# Israel/Palestine: "One-state solution" on the table again? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 24, 2012, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814 "2012-04-24T16:29:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/21 "2012-04-24T17:53:53Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > Anyone who claims that the one state solution is workable is either a liar, willfully blind, or completely ignorant of the realities of the situation. What realities in particular, please? E.g., is it a reality that Palestinians and Jews hate each other too intractably ever to share a state, or is it not? Serious question. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/22 "2012-04-24T17:56:26Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > Er…you do realize they’re not allowed to get married in Israel don’t you? I had \* no idea.\* My plan’s only flaw I guess ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/23 "2012-04-24T18:02:17Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > What realities in particular, please? E.g., is it a reality that Palestinians and Jews hate each other too intractably ever to share a state, or is it not? Serious question. The Palestinians hate and resent the Israelis too much, and the Israelis mistrust the Arabs\* too much. - Incidentally, the way most Israelis see it, the conflict isn’t between Israelis and Palestinians, it’s between Israelis and _Arabs_. As far as Israelis are concerned, their fight is with the Arab world as a whole, with the Palestinians simply being the Arabs who are closest at hand. It’s a strange conflict when both sides believe they’re the underdogs. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/24 "2012-04-24T18:03:29Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > 😕 What, Jews and Muslims?! Seriously?! No, Jews Muslims and Christians can’t legally intermarry within Israel. Israel doesn’t have civil marriage. The only marriages performed within Israel, recognized by the Israeli government are ones performed by clerics recognized by the relevant religious organizations. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/25 "2012-04-24T18:07:40Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Would they even take 'em?! Jordan renounced all claims to the West Bank shortly after Israel kicked them out and Egypt has repeatedly said they’d refuse the Gaza Strip. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/26 "2012-04-24T18:10:19Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > Jordan renounced all claims to the West Bank shortly after Israel kicked them out and Egypt has repeatedly said they’d refuse the Gaza Strip. Right. They’d refuse to take it even to grant it independence. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/27 "2012-04-24T18:22:41Z")
The OP’s desired “one-state solution” will be closer to fruition once he can point out to the Israelis all the current examples of Arab nations in which Jewish minorities live in harmony with Arab majorities, while possessing something resembling equal rights. (crickets) Or, to convince Israelis of the virtues of a “one-state solution”, perhaps all the Arab states who kicked their Jewish populations out after 1948 and took their property would welcome them back with full repayment plus interest. (more crickets) ---
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/28 "2012-04-24T18:46:27Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Interesting – I read that post without gaining the least insight as to whether you sympathize with the Pals or the Jews here, or who might be the “worst element.” So, when I say there’s a “land grab” going on down there that’s not enough detail for you to figure out who’s grabbing whose land? [rhetorically]Really?![/rhetorically] At least, naïveté of the OP is explained. Or, a joke of it. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/29 "2012-04-24T18:48:30Z")
> [@newcomer](#): > > So, when I say there’s a “land grab” going on down there that’s not enough detail for you to figure out who’s grabbing whose land? Which conquest, exactly, do you consider to be the original “non-land-grab” conquest that you use as a metric here? Just, ya know, in case you have an actual metric. ---
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/30 "2012-04-24T18:53:52Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > The Palestinians hate and resent the Israelis too much, and the Israelis mistrust the Arabs\* too much. > > - Incidentally, the way most Israelis see it, the conflict isn’t between Israelis and Palestinians, it’s between Israelis and _Arabs_. As far as Israelis are concerned, their fight is with the Arab world as a whole, with the Palestinians simply being the Arabs who are closest at hand. It’s a strange conflict when both sides believe they’re the underdogs. Incredible post that explains a lot. 1st - \*they hate us; we simply “mistrust” them \*– no comment! 2nd - Arabs instead of Palestinians - no comment! 3rd - “closest at hand” - shouldn’t it be more precise to say: “Arabs” whose land we want. 4th - I was under impression that the involved side from Israel are religious crazies minority hell bent on screwing everyone up because of the fantasy tale? 5th – Israelis consider themselves “underdogs”? – Would 10 billion a year in weaponry make average Israeli give a chance to the idea that maybe, just maybe you have an upper hand? What’s amazing is I’m sure you really \*\*believe \*\*this! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/31 "2012-04-24T19:12:25Z")
> [@newcomer](#): > > So, when I say there’s a “land grab” going on down there that’s not enough detail for you to figure out who’s grabbing whose land? > > [rhetorically]Really?![/rhetorically] **Really.** The most obvious interpretation would be the Pals regarding the Jews as “land-grabbers”; OTOH, the Jews (some of them) seem to think they have some prior claim to the land and the Pals “grabbed” it while they were out; and, more importantly, that any proposal for a one-state solution might look to the Jews like one massive Palestinian land-grab. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/32 "2012-04-24T19:14:27Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > What makes you think there would be war? How does that happen – Israel offers the Palestinians a one-state solution and they won’t take it, or what? Israel isn’t going to offer a one state solution. And even if they did, and the Palestinians accepted, there would be civil war within a few years. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/33 "2012-04-24T19:19:00Z")
> [@newcomer](#): > > Incredible post that explains a lot. > > 1st - \*they hate us; we simply “mistrust” them \*– no comment! > 2nd - Arabs instead of Palestinians - no comment! > 3rd - “closest at hand” - shouldn’t it be more precise to say: “Arabs” whose land we want. > 4th - I was under impression that the involved side from Israel are religious crazies minority hell bent on screwing everyone up because of the fantasy tale? > 5th – Israelis consider themselves “underdogs”? – Would 10 billion a year in weaponry make average Israeli give a chance to the idea that maybe, just maybe you have an upper hand? > > What’s amazing is I’m sure you really \*\*believe \*\*this! You must live in a state of constant amazement. I envy you. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/34 "2012-04-24T19:28:32Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Israel isn’t going to offer a one state solution. And even if they did, and the Palestinians accepted, there would be civil war within a few years. What makes you think there would be a civil war within a few years? And who would start it? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/35 "2012-04-24T19:30:20Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > What makes you think there would be a civil war within a few years? > > And who would start it? 1. It’s pretty much SOP for all new countries. 2. It’s _really_ SOP in the M.E. 3. There is so much bad blood between the parties 4. Both sides could easily start it. I find it hard to believe that you think unification could be done peacefully. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/36 "2012-04-24T19:31:09Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > - Incidentally, the way most Israelis see it, the conflict isn’t between Israelis and Palestinians, it’s between Israelis and _Arabs_. As far as Israelis are concerned, their fight is with the Arab world as a whole . . . . . . **WHY?!!** There’s not a single Arab government left that **seriously** wants to be rid of Israel, and I doubt the Arab Spring will change that any. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/37 "2012-04-24T19:32:59Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > 1. Both sides could easily start it. Ah. Koom Valley. > [@](#): > > I find it hard to believe that you think unification could be done peacefully. If ever the Israelis **offer** it peacefully, it can be **done** peacefully, more or less, for certain values of “peacefully” and allowing for the inevitability, in this setting, of some entirely unofficial on-the-street mob-clashes. Which can happen without leading to war. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/38 "2012-04-24T19:35:56Z")
> [@newcomer](#): > > 4th - I was under impression that the involved side from Israel are religious crazies minority hell bent on screwing everyone up because of the fantasy tale? Well, certainly . . . but those religious crazies are not Jews alone. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/39 "2012-04-24T19:42:00Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > If ever the Israelis **offer** it peacefully, it can be **done** peacefully, more or less, for certain values of “peacefully” and allowing for the inevitability, in this setting, of some entirely unofficial on-the-street mob-clashes. Which can happen without leading to war. And your example of this having ever happened in the Middle East is…?s I trust you don’t need examples of when wars did break out in the Middle East. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/40 "2012-04-24T19:46:38Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > . . . **WHY?!!** There’s not a single Arab government left that **seriously** wants to be rid of Israel, and I doubt the Arab Spring will change that any. Really? Because the emerging government in Egypt is starting to look pretty hostile, and there’s no sign that whoever ends up in charge in Syria will be any better. As for the rest of the Arab governments, who knows what they actually want? Most of them certainly haven’t taken any steps toward recognizing Israel or initiating diplomatic relations. If there’s any sign that their stated belief of the past 64 years - \*Judea delenda est \*- has changed, they certainly haven’t made it known to us. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814.md?page=3)