Two State Solution

Some Palestinian sympathisers argue that there should be one State in the land of Palestine, with Israelis and Palestinians as co-citizens. This was never a strong option, even in the time of the secular Fatah, but with Hamas who envision an Islamic State,it is totally impossible. It might be a high ideal for some players, but sometimes international politics demands compromise rather than ideals.

The reality is therefore a two-state solution, with Israel and the Palestinian state having defined borders.

In generations to come, perhaps as a result of cooperation over ecological infrastructure, and perhaps also as a result of inclusion in a future Europe, the two states might unite, but this is not an option in the first decade of the 21st century.

Palestinian sympathisers regard it as deeply unjust that Israelis should come in and form a state in what was previously their exclusive land, but sometimes acceptance of a given situation, though unjust, is preferable to perpetual warfare.

++Objections to the 2 state solution
Q: If the 2 state solution is drawn to present borders, Palestinians will have something like 12% of the territories that they owned in 1948.

A: The aim is to get Israel to go back to the 1967 borders.

Negotiations could plan progressive expansion of the Palestinian areas. One way of progressing might be that either side could lay claim to an area, say 1-2 hectares, and if in 3 years, they had succeeded in getting the area to grow a sustainable crop, that land would become theirs for as long as it remained fertile.

Recently we have seen America commit $60 billion in MILITARY aid to the region for 10 years, $30 billion for Israel alone. This is not a peace dividend! It is an investment in war and good for, especially the American, arms companies. Despite assent to a 2 state solution even from interesting quarters there is actually no evidence of the will for such. There is no sign of any will to change despite the words and soundbytes. Quite the opposite: what the evidence clearly shows is an ever-growing Israeli state backed by a still hugely powerful America. This challenge requires us to respond differently.

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With Hamas and Fatah attacking each other this may become a three state solution, Hamas in Gaza, Fatah in the West Bank ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7833273.stm/)

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