Israel and Palestine need land rent

Todays top BBC story is a suicide bomber in Israel. At the root of all the troubles is that Israel and Palestine want the same land. Land rent would solve that problem.

Land rent takes the unearned value of land and gives it to society. So land owners keep all the wealth through their hard work, but none of the wealth that comes simply because of their preferential location. If land rent was applied between Israel and Palestine, Israel would have no economic benefit in occupying the prime land, and Palestinians would find their standard of living raised (see the main web site for how land rent creates a healthy economy). With less desire to grab territory and fewer desperate unemployed youths, the Israel-Palestine problem would be solved, or at least improved beyond all recognition.

Solving the Middle East's number one problem: another benefit of land rent.