Last may, the most vehement critic of Israel and zionism, Norman Finkelstein, was giving a conference in Montreal invited by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East. After the conference, he was asked about his position on the issue of a single binational state. He said that in his opinion the most possible and feasible solution right now is the two state solution and that the One state solution did not have support on either side.
This answer from Finkelstein made me change my opinion about him. I think he is more of a critic of what zionism and Israel have become than a staunch supporter of the palestinian cause as he is most often described. Because he was ignoring in his answer and in his position the extraordinary and growing support for a single binational state on both sides and persisting in trying to convince himself and us, against all odds, that the two state solution is still workable.
But he is wrong.
The Two State solution is nearly dead
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Since March 29th 2006
4 comments:
in business negotiations, this is called "moving the line". For the last # of years the Israelis and Palestinians were negotiating for a 2 state solution. But now you are moving the line, and saying "we want all of it".
thanks for printing my comment. i also posted that there is ZERO support for a 1-state solution among Israelis. The article you linked to does not claim there is any meaningful support among Israelis.
A 1-state solution is a new fancy term for what Palestinians have always wanted: all of Israel.
Finkelstein is wrong about the lack of support on both sides since a vast majority of Palestinians probably support it. On the Israeli side only a tiny minority support a one state solution.
The two state solution may be hard to implement, but the one state solution seems to me just impossible without the one state irrupting into endless civil war.
The two state solution will enforce permanent inequality: a rich state and a destitute one; a military power and a helpless nation; a religious state with religious discrimination and a somewhat religious Christian/Muslim one.
One state has some attractions: forcing the Jews to treat Palestinians democratically, resisting religious discrimination, and offering some limited elements of a right of return. I can't imagine that the Jewish people would put up with it, though.
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