A One-to-Two-State Solution

[Shaktimaan]

A recent Time magazine cover story — “Why Israel Doesn’t Care About Peace” — explained why many Israelis just don’t think a peace deal is all that important: they’ve already got peace. Ever since Israel built its security wall, they’ve been safe from suicide bombers, and homemade rockets from Gaza can’t reach them. They’re prosperous to boot. What’s not to like?

So long as this attitude prevails, the far right will have veto power over policy in the occupied territory. For a peace deal to happen, Israel’s centrists need to get jarred out of their indifference. Someone needs to scare these people.

There’s a way for Palestinians to do that — and not the usual way, with bombs and rockets. Quite the opposite.

If Palestinians want to strike fear into the hearts of Israelis they should (a) give up on violence as a tool of persuasion; (b) give up on the current round of negotiations; and (c) start holding demonstrations in which they ask for only one thing: the right to vote. Their argument would be simple: They live under Israeli rule, and Israel is a democracy, so why aren’t they part of it?

A truly peaceful movement with such elemental aspirations — think of Martin Luther King or Gandhi — would gain immediate international support. In Europe and the United States, leftists would agitate in growing numbers for economic and political pressure on Israel.


http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/28/a-one-to-two-state-solution/?ref=opinion

[Blue Meany]

1. I have actually been saying this very thing for years and

I do think it would work in the long run, but the long run may be another generation, similar to the struggle in South Africa. At this point, no viable Palestinian state can exist anyway, so a one-state solution in the only one. And I have seen polls that indicate that about 40% on both sides would agree to that and even with the current polarized population; no doubt this would go up substantially over time. But in the meantime more Palestianians will lose their homes, be imprisoned, go into exile, or be killed and the process of healing will get harder.

[kayecy]

2. A very reasonable suggestion, but..........

......Israel will then be completely free to annex as much of the West bank as it wants (ie all the settlements and non of the Palestinian towns) and leave the Palestinians with a truncated, non-viable 'territory'. Some in Israel have already suggested that Israel do just this.

[hack89]

3. So the West Bank and Gaza officially become part of Israel?

under the complete control of the Israeli government? With Israelis able to build and live where ever they want?

Aren't you worried about unintended consequences? Why do you assume that this will produce a happy ending for the Palestinians?