Opponents of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have failed to offer any alternative proposals. An alternative proposal would consist of a viable plan that would allow Israel to maintain its Jewish and democratic character without creating a Palestinian state alongside Israel. As far as I am aware, no solutions encompassing these parameters have been suggested. Now is the time for one-state supporters to step up and offer a new solution or for them to support current peace negotiations.
A June 2010 B'nai B'rith's Survey of Contemporary Israeli Attitudes toward World Jewry asked 500 Jewish Israelis age 18 and over whether: "A two-state solution is essential to Israel's survival as the Jewish homeland and a thriving democracy." Fifty-five percent of respondents agreed while thirty-six percent disagreed. This survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percent.
Anyone familiar with the Jewish community knows that silence is not one of our best virtues. If thirty-six percent of Jewish Israelis disagreed with this statement why have they not offered any alternative proposals? In the absence of any clear suggestions, I am going to analyze three potential options.
Israel will become a theocracy. This was the response I received when I recently asked a prominent New York rabbi how right-wing Jews envision Israel's future. Eight percent of Israel's Jewish population defines itself as Haredi, 12% as religious, 13% as traditional-religious, 25% as traditional and 42% as secular, according to a May 2010 report published by the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics. Keeping this in mind, I do not see Israel following the lead of the Islamic Republic of Iran and establishing a theocracy.
Israel will become a binational Israeli-Palestinian state. Anyone interested in Israel remaining both a Jewish state and a democracy should not support this option. According to a poll conducted by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics in 2009, Palestinians and Israeli Jews will reach equal numbers by 2016. If, in the next five years, a two-state solution is not implemented, Palestinians will become the demographic majority in Israel, and Israel will cease to be a Jewish state or a democracy. This option therefore falls outside the aforementioned parameters.
Israel will rid its land of Palestinians while maintaining the Palestinian territories. This can be done through forcibly expelling Palestinians or by denying them the opportunity to earn a living.
A state that was partially founded on the premise of being a safe haven for Jews will become a state sponsoring ethnic cleansing. Technically, Israel will remain both Jewish and democratic, but it will become condemned as a persona non grata. No Jew with any moral conscious or regard for human rights would want to be associated with such a state.
During a recent speaking engagement in New York, J-Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami argued that being pro-Israel today means supporting a two-state solution. If two-state opponents have a viable one-state solution now is the time for them to step forward. The window of time remaining for Israel to remain both a Jewish state and a democracy is becoming increasingly small. If you do not have an alternative solution, please support the peace process before this window closes. The failure to support this process will only hasten Israel's demise as a Jewish and democratic state.
Follow Sara Reef on Twitter: www.twitter.com/sreef
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So what you're saying is that Palestinians are incapable of democracy? I call shenanigans. And racism.
The only thing I would ask for is to make a compromise with the state symbols and that the state takes more distance from being a Jewish state. As you mentioned, Palestinians will soon be the majority, no matter what. That means it will be important that the state can show that it doesn't favor one particular group over another.
This is the most reasonable solution and is provides long term stability and fairness. Why cant Jews enjoy full religious expression in a secular united Israel-Palestine, why does the zionist have to segregate? This solution is the most democratic solution because the majority native palestinian can vote for an entity that respects their claim to the resources of the land and fosters cooperaton. Why do you lie Sara and say anyone that supports this solution is against democracy, when it is the opposite, another case of propoganda exposed. Just because Jews wont be the majority doesnt mean that democracy is lost, thats so wrong its terrible
Help me understand please. A quote from the above reads “If, in the next five years, a two-state solution is not implemented, Palestinians will become the demographic majority in Israel, and Israel will cease to be a Jewish state or a democracy.”
If I read this correctly: where it says “Israel will cease to be a Jewish state or a democracy” means that Irael considers itself a democracy at the present time because it would have to be a democracy before it could “cease” to be a democracy.
And Israel considers itself to be a democracy while it has the demographic majority but will not consider itself to be a democracy if the Palestinians become the demographic majority in Israel. Why would Israel consider itself a democracy only if Israeli Jews are the majority? Why would Israel not be a democracy if the Palistinians have the majority?
Well-intentioned people can disagree. Are you one of them?
I do agree that a two state solution is preferable, because it is fairer, bi-lateral & should end the conflict. Israel has alternatives. Only they are not proposals, but unilateral moves which it will implement if it becomes clear that the Palestinian Authority is unable or unwilling to accept an agreed two-state solution.
But beyond that, what I don't understand is actually the "message" in your article. Who is it addressed to? You seem to persuade the Israelis that a two-state solution is good (in fact "essential") for them. But they are already convinced. Even the survey you cite shows this, despite a rather twisted question. So you are really preaching to the converted. What's the point in that? The only reason the two states solution is not a reality already is that the Palestinian side has so far rejected every Israeli & US offer, while presenting no counter-proposal.
I blame not just the Palestinian "leadership" (as usual, they are anything but), but also the various hate propagandists who incite Palestinians to reject any reasonable agreement & "go for broke". One can see a fair reflection of the reality in the distribution of comments below: the pro-Israel commentators almost unanimously support two states; while the Israel-haters want "one state" – by which they mean "one state with Arab majority".
Without the creation of a Palestinian state on terms that the majority of Palestinians endorse, Israel is doomed to face the same fate. Remember that the US government resisted the efforts to isolate South Africa, and that the public went from seeing South Africa as a bastion of civilization in the midst of backwardness to seeing South Africa as something that no civilised person could support (and though it seemed to happen overnight, that change of perception happened slowly, over years, as first a few scattered people, then a small finge movement, then an occasional brave public personality started talking about the reality of what was going on there, before it was publically acceptable, and not career ending or flaky, to talk about it that way. When that happened, broad public support suddenly disappeared, the defenders and deniers became the ones who were seen as flakes or no longer employable, and the overnight success happened)
For more than 100 years, people like you have used the Palestinians for their own purposes. You've exploited their genuine problems to incite them to intolerance and hatred. You've always promised them deliverance "somewhere around the corner", in the form of the Jewish state's disappearance. There was often a great "deliverer": the Mufti, Nasser, Saddam Hussein, Nassrallah, Ahmedinejad…
But the promises of military or political "victory" never materialized; the "great heroes" turned out to be just loud incompetents; the Arab states gradually lost interest, the cleverer ones cut their own deals with the Jewish state; on the other hand, the territory available for a peaceful resolution shrunk.
So now you are telling them a "new" story. As usual, apparently coherent, but fundamentally flawed and based on sheer wishful thinking. The Palestinians need to decide: do they accept a reasonable territorial compromise, make peace and get on with their lives? Or do they continue to "buy" your stories and pointlessly sacrifice yet another generation?
As I've said already: people who go for "all-or-nothing" have only themselves to blame when they are left with "nothing". Or they can blame people like you, "Richard".
Declaration of Israel's Independence 1948 Issued at Tel Aviv on May 14, 1948 (5th of Iyar, 5708)
WE DECLARE that, with effect from the moment of the termination of the Mandate being tonight, until the establishment of the elected, regular authorities of the State in accordance with the
>> Constitution which shall be adopted by the Elected Constituent Assembly not later than the 1st October 1948
Meanwhile the Israeli Declaration of Independence also says:
WE APPEAL - in the very midst of the onslaught launched against us now for months - to the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to preserve peace and participate in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions.
WE EXTEND our hand to all neighbouring states and their peoples in an offer of peace and good neighbourliness, and appeal to them to establish bonds of cooperation and mutual help with the sovereign Jewish people settled in its own land. The State of Israel is prepared to do its share in a common effort for the advancement of the entire Middle East.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jordan and Egypt have made their peace with Israel and have benefited economically
The option is there for the Palestinians, if they can give up their commitment to violence and recognize the State of Israel rather than vowing to destroy it.
The trade-off is cynical and simple. American military power protects Arab governments from democratic movements in their own countries in return for acceptance of US policy. Arab leaders make periodic statements of protest against Israel through the Arab League. But the clear understanding between the US and nearly a dozen Arab countries (including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and Jordan) is that America's policy will not be challenged.
Many Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have a dream: to work or live in Israel. Some even say they are prepared to pay large sums of money to obtain Israeli citizenship.
Others pay a lot of money to Palestinian and Jewish traffickers who help them bypass checkpoints to enter Israel in search of work and good life.
These are not self-hating Palestinians. Nor are they "pro-Israel traitors" who support the Zionist movement.
Many Palestinians feel that neither Fatah nor Hamas has done enough to alleviate their suffering. Many Fatah leaders who stole billions of dollars of international donations earmarked for the Palestinians have invested their fortunes in hotels, tourist resorts and real estate firms in the West. Hamas, on the other hand, prefers to spend millions of dollars on purchasing [and smuggling] large amounts of weapons, including rockets and ammunition.
It is a disgrace for Arab and Muslim dictators, particularly those who make billions of dollars from selling oil, that their constituents have to seek work and refuge in Israel and the West. It is also a disgrace for Fatah and Hamas that thousands of Palestinians cannot find jobs or a good life in the two Palestinian states in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
http://www.hudson-ny.org/1433/arabs-and-muslims-run-to-israel
I want to live there too on the America Aid.
They were against being forced to lose their Israeli citizenship, and not only for economic reasons. "Of course we are discriminated against, but at least we can say what we want here."
Wish I could find the reference, haven't been able to.
Time for moderate and liberal Jews to stand up and oppose the far right-wing NEOCONS Netanyahu and Israel Foreign Minister Lieberman, the Racists playing to the Jewish Settlers.
We got rid of Bush and Cheney, time for Jews to step up.
Like Israel taking Palistianian land and opressing a large group of people.
and exactly how do you think that should be achieved?
1. Israel is already a theocracy. Israeli JEWS are given preferential treatment in every aspect of society, while those non-Jews are left with little. Judaism is viewed as THE religion of choice and privilege in Israel. Hence, it remains a theocracy with democratic principles afforded to it's Jewish population, while denying those same principles to non-jews.
2. If there is a binational state, Israel will cease to become a democracy?? What is she talking about? If Israel does become a binational state, which is the likely outcome in this colonizer/colonized conflict, it will actually become a democracy. That is, all people regardless of race, religion, sex or national origin will be equal. This is not the case now, obviously.
3. Israel has, does and will continue to expel Palestinians from their own land. Forced expulsion and dispossession is what gave Israel the chance to become a state. It is not beyond Israels capabilites to treat humans in such a way, they;ve done so for over 62 years now. Why would they stop now? they have the full diplomatic and economic support of the worlds most powerful country.
Sara, your analysis seems like a willful attempt to skew the actualities of Israel of today. It is an ethnocracy, it has yet to become a democracy, and forced expulsions are well within the arsenal of Israels military.
You should have a long discussion with Salim Joubran.
In case you didn't know, he's an arab supreme court justice on the Israeli Supreme Court.
I've been to villages that used to be Palestinian, but were depopulated to make way for a democracy. I've seen children living in tents, with no access to water or electiricty, while their neighbors, living in colonies are given more water and electricity than an individual needs.
I've walked through checkpoints, as 18 year old Israeli occupation forces herd the Palestinians like animals. I've walked to the wall that is for Israeli 'security', and have the seen the destruction to palestinian towns and psyche.
Question is Tallen, have you ever been to Gaza? the West Bank? Have you gone to a depopulated Palestinian village? Have you ever visited a refugee camp?
How come so many Israelis have to go to Cypress to get married?
If I said I want the USA to be a "christian state and a democracy" would that sit well.
I guess I am not disagreeing if Isreal wants to be a "Jewish State" but please dont add the word democracy right after. It may be technically correct but the implied message of Isreal is the only middle east democracy and western in nature is simply not true
If the Neocon religious right wing in Israel would have its way, and maybe this is just one election away, the state of Israel would be converted into an extremist religious Kingdom (their words not mine), unparalleled even in the Muslim world.
Israel continues to isolate themselves as an oppressive apartheid state.
It's advocacy of the extermination of Israel. The new "one state" would be no different than the other arab states that have, in recent history, persecuted and expelled the Jews.
A United States Of Palestine.
Equal rights based on one person, one vote democracy, irrespective of race, religion or ehnicity.
The United Semitic Sandcastle Republics
Catchy, no?
And, everybody gets along JUST fine.
Of course, everyone has the same rights. And, nobody can steal land. Nor does anyone WANT to steal land.
A Israeli consul was campaigning the West Los Angeles Persian Jewish community, awhile back, to "make aliyah."
The answer he got was, "Are you kidding? We LEFT one violent Middle-Eastern country."