# 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:** 3
**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, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/41 "2012-04-24T19:49:47Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > And your example of this having ever happened in the Middle East is…? I was thinking of South Africa . . . Why “in the Middle East”? ---
**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, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/42 "2012-04-24T20:02:44Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > South Africa Zimbabwe. ---
**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, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/43 "2012-04-24T20:08:17Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > I was thinking of South Africa . . . Why “in the Middle East”? Do I have to show you a map? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/44 "2012-04-24T20:17:25Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Who’s the third state for, the Samaritans?! Isreal, the Republic of Gaza and the Republic of the West Bank. I don’t see any supercritical reason the last two should be forced into a discontiguous single state, and the Fatah/Hamas split forces a division that goes beyond mere geography. If there was a single governmental structure that I thought could speak for Gaza _and_ the West Bank _and_ operate under rule of law, I could imagine a two-state solution, maybe… though history doesn’t give me any confidence that a Palestinian state will be anything but the shakiest of democracies, always one election from theocracy and/or dictatorship. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/45 "2012-04-24T20:23:00Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > It’s said that there are two groups of Israeli Jews who support a two-state solution: the far left and the far right. Wait – is this right, or did you mean to say one-state solution here? ---
**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, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/46 "2012-04-24T20:35:13Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Wait – is this right, or did you mean to say one-state solution here? You’re right - my bad. Hey, it’s late here. ---
**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, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/47 "2012-04-24T20:35:46Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > 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. Actually, you are describing a situation that covers **most** Islamic countries throughout **most** of Islamic history; Jews were always better off there, and more nearly equals to the majority, than in Christian Europe at any time before the “Jewish Emancipation” of the late 18th Century. But then Israel was founded, and the whole Muslim world went a little crazy for antisemitism . . . As for nowadays, Egypt, AFAIK. I’ve heard of **Christians** there taking it on the ear, but never Jews. ---
**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, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/48 "2012-04-24T20:37:37Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > You’re right - my bad. > > Hey, it’s late here. Where you live, it has not been early for millennia. ---
**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, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/49 "2012-04-24T20:38:04Z")
Taking it in the ear? That’s gotta hurt!! :eek: But you’re right. There is little trouble for Egyptian Jews. All 10 of them who remain. I only slightly exaggerate. ---
**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, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/50 "2012-04-24T20:42:48Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > Zimbabwe. What say you to that, **newcomer,** since you seem to be the only 100% Palestinian sympathizer in this thread? What reason have we to think that Palestinians in power would not persecute/dispossess any Jews? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/51 "2012-04-24T21:05:48Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Isreal, the Republic of Gaza and the Republic of the West Bank. Is there a particular desire for Gaza held by the Palestinians? Merely because they are already there, or is there some religious significance as in Jerusalem? ---
**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, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/52 "2012-04-24T21:07:09Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Is there a particular desire for Gaza held by the Palestinians? Merely because they are already there, or is there some religious significance as in Jerusalem? It would be really difficult to move all those rocket launchers! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/53 "2012-04-24T21:15:04Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > It would be really difficult to move all those rocket launchers! Ah. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/54 "2012-04-24T21:15:18Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Right. They’d refuse to take it even to grant it independence. I would presume that Egypt’s and Jordan’s renunciations of said territorial claims are in favor of Palestinian independence. ---
**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, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/55 "2012-04-24T21:18:27Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Is there a particular desire for Gaza held by the Palestinians? Merely because they are already there, or is there some religious significance as in Jerusalem? I think it’s just their home; there are no Islamic holy cities in the Gaza Strip. The [Gaza](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Gaza#Ancient_period) Strip, BTW, is the same land that was known once as “Philistia” or the “Pentapolis”, the land of the five cities of the Philistines. I suppose the people living there now might be the lineal descendants of the culturally long-vanished Philistines – among many other nationalities of ancestors, of course. ---
**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, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/56 "2012-04-24T22:00:10Z")
[Bear in mind, also:](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_people) > [@](#): > > Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one half of the world’s Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and Israel. In this combined area, as of 2004, Palestinians constituted 49% of all inhabitants,[17] encompassing the entire population of the Gaza Strip (1.6 million), the majority of the population of the West Bank (approximately 2.3 million versus close to 500,000 Jewish Israeli citizens which includes about 200,000 in East Jerusalem), and 16.5% of the population of Israel proper as Arab citizens of Israel.[4] **Only** 49%. Not a majority, let alone an overwhelming one. Making Israeli citizens of them all would not be like abolition of Apartheid in SA, where power was handed from one electorate to a completely different one overnight. If the Pals ever become an absolute numerical majority, that will be seen coming from far off and everybody will have time to plan for it. ---
**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, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/57 "2012-04-24T22:16:32Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > You must live in a state of constant amazement. I envy you. Well, that would be quite a blanket statement. I am, however, constantly amazed how in the perception of ME conflict Israel prevails as the “victim” all the while basic facts such as number of dead, amount of land & property stolen, daily difficulties of life significantly prevail on the side of Palestinians. Yes, that is truly amazing. Back home, we used to say, if Serbs hire Israelis to run their propaganda department we are all screwed. Too bad Serbs are immensely stupid so the perception of Balkan war almost matched basic facts - but that’s only because of their low international cultural awareness. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/58 "2012-04-24T23:09:20Z")
> [@sqweels](#): > > I would presume that Egypt’s and Jordan’s renunciations of said territorial claims are in favor of Palestinian independence. You would presume wrong. There was nothing stopping Egypt and Jordan from setting up a Palestinian state in Gaza or the West Bank from 1948-67 when they were in physical control of the lands, but they had no inclination to do so. Jordan in particular has always had its own problems with Palestinian refugees, see for example [Black September](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_September_in_Jordan). The crowning moment in this event of how bizarre politics can get in the middle east was when Syria invaded Jordan to intervene on behalf of the PLO/PLA/various Palestinian militant organizations who were being put down by the Jordanian Army; the Syrian Air Force never entered the battle and the Syrian Army was eventually contained and driven back by heavy air attacks by the Jordanian Air Force. The reason the Syrian Air Force stayed out of the action? The threat of Israeli intervention on behalf of Jordan, King Hussein was asking [the British to ask Israel to intervene](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1095221.stm). ---
**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, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/59 "2012-04-24T23:41:27Z")
> [@Dissonance](#): > > You would presume wrong. There was nothing stopping Egypt and Jordan from setting up a Palestinian state in Gaza or the West Bank from 1948-67 when they were in physical control of the lands, but they had no inclination to do so. Jordan in particular has always had its own problems with Palestinian refugees, see for example [Black September](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_September_in_Jordan). The crowning moment in this event of how bizarre politics can get in the middle east was when Syria invaded Jordan to intervene on behalf of the PLO/PLA/various Palestinian militant organizations who were being put down by the Jordanian Army; the Syrian Air Force never entered the battle and the Syrian Army was eventually contained and driven back by heavy air attacks by the Jordanian Air Force. The reason the Syrian Air Force stayed out of the action? The threat of Israeli intervention on behalf of Jordan, King Hussein was asking [the British to ask Israel to intervene](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1095221.stm). [speedy gonzalez] I love dose fellows! All de time having fun! 😃 [/sg] ---
**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, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814/60 "2012-04-24T23:57:24Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > [Bear in mind, also:](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_people) > > **Only** 49%. Not a majority, let alone an overwhelming one. Making Israeli citizens of them all would not be like abolition of Apartheid in SA, where power was handed from one electorate to a completely different one overnight. If the Pals ever become an absolute numerical majority, that will be seen coming from far off and everybody will have time to plan for it. Three words: Right of Return. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-on-the-table-again/619814.md?page=4)