long time now. It is still a motive for Israeli wars in the Lebanon. All that is conditional.

Switch the conditions of war for peace and Lebanese sovereignty will be at its brightest.

[dodzi]

Originally Posted by AliArz

The U.S Government initiated the MEFTA (Middle East Free Trade Area) project back in 2003 in order to establish a framework for future trades and investments between Middle Eastern countries and integrate them with greater effect into the world economy.

It is argued that trades among countries reduce the threats of war as the powerful activities of the private sector makes peace endurable between trading nations. The goal of MEFTA is to reduce war economies in the region and inaugurate a peace economy. As a consequence, this will make the politics and society of the Middle East less sectarian, less ethnic-hatred and more promising for the future.

It is hoped that the project for MEFTA will be born in 2013.

Should Lebanon join this future organization?

For more on MEFTA...

Middle East Free Trade Area Initiative (MEFTA) | Office of the United States Trade Representative

Another link on the "business peace" of MEFTA...

Peace Plans Summary

Here's a link on the resolution for the Lebanese-Israeli disputes of the Litani River (South Lebanon) in which full sovereignty to this territory is promised for Lebanon (if the country makes peace with Israel)...

South Lebanon Mefta Rider

Are you in favour of the future MEFTA project? Will war be reduced by then?

Regards,

Ali Arz

A Free Trade Organization cannot create peace, it can only stabilize peace efforts, just like it happened in Europe, AFTER the Germans surrendered and peace was established, not during or before the war...

It is more important for the rest of the Arab world to wake up and create a Free Trade Area itself, so that Israel would hope to join it and make durable peace... It won't happen the other way around!

However, I feat this won't happen anytime soon, because of the nature of the economies the Arab states have, and the nature of their involvement in their national economy. EFTA was first an initiative involving Liberal, democratic and stable countries. The Arab world is full of dysfunctional economic systems!

[Abou Sandal]

Colonial powers never seize to amaze me, by the nerves they show to other people of the planet when dealing with them, and the extent of their despise for them and the way they are always eager to treat them as inferior and stupid species.

Briefly,

Give away a 6KM band from South Lebanon, demilitarize it, put in it all your eggs, put it under US/Israeli (oh and French,because they are our friends too) control, move in it 500 000 Palestinians....Oh and give away some of your rights over Litani...ect...ect...And there... We will then give you peace.

Is this a joke?

I have another solution:

Get the f*ck out of my country and stay away from it. Forget your colonial dreams and your plans to steal our water. Allow the displaced to duly get back to their homes...And you shall get peace quicker then you can ever imagine.

Stop turning around and around:Peace=Rights first.

[Mar1K]

Originally Posted by AliArz

The U.S Government initiated the MEFTA (Middle East Free Trade Area) project back in 2003 in order to establish a framework for future trades and investments between Middle Eastern countries and integrate them with greater effect into the world economy.

It is argued that trades among countries reduce the threats of war as the powerful activities of the private sector makes peace endurable between trading nations. The goal of MEFTA is to reduce war economies in the region and inaugurate a peace economy. As a consequence, this will make the politics and society of the Middle East less sectarian, less ethnic-hatred and more promising for the future.

It is hoped that the project for MEFTA will be born in 2013.

Should Lebanon join this future organization?

For more on MEFTA...

Middle East Free Trade Area Initiative (MEFTA) | Office of the United States Trade Representative

Another link on the "business peace" of MEFTA...

Peace Plans Summary

Here's a link on the resolution for the Lebanese-Israeli disputes of the Litani River (South Lebanon) in which full sovereignty to this territory is promised for Lebanon (if the country makes peace with Israel)...

South Lebanon Mefta Rider

Are you in favour of the future MEFTA project? Will war be reduced by then?

Regards,

Ali Arz

So you would sell the blood of Qana's kids for a business deal with the Israelis?

I can't find words, this is disgusting...

[Abou Sandal]

Hey...Another quick solution popped into my mind. I might agree provided few slight changes:

1-Forget about getting any right over the Litani river.
2-Liberation of Shebaa farms and Kfarshouba hills prior to anything else.
3-Instead of a 6 km wide South Lebanon Mefta, we make a 6 km wide North Israel Mefta.(What the hek....make it even 10 km wide...I accept)

[AliArz]

Originally Posted by dodzi

A Free Trade Organization cannot create peace, it can only stabilize peace efforts, just like it happened in Europe, AFTER the Germans surrendered and peace was established, not during or before the war...

It is more important for the rest of the Arab world to wake up and create a Free Trade Area itself, so that Israel would hope to join it and make durable peace... It won't happen the other way around!

However, I feat this won't happen anytime soon, because of the nature of the economies the Arab states have, and the nature of their involvement in their national economy. EFTA was first an initiative involving Liberal, democratic and stable countries. The Arab world is full of dysfunctional economic systems!

Since MEFTA is planned to be launched by 2013, I believe the U.S may have plans to establish peace treaties first, especially one between Syria and Israel and a separate one between Israel and the Palestinians. Lebanon will be the last Arab country to sign a peace agreement with Israel.

By then, MEFTA will be a strong force. China had a dysfunctional economy at first, but when it joined the free trade policy they embraced free markets (communist-style) and now they are growing. I think the Arab states can be inspired by this in their own ways.

Intergovernmental organizations like the WTO and MEFTA will help change the national economies of each member states. IGOs are a must for peace in the Middle East.

Regards.

[Robin Hood]

Originally Posted by AliArz

Since MEFTA is planned to be launched by 2013, I believe the U.S may have plans to establish peace treaties first, especially one between Syria and Israel and a separate one between Israel and the Palestinians. Lebanon will be the last Arab country to sign a peace agreement with Israel.

Stop living in la la land. The US doesn't want peace in the region, they only want Middle Eastern countries to surrender to the Zionist state.

[Mar1K]

Btammnak ya AliArz, Lebanon will not sign a peace treaty with Israel.

This is because:

1. Yehya Skaff is still in their prisons "expect another operation soon"
2. Israel will not give out all the land mines maps
3. Israeli parliament will always have "men l nile ila l fourat" in their hallway
4. The LA will never be strong enough to stand against the Israeli, which will result in HA staying armed to the teeth, which will not be accepted by the Israelis.
5. Israel will never accept having borders for their state "they are the only borderless state"
6. Israel will never take the Palestenians back
7. Israel will not pay damages for what they have done

Meet all the upper conditions and I guarantee you that HA and Lebanon will run for a peace treaty. Until then, all these plans that you read about here and there, will stay 7eber 3ala wara2...