A Real Solution To The Israeli/Palestinian Conflict

Perhaps the only viable solution given the complexities of the situation

February 05, 2007

February 5, 2007

I’ve been thinking about this issue heavily for over a decade (since going to the Middle East while in the military), and I’ve always had a bit of cognitive dissonance concerning my opinions on the matter. Last week, however, I was presented the actual answer, and it was strikingly elegant.

I was shown this new perspective by a Palestinian professor at UCLA who was featured on CSPAN last week. I’ve tried to find the professor’s name with no success. What follows is a brief summary of his ideas, combined with a bit of my own opinion, broken down into a few short points:

1. Palestinians Need To Universally Reject The Idea Of A Two-State Solution

This is so simple: the Palestinian land stretches from the Mediterranean sea to Jordan, and from Lebanon and Syria to the gulf of Aquaba. Those are the borders, and they always have been. Dividing up someone’s home is like someone coming into your house and telling you that you are now authorized to live only in your bathroom. It’s not right.

We also have to look at why Israel supports the idea. The two-state solution is supported by Israel because they want to remove the Palestinians from “Israel” in order to maintain the pure, Jewish population. Whenever Palestinians start arguing over how the states would look, what their borders would be, etc., they play directly into the hands of the Israeli government. What the Palestinians need to do is collectively stand and say:

No. This whole country is ours, just as it is yours. We are not negotiating about borders within our own home.

In short, the Palestinians already have a state. It’s known as Israel.

2. No Palestinian Should Ever Again Promote The Destruction Of Israel Or The Killing Of Jews

This sort of speech works directly against the Palestinian cause. The central concept for this new paradigm is that Palestinians will live together with Jews on the same land. Neither side, therefore, can advocate the removal or killing of the other side. Ever.

Saying that Israel belongs to the Palestinians is correct, but only when you realize that this also means that Palestine belongs to the Jews as well.

3. The Israeli Government Is Based On Ethnic and Religious Discrimination And Should Be Rebuilt

Nowhere in the world does there exist another government that so blatantly discriminates against its population based on religion or ethnicity without being condemned by the world. Only Israel has this immunity to criticism. Muslim Arabs do not have the same rights within Israel. They pay different taxes; they have obstacles to entering government, and are literally treated as second class citizens.

Why is this tolerated by the world? What gives Israel the authority to do this? This type of government used to be acceptable, say 200 years ago — but it isn’t any more. The world needs to come to terms with the fact that the Israeli government has blatantly racist and religiously biased policies, and that they should be held accountable for them.

The Israeli government needs to be revamped so that no preference is given to people who practice the Jewish faith or are of Jewish descent. The new government should focus on a single people — Jews and Palestinians — and clearly state that all are equal under the law. Representation in government should eventually echo this change as well.

4. The Way To Deal With Palestinian Terrorists Is The Same Way The U.S. Dealt With Timmoty McVeigh

He was an American terrorist. He was punished. That’s all. We didn’t round up all the crazy Christian white people and tell them they couldn’t move around the country. Treat terrorists like terrorists, but remember that they are your own people. Love them as such, and punish them as such.

Conclusion

The concept is very simple. The Palestinians don’t need a state — they already have one. And they don’t need a government. The Israeli government is their government. The world needs to stop viewing this as two peoples with two governments and two states. This a narrative that certain Zionists in Israel want the world to subscribe to, and the reality is much different:

The reality is that there is only one country and one government. That government is simply mistreating a very large portion of its own people. This is nothing more than civil war where one side doesn’t have any guns. Imagine if Atheists or Mexicans were rounded up in the United States and send to live in West Virginia. The country wouldn’t stand for it, and the world would look down upon the United States like never before. This is what needs to happen to Israel.

That’s it.

  • There’s only one land, and it belongs to both peoples. The idea of a two-state solution shouldn’t even be discussed, as it’s clearly a ruse designed to obscure the fact that Palestinians should have free reign of the entire country.

  • Take the language of religious and ethnic preference out of the constitution. Israel should cease being a “Jewish State”. No preference should be given to any race or religion.

  • If someone breaks the law, punish them as a fellow countryman rather than an animal. Think about McVeigh or the young Israeli that killed Rabin.

Quite simply, the world needs to view the conflict in the context of a civil war, with one group completely dominating the other.

Only once the world sees this for what it is can Israel receive the pressure it deserves. Then, as world policy changes to reflect this new understanding, positive changes will take place within Israel and the Middle East in general. I’m not claiming this will be easy, but I am claiming it’s the only chance for a real solution.