One State Solution

DRAFT

THE ISRAELI – PALESTINE SOLUTION

The prayer. The hope. Next year in Jerusalem. A homeland for all Jews. A Jewish nation. A Jewish Nationality. Israel has been the fulfillment of the Zionist Dream. A Jewish Nation in the Promised Land.

Jews were driven from Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD. The Romans were driven from the land by the Muslims who fought the Christians for centuries to retain the land. Then came the Ottomans to control much of the world including the Promised Land. Then the fall of the Ottoman Empire, followed by the British Protectorate.

After centuries of expulsions, pogroms, and the Holocaust, the United Nations partitioned Palestine, the Promised Land, part for the Jews, part for the Arabs.

But Palestine was a land occupied by hostile Arabs who had national aspirations of their own. The Arabs had been colonized by the Ottomans, and then under British “protection”. The creation of an Israeli nation has thwarted the Arab nationalistic aspirations, resulting in an ongoing war since 1948.

Some will argue that the Arabs were primitive farmers who had no realistic chances for nationhood. And their conduct in Palestine under Arab control would seem to confirm the argument. But, those arguments beg the question of what the situation is now. The conflict goes on without end and people on all sides seek to place blame. After decades of conflict, establishing blame is a waste of energy. At present, Israel occupies an area in which Muslim Arabs live. The occupation has resulted in hatred between Jews and Arabs. There are generations of Jews and Arabs that hate each other.

The current thought is a two state solution. It is the proposed solution which has been on the agenda for over a decade. I believe that two states living in peace is not practical. I believe it will mean an ongoing war. .

A single state solution means that Israel would become a state with a population of Jews, Muslims and other minorities. With proportional representation, the Zionist Nation would no longer exist. Does this mean the end of the Zionist dream? Probably yes. But the Zionist dream was a homeland, not a state. The United States has provided a homeland and safe haven for 6 million Jews.

With a one state solution, Israel could become a powerful democratic nation with separation of church and state. Israel could become the “melting pot” of the Middle East, welcoming Muslims, Christians, Gypsies and other peoples from from all over the world. With Israeli expertise, the one state could prosper. With Egypt’s cooperation, the Sinai desert could be reclaimed. Prosperity can come to all.

Of course, there will still be problems with the fanatics, but those problems could be controlled by a prospering people.

Am I dreaming?