"The Jordan Valley is an integral part of the State of Israel, forever! This perception that the Jordan Valley is an integral part of Israel, relies on our security experience for many years," Moshe (Boogie) Ya'alon said for years, to anyone who was willing to listen to him. . To his understanding as a defense minister, the Jordan Valley is Israel's eastern defensive wall, and in January 2014 he was prepared to face a fierce confrontation with US Secretary of State Barack Obama's administration, John Kerry.

Kerry presented a plan that required the IDF withdrawal from Jordan and replaced security cameras and satellites to secure the eastern border. In his vision, Kerry saw Israel as a large mall, sufficient for cameras and security personnel to maintain its citizens. Boogie strongly argued that Kerry was a messianic and obsessive threat. Only a permanent, massive presence of the IDF on the Jordan River will ensure that Ben-Gurion Airport and Netanya do not become missiles and missile targets on all sides. In this, Ya'alon expressed the aspiration of most Israeli citizens, and I hope that today, when he joins "There is a Future," he did not exclude himself, and mainly he himself stated.

Trump's Peace Plan, "The Century Plan," published on January 28, 2020, adopts the perception of Boogie Ya'alon. The Jordan Valley, it was determined, would be under Israeli sovereignty, and a practical way to implement it immediately, even before the US presidential elections in November 2020. This view is supported by the moderate Arab states that have close relations with Israel - Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. The Arabs.

The leaders of the Blue and White Party who are currently forming a government with the right-wing bloc are also adopting this approach. Benny Gantz, after meeting with U.S. President Trump, pledged to work to advance the centennial program after the election.

The important element in applying sovereignty over the Jordan Valley, in my view, is the need to build and strengthen the road to the Jordan Valley, and it passes in E1, which is not "Mevaseret Red." Massive construction should be promoted immediately, creating a tighter territorial continuum between Maale Adumim and Jerusalem, which will launch at the Hebrew University on Mount Scopus campus and the French Hill neighborhood. Otherwise, Ma'aleh Adumim, in a bad scenario, could become an Israeli enclave, and its development will be halted.

Alongside the fact that the Palestinians will control a central axis of access from the center of the country to the Jordan Valley, this is an area of ​​12,000 dunams, which belongs to the municipality of Ma'aleh Adumim and most of the state's land. The Palestinian Authority and its supporters in Europe will continue to argue that this could damage the continuity of the Palestinian state, if and when it arises. In practice, this is a strategic area for the protection of Jerusalem, which prime ministers from Yitzhak Rabin to Benjamin Netanyahu have recognized in importance.

Netanyahu recently approved the deposit of a construction plan for 3,500 housing units in Mevaseret Adumim. This construction will lead to the construction of new residential neighborhoods, industrial plants, about ten new hotels alongside a large water reservoir. This could be an opportunity to restore the momentum of employment and economic renewal to Jerusalem, after losing a strong, high-quality population to the city of Modi'in, which has become a success story in terms of residential demand and price levels.

May a good planning thought be invested in Mevaseret Red, so that it will not become a monotonous and sterile sleep deprivation, and that it will work in cultural and educational centers to which people besides locals flock. Among the red rocks will blossom a vibrant modern urban center that combines recreational and lively areas of culture, business centers, business and tourism.

And a footnote: The Netanyahu government must help as much as possible to moderate Arab states to deal with the Corona epidemic. Secretly or openly, Israel's assistance can be through doctors who come to Arab countries and help organize the hospital's medical system, organization and implementation to help regulate "social remoteness" protocols, along with support from Defense Ministry, Ministry of Health and the institution to obtain drugs and other medical means. For the protection of civilians. It is important for Israel to take an active part in a joint Middle Eastern struggle against the Corona.

Dr. Uri Cohen is a senior lecturer in the School of Education at Tel Aviv University