A Research Proposal Presented to

The Philosophy Department College of Liberal Arts

De La Salle University – Manila

Term 1, A.Y. 2023-2024

In partial fulfillment of the course

In GEETHIC

Ethical Implications of Open and Closed Borders in the Israel-Palestine Conflict

Submitted by:
Cordova, Lee Anne A.
Guste, Lance Genghis A.

Submitted to:
Mr. Joseph Esteves

November 30, 2023

I. Introduction
 In the long years of a land dispute rooted in historical, religious, and political factors
between Israel and Palestine, which resulted in decades of human suffering and violence. The
dispute revolves around the competing claims to territory and sovereignty in the region and
traces back to the early 20th century. Jews, seeking refuge from persecution in Europe, aimed to
establish a national homeland in a region that was predominantly Arab and Muslim. The Arabs
resisted, viewing the land as rightfully theirs. Early United Nations plans to divide the territory
failed, leading to wars between Israel and surrounding Arab nations. The 1967 war left Israel in
control of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Currently, the West Bank is nominally controlled by
the Palestinian Authority but under Israeli occupation, marked by security restrictions and Israeli
settlements. Gaza is controlled by Hamas, facing an Israeli blockade since 2007. The recent
conflict with Hamas, triggered by attacks in October 2023, resulted in widespread violence and
casualties. In this research proposal, the land dispute through the lens of border policies—
precisely, the ethical implications of open and closed borders will be approached through
immigration ethics and how this can offer a new perspective lens by focusing on the ethical
considerations of border policies.

II. Theoretical Background

1. Arguments for Close-borders

Establishing Security

A vital component of each nation's government is its national security. It describes a

government's capacity to defend its people, economy, and other institutions against both internal
and foreign threats (Longley, 2021). Given that definition, as tackled in the published book of
Cohen and Wellman (2005) entitled “Contemporary Debates in Applied Ethics”, national
security is one of the main considerations that prompts states to establish and maintain their
closed borders towards immigrants. For Israel in particular, Cohen and Wellman (2005) stated
that “Israel, security is a prominent concern, but perhaps one no more important than the desire
to preserve a certain cultural integrity. A state founded as a Jewish homeland cannot allow
immigration to transform it into a multicultural polity.” This was an interesting point to consider
since Israel is now significantly larger than Palestine which is now a land-locked country
surrounded by Israel. Given Israel’s motive to maintain and strengthen their border security so
that they can preserve their cultural heritage, this placed more pressure on the minority which are
the Palestinians who are mostly reliant on international trade within neighboring countries such
as Israel themselves. Additionally, given the number of terrorists and/or extremists groups in
both countries such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, to mention a few. National secruity
is indeed a priority to both of these countries struggling to defend their borders against each
other. In connection with the concept of security in relation to the Israel-Palestine conflict, their
historical context and motivations exacerbates their need to promote security and strictly
implement their border policies and limit the acceptance of immigrants.

Sustaining the Economy

Now that a country is protected from internal and external threats due to their robust
national security. A country will now focus on disturbtuing the goods and services in order to
fulfill the needs of a country’s citizens. An economy is one of the complex is a system of
interconnected production and consuming activities that decides how resources are distributed
among citizens of a country (Kenton, 2023). Due to its main purpose of manufacturing and
distributing goods and services within a country, country’s are cautious whether they would
accept large amounts of immigrants who wish to look for better opportunities in their land. They
are particularly cautious since the impact of immigrants is a complex and signficant effect
towards the local market economy. The first major effect is that, immigrants can alter a the
equilibrium of an economy, lowering salaries or raising the prices of some commodities, like real
estate, to the detriment of a large number of indigenous people. Lastly, is how migrants affect the
price and accessibility of goods and services provided by the government, including welfare,
healthcare, education, and publicly financed parks, roads, and other non-excludable products. As
stated by Cohen and Wellman (2005), “ For some libertarians, the concern here is that open
borders – or even increased immigration – will impose a greater tax burden on existing members
of society as the poor and disabled move to states with more generous welfare pro-visions, as
well as subsidized education and healthcare.” To put it simply, a great benefit of closing up the
borders is to prevent the poor from coming in an economy.

Jurisdiction

Now that a country has security and meets its basic needs through market exchange, both
Palestinians and Israelis would require to define their own boundaries, rules, and responsibilities
by practicing their jurisdictionin their respective countries. Given that jurisdiction is the the
authority of a court or official organization to make decisions and judgments (Cambridge
Dictionary, n.d.). Given this, when a country makes their decisions and judgments on
themselves, they are not coerced into doing something that is disadvantageous to them. As such,
it is important for citizens of a country to be autonomous for their own benefit and increase the
chances of surviving and eventually thriving in a closed-border setup. From Miller (2016), he
stated that when it comes to land that is abandoned. The state whose sovereign has claimed this
property will always be in charge of it, but he believes that if outsiders ask to live there and
utilize it for their own purposes, their desire should be allowed. With this in mind, it is in the
hands of the natives or locals to determine whether or not they will accept immigrants or not
since they have autonomy to exercise their jurisdiction over their homeland.

2. Arguments for Opened Borders

Cosmopolitan Egalitarianism
The cosmopolitan egalitarianism in the context of the open border argument is a
paradigm shift of distributive justice that institutionalizes inequalities and believes that all
humans should have equal access to a set of liberal human rights—in a progressive way.
Moreover, in the book The Political Philosophy of Immigration titled Stranger in our midst,
David Miller presents the argument that “A state that is also a nation-state has a more
communitarian character by virtue of the way that its members identify with each other, making
it easier to adopt policies that favor the less well-off, especially those who can make little or no
contribution to the productive economy. Admittedly this is not so easy to demonstrate with hard
empirical evidence. Nevertheless, it seems true that the states whose citizens have been most
ready to promote egalitarian forms of social justice…” According to Miller (2016), this shared
identity makes it easier for such a state to adopt favorable policies for the less well-off,
especially those with limited or no capacity to contribute significantly to the productive
economy. Miller acknowledges that demonstrating this assertion with concrete empirical
evidence might be challenging. However, he contends that states whose citizens exhibit a strong
sense of shared identity are more likely to endorse and promote egalitarian forms of social
justice. Thus, this theoretical framework of cosmopolitan egalitarianism in the context of open
borders involves a commitment to the idea that a more interconnected world, where national
borders do not restrict individuals, can advance egalitarian principles. In connection with the
theoretical framework of cosmopolitan egalitarianism, when applied to the Israel-Palestine
conflict, encourages a reevaluation of border policies and social justice considerations. It calls
for a broader perspective that transcends national boundaries and ensures equal access to rights
and opportunities for all individuals involved, irrespective of their national or ethnic identity.

Libertarianism
At its core, Libertarianism emphasizes that individuals have the right to self-ownership
and freedom and that the state should not interfere with their choices and actions unless they
harm others. Therefore, people should be free to migrate across borders and exchange goods and
services without being subjected to coercive regulations or taxes by the state. In the case of the
conflict, a libertarian analysis might question the restrictions on the movement of Palestinians in
the West Bank and Gaza, as well as the imposition of security measures that limit individual
freedoms. It may also critique the presence of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which can be
viewed as interventions infringing on the liberty of Palestinians. However, applying libertarian
principles to the Israel-Palestine conflict is not without challenges. Libertarians often rely on
property rights, which can be complex in a region with overlapping historical and religious
claims. Additionally, achieving a libertarian ideal in a deeply entrenched and historically rooted
conflict may require innovative solutions and compromises.

Democracy
From the perspective of democracy in an open-border argument, which is based on the
idea that people have the right to participate in the political decisions that affect their lives. That
the state should be accountable and responsive to their preferences and interests. Therefore,
people should be able to vote and run for office across borders and influence the policies and
institutions that govern their migration and integration. It can result in (1) Inclusion and
Representation, which includes the participation of diverse voices in the decision-making and
protection of minority rights. (2) Respect for Human rights, individuality, and adherence to legal
norms and equitable solutions; (3) Peaceful Conflict Resolution, which would involve diplomatic
negotiations considering both parties' perspectives, seeking mutually agreeable solutions to
gauge public opinion, and involving the affected populations in decisions related to the
resolution of the conflict. Lastly, (4) Pluralism and Tolerance imply recognizing and respecting
the diverse cultural and religious identities present in the region, striving for the peaceful
coexistence of Israelis and Palestinians. While applying democratic ideals to the Israel-Palestine
conflict faces challenges, such as reconciling majority and minority rights, the theoretical
background offers a lens through which to assess the principles that can contribute to a just and
sustainable resolution. Democracy, with its emphasis on participation, human rights, and the rule
of law, provides a foundation for envisioning a political structure that addresses the needs and
aspirations of all regional stakeholders.

3. David Miller’s Immigration Ethics

David Miller is a political philosopher who has written extensively on the ethics of
immigration. He argues that states have the right to limit immigration for two main reasons: to
preserve their political culture and to control their population. He challenges the idea that there is
a human right to immigrate to any country of one's choice, and he defends the legitimacy of
national borders and collective self-determination. He acknowledges that states have some
obligations to admit refugees and to prevent the exploitation of migrants, but he also maintains
that these obligations are not absolute and can be balanced against the interests of the receiving
states. He advocates for a realistic and moderate approach to immigration that respects the rights
and interests of both immigrants and citizens. His views are influential but also controversial, as
they have been criticized by some scholars for being too restrictive, nationalist, or paternalistic
(Cohen, & Wellman 2005).

4. Apolinario Mabini’s Perspective with the Filipino Diaspora

According to Beunaflor (2007), Mabini’s hope builds on the idea that the despair that
people were experiencing can lead themselves to respond with hope. Therefore, despair becomes
the real source of hopefulness on the part of the Filipino people. It is because of the pain and
sufferings of the people that they remained to be enthusiastic and determined to work hard in
order to overcome all the sources of their despair. Mabini’s concept of hope bears a theological
underpinnings as it has its foundation on the Divine Providence. In relation to Mabini’s views on
hope and suffering, this could be related to the ever increasing Philippine Diaspora. As of April
to September 2022, the number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) was estimated at 1.96
million. This indicates an increase of 7.6 percent from 1.83 million OFWs in the same period of
2021. This increasing trend in the number of OFWs signify that Filipinos are still clinging to the
spirit of hope that Mabini envisioned in the past. This is why most of the Filipinos of today have
plans of migrating to other countries in search of better opportunities in the future which would
be of great benefit if the borders of countries are open.

III. Statement of the Problem and Research Objectives - Lance

The main problem that this study aims to address is whether or not it is ethical for Israel
and Palestine to enter an open-border agreement that will lead to a two-state resolution. This
timely and troubling question has yet to be resolved. Through an ethical perspective, this
research will also view the land dispute through the lens of border policies using the ethical
implications of open borders. As such these will be approached through immigration ethics and
how this can offer a new perspective lens by focusing on the ethical considerations of border
policies. Given that, this research study aims to do the following:

1. Assessing the ethical implication of an open-border agreement between Israel and

Palestine
2. Evaluating the current border policies of Israel and Palestine using ethical arguments to
support an open border agreement
3. Identifying policy recommendations and systemmatic changes for both Israel and
Palestine in order to support a open-border agreement

IV. Significance of the Study

The land dispute between Israel and Palestine is deeply rooted in multiple aspects of their
everyday lives, even up to this day their long-standing conflict results in the suffering and loss of
human life. On October 7, 2023, Israel and Hamas are now at war, wherein terrorists from both
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another extreme organization, staged attacks that resulted
in the deaths of over 1,400 Israelis and the kidnapping of over 240 more. In response, Israel
attacked the Gaza Strip extensively and invaded the area on foot, killing and wounding tens of
thousands of Palestinians (Beauchamp, 2023). As a response to that, extensive research has
shown a gap in the literature that tackled the ethical implications of immigration between the
land locked borders of Israel and Palestine. With that being said, this paper will provide as one of
the starting points of the discussion relating to Immigration ethics of refugees and immigrants
alike from the borders of both Israel and Palestine. Furthermore, this research will benefit the
following stakeholders (Mohan, 2023):

1. Innocent Vulunerable Groups of Israel and Palestine (particularly innocent children

women, elderly)
2. Political and Military Organizations of Israel and Palestine (Hamas, Palestinian
Authority, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Palestine Liberation Organization)
 3. Neigborhing States of Israel and Palestine
4. United Nations Organization
5. European Union

V. Research Design

As stated earlier, this research strives to answer this question, “ Is it ethical for Israel and
Palestine to enter an open-border agreement that will lead to a two-state resolution?” Given this
main research question, the researchers aim to (1) assess the ethical implication of an open-
border agreement between Israel and Palestine, (2) evaluate the current border policies of Israel
and Palestine using ethical arguments to support an open border agreement, and lastly to (3)
identify policy recommendations and systemmatic changes for both Israel and Palestine in order
to support a open-border agreement. In terms of the research method of this paper, the
researchers will be using a qualitative approach through philosophical analysis and
argumentation. The research will draw on the existing literature on immigration ethics, border
policies, and the Israel-Palestine conflict, as well as relevant historical, political, and cultural
sources. The research will critically examine three main arguments for and against open and
closed borders, and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses in relation to the specific case of the
Israel-Palestine conflict. The research will then synthesize the findings and propose a normative
framework for resolving the conflict that respects the rights, interests, and well-being of all
parties involved.

VI. Concept Map

Figure 1. Concept Map of this Proposal Study

Note. The image above shows the diagram that depicts suggested relationships between essential
concepts present in the arguments of the paper.

VII. References

Beauchamp, Z. (2023, November 9). What are Israel and Palestine? Why are they fighting? Vox.
https://www.vox.com/2018/11/20/18080002/israel-palestine-conflict-history-overview-
map
Buenaflor, L. E. (2007). Apolinario Mabini’s concept of hope: A critical reflection on the
Filipino Lebenswelt. Animo Repository.
https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_doctoral/168/?
fbclid=IwAR0CdN9QOxyeKtbv_N2TNh2JhSjn8KlggIl03hARrTy4Czr_V27fZXx64uY
Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.). Jurisdiction.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/jurisdiction
Cohen, Andrew I. & Wellman, Christopher Heath (eds.) (2005). Contemporary Debates in
Applied Ethics. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
Kenton, W. (2023, July 16). Economy: what it is, types of economies, economic indicators.
Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/economy.asp
Longley, R. (2021, September 24). National Security definition and examples. ThoughtCo.
https://www.thoughtco.com/national-security-definition-and-examples-5197450
Miller, D. (2016). Strangers in our midst — Harvard University Press. Harvard University Press.
https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674986787
Mohan, G. (2023, October 12). Israel-Palestine war: Key players, stakeholders in decades-old
conflict. India Today. https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/israel-palestine-war-key-
players-stakeholders-in-decades-old-conflict-2448147-2023-10-12
Philippine Statistics Authority. (2023). Survey on Overseas Filipinos | Philippine Statistics
Authority | Republic of the Philippines. (2023, October 11).
https://psa.gov.ph/statistics/survey/labor-and-employment/survey-overseas-filipinos