Palestinians prefer Israel

By Ed Lasky

Palestinians, facing prospect of their own state, prefer Israel. AP reports:

The number of East Jerusalem residents seeking Israeli citizenship has risen sharply in recent months, an Israeli official said Wednesday, as talk of a possible re-division of the city gains momentum.

The Interior Ministry has received hundreds of applications for citizenship from Arab residents of East Jerusalem over the past few months, instead of the average of several dozen, said ministry spokeswoman Sabine Hadad.

Hadad was unable to provide specific figures but said there has been an increase of hundreds.

This same dynamic was at work when it was clear Yasser Arafat was coming to the West Bank. People say, "No thanks, I would rather be an Israeli than a Palestinian."

AP claims it is all about "social benefits"

The trend appears to stem from Palestinian fears that they could lose Israeli social benefits, such as health care or welfare payments, if their neighborhoods are shifted to Palestinian control in the future.

So it must have nothing to do with little things like the rule of law and a functioning society.