They say it like, “The sky is blue…”
The two state solution is dead and gone.
Like, “grass is green…”
That two state solution is a pipe dream.
Like, (oh you get the idea…)
The two-state solution was a huge distraction that’s wasted almost two generations.
With the two-state solution essentially dead in the water…
There will never be a two-state solution…
Wait- what’s the main purpose of this blog, again?
SITE PURPOSE
This is a site for Democrats.
That’s the fundamental premise underlying all expectations about posting, commenting, and interacting with other site users. We are here to connect, unite, work together toward a common purpose, whether it’s to elect more and better Democrats, to advocate for specific issues, or even to socialize among like-minded friends. But ultimately, we are fighting to make ours a stronger, more effective, more progressive Democratic Party.
OK. And, what’s the official position of the Democratic party, on this matter?
“We will continue to work toward a two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict negotiated directly by the parties that guarantees Israel’s future as a secure and democratic Jewish state with recognized borders and provides the Palestinians with independence, sovereignty, and dignity.” Ah, good to know… Oh- but then that would mean that to advocate against this, would (literally) be “going against the party line” (right?)
I’ve written a diary that outlines a fairly concrete proposal for a two state solution that is feasible, and reasonably just. And I was pleased to have received a number of really thoughtful comments that raised excellent points as to certain challenges inherent in implementing such a proposal. But, nevertheless… I still abide by my belief that this solution (or something like it) is possible, because all that’s really needed for it to become reality, is just for enough people to be in favor of it (so, it becomes a matter of getting this requisite number of people- whatever it may be- to lend their support to it…)
And, to be completely frank, I have yet to hear of something better.
The alternative- if there is not to be a two state solution- is the one state solution. And the main problem with one state, is that it would effectively be the end of BOTH Israel AND Palestine… for one state would be roughly half-Jewish and half-Arab, and hence, would be neither (rather, it would be some unforeseeable sort of hybrid melding of the two). The only way for there to be both an Israel and Palestine, is (well, pretty obviously) the two state solution.
But Sandra, this is all so… complicated.
Well, yea- it is complicated- I can’t deny that. But it just isn’t, too complicated… In fact- there happens to be a “crash course” video on this (literally- here’s a link to it). I’ve known of this guy’s history videos for a while (I was exposed to them through my kids, who both happen to like them a lot), but I had been unaware that there was one of these videos on “I/P”- until I came across it in one of rebel ga’s beautiful Hanukkah diaries. I was transfixed with awe… how this expertly and impartially sums up all of the most relevant aspects of this situation, in under 13 minutes, in a way that can be accessible to middle schoolers, is nothing short of Sheer. Fucking. Brilliance… (Also, as an interesting little aside: I later found out from my daughter, that this guy who does these “Crash Course” videos, is also the author of “The Fault in Our Stars” & a number of other books. At first I told her, “Oh, it’s probably not the same ‘John Green’- since ‘John’ is a common first name, and ‘Green’ is a common last name.” And then she showed me the book’s dustjacket photo, and I was like, dang me…)
The entire video is worthwhile, but I thought his closing words were especially phenomenal, so I’ve included a transcription of them:
Both parties claim to be responding to the provocations of the other, but much of the conflict reflects the consistent failure on all sides to understand the legitimacy of the other’s narrative. To Palestine, the Palestinian people have been denied a state not just since the formation of Israel, but also for decades before that, and now they live under what amounts to a military occupation. And that’s all true. To Israel, the Jewish people clearly needed a homeland, which the United Nations established. And they certainly aren’t the first nation-state to consolidate and increase their territory via military victory. And they need to protect their nation against many active threats made against them by their neighbors. That’s also true! It’s important to understand the internal logic of these competing nationalistic visions. For both Zionists and Palestinian national visions to eventually work, it’s necessary to understand the right of each to exist and the legitimacy of each’s historical narrative. But these problems aren’t thousands of years old, and they aren’t intractable. They emerged in the British Mandatory Period. But let’s hope that by understanding this isn’t an endless religious war, that we might be closer to seeing its end.
(So, it’s not just “kooky Sandra” saying this is possible, OK?) 😃 ☮