[Brother Jonathan]

Brent,<br /> <br /> did you know that there <i>already</i> is a “new Israël” that’s <i>older</i> than the Middle Eastern state, and thousands of kilometres away from the nearest Arab neighbours?<br /> <br /> Check out their English-language Web site <a href="http://www.eao.ru/eng/">here</a>.<br /> <br /> Kindly note that much of northern Arizona is previously spoken for — by the Navajo, Hopi, Hualapai, Havasupai, and other aboriginal peoples.

[Brent Swain]

You're right. Israelis began by buying land in the middle east from Palestinians with plans to build a new Israel. Perhaps they would have been wiser to buy land on the opposite side of the planet from their Arab rivals of many centuries. Who would they approach with their offers, aboriginal nations , or uncle Sam?<br /> They could have done it on one years military budget and made first nations fabulously wealthy. Had they leased the land , would they be paying aboriginal nations more that Uncle Sam pays them for the use of a huge chunk of their continent?<br /> How much did Uncle Sam pay aboriginals for the Nuclear test sites ? Jews would have made a much better offer for a fraction of what they pay on defence( supplied largely by the US.)<br /> Brent

[Brother Jonathan]

Reservation land that is sold loses its distinct status. If sold to Uncle Sam, it would be subject to federal jurisdiction; otherwise, it would be subject to state jurisdiction.<br /> <br /> Many problems could be solved (or at least greatly ameliorated) if one year’s military spending were assigned to other uses; the tricky part is making it happen.<br /> <br /> I don’t think that there are nuclear test sites in Arizona, but Nevada has a couple (one military, one civilian).

[Jacob]

I believe about hundred years ago, Theodore Herzl and the Zionist movement actually proposed to go to Arizona Territory - when Barry Goldwater (born a Jew but his family became Roman Catholic) grew up in Prescott.<br /> <br /> Can anybody imagine what would have been the results of such decision? But note that up to WWII, less than 10% of Jewry supported the Zionists. Maybe that's what killed the idea. Or maybe the Department of Indian Affairs did. Or maybe the Fundamentalist Mormons who are in the very NW corner of Arizona.

[Brother Jonathan]

I don’t know who all of the movers and shakers were of the 19th century Zionists, but I think that Herzl was promoting Uganda rather than Arizona due to an offer from the British — I think that the Ugandan offer was made after news of a large pogrom in Russia reached the rest of Europe.<br /> <br /> Had Arizona become the “New Promised Land”, my guess would be that Arizona would be associated with Jewishness in much the same way that Utah is currently associated with Mormonism — i.e. continuing to be part of the USA rather than an independent nation, despite the distinctive religious identity.

[Jacob]

Brother Jonathan, that last sentence of yours is worth its weight in gold. Wouldn't that have been niiiice. Just imagine how much bloodshed of the past century could have been avoided.