A New Horizon For Peace: An Israel/Palestine Union

[Ken Burch]

http://tikkun.dukejournals.org/content/30/4/36.full

In an attempt to think “outside the box,” a group of Palestinians and Israelis recently arrived at a new vision, which we titled, “two states, one homeland.” We propose that Palestine and Israel function as a union or confederation: two sovereign entities that agree to cooperate on certain matters, with open borders to all citizens of the member states. This path to peace will better address most core issues of the conflict and bypass many of the huge obstacles and dislocations deriving from either a two-state or a one-state solution.

We believe that the whole land, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, is the national homeland for both Jews and Palestinians. This strong attachment is central to mutual recognition and progress toward reconciliation. Such recognition will allay many Israeli fears and allow the establishment of a fully sovereign Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza.

In the union that we envision, Jewish settlements willing to keep the peace and pay for their land will be allowed to remain under Palestinian sovereignty. Jerusalem will become a genuinely united and equal city and the capital of both states under a special regime, resembling the Brussels model. The city will be jointly governed by Israelis and Palestinians with strong international and interreligious involvement.

The Palestinian right of return will be recognized, but implemented only within Palestine. Yet when refugees receive Palestinian citizenship, the principle of freedom of movement will enable their reconnection to places from which they have been evicted. The Palestinians in Israel will receive national minority status, with appropriate collective rights. Israel and Palestine will establish a series of joint institutions to manage joint concerns such as environmental threats, natural resources, economic development, labor movements, and human rights.

(note: this is a proposal for a Belgium-style federation, NOT a single-state with a unitary government. And unlike the inherently unjust right-wing idea of an Israel-Jordan federation, in which Palestinians would be forever oppresses, this could actually work and actually be fair to everybody on both sides).

[TubbersUK]

1. Interesting, thanks.

[branford]

2. The proposal is little more than another one-state idea with a little high-minded gloss.

Besides the fact that it would never receive significant support among Israelis (or most Palestinians), if the Israelis and Palestinians cannot get along while separated, and with violent groups like Hamas representing about half of Palestinians, the suggestion that these peoples will get along better among each other is ludicrous.

The proposal also exhibits near total amnesia of the period immediately post-Oslo. There was a great deal more interaction, free movement of people and goods, general goodwill, etc., and it still lead to abject disaster. Why would Israelis consider making irrevocable concessions leading to a possible incrementalist effective one-state where Jews become a minority idea in Israel when similar proposals have already failed miserably.

Comparing the idea to a Belgium-style federation also isn't particularly helpful. Belgium hardly has a stable political culture, break-up is still a realistic possibility, and the more recent divide between native European Belgians and their culturally far different Arab and Muslim immigrants is currently a major cultural and safety concern and aggravating the country's instability.

Belgium is a cautionary tale, not a model.

[King_David]

3. Belgium's Separatists Reawaken as Nationalism Stalks Europe

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-21/belgium-s-separatists-reawaken-as-nationalism-stalks-europe


Doesn't work for Belgium, it certainly won't work for Israel or Palestine.

[Ken Burch]

4. The status quo doesn't work for Israel or Palestine, either.

And it can't be sustained.

The federation idea would still preserve national identities, and Palestinians don't have to be kept powerless in their homeland in order for Israel to be secure. In fact, ultimately keeping them powerless CAN'T create any long-term security for Israel at all.

[King_David]

5. That federation idea is nor working anywhere

Not even in Canada.

It's not even an option.

It's a ridiculous idea , squashed already.

A federation between Jordan and West Bank and Egypt and Gaza has a more realistic chance of success.

[Ken Burch]

6. It has held together in Belgium for 200 years. Quebec sovereigntism is dying out.

We know already that no Israeli government will ever allow a viable Palestinian state or ever apologize for the totally unjust settlement project or the indefensible mass deportations of '48, we know the unitary state idea is unworkable, and we know the status quo can only lead to more misery for everyone.

It can't be legitimate to put Palestinians under a federation with the other states you listed, since they would still be denied self-determination and since no Palestinians want to be ruled by Egypt or Jordan. It would be like putting India back under British colonial rule.

The federation idea would harm no one, and would treat both national communities fairly. It has the best chance of being secular, democratic and progressive.

[King_David]

7. It's laughable that you think it won't work with fellow Arab and Muslim states

But it will work with a predominantly Arab Muslim entity that has a virulently antisemitic and Homophobic government and a predominantly Jewish State with protection for LGBT.

Doesn't work in Belgium because of language differences and certainly won't work in IP with extreme cultural differences ( for example Gay pride is celebrated in Tel Aviv whereas Gays are lucky to remain alive in the closet in Gaza )

Your idea is dead in the water- still birth - filed away as ludicrous, ridiculous and utter nonsense.

[6chars]

8. Kind of a shame

could work, maybe, if there was a tradition of co-existence and tolerance, but terrorism and incitement and fighting normalization makes such a solution seem impractical.

[King_David]

9. If not impossible

[Ken Burch]

11. It can't work because Palestinians don't want to be ruled by Egypt and Jordan.

They want to govern themselves, as pretty much everybody else in the world gets to do.

And because Egypt and Jordan will never be democratic or secular countries.

In any case, you'd have to concede that the status quo can't be maintained, and can't lead to anything positive for anyone.

And you'd have to concede that Israel would have no right to expect anybody else to support it if it prevented Palestinians from getting self-determination.

Palestinian leaders have made a lot of bad choices(as, equally, have Israeli leaders) but we all know that maintaining the status quo can NEVER lead to a better Palestinian leadership...anymore than "South Vietnam" could have remained in existence if only we had kept bombing the North into the stone age.

[shira]

10. It cannot hold up with I/P when 2/3 of Palestinians support terror attacks on Jews.....

And it doesn't help that advocates for this federation seem to look the other way when their leaders in the PA/Hamas not only incite but reward terrorism aimed at innocents, in addition to making life miserable for Palestinian women, gays, christians, and children.

Why should Israelis trust in this federation when the folks advocating for it appear to support PA/Hamas terror against Jews & their hatred of gays, women, and christians?

[Little Tich]

12. I perceive that Palestine would be an unequal partner in any type of federation with Israel.

This proposal is interesting, but in the end the full implementation of the one-state solution would be better, at least for the Palestinians. There was a possible two-state solution once, but then Netanyahu happened...

[shira]

13. The Palestinians don't want 2 states. They've turned down every single offer....

You don't even support any reasonable 2 state solution going back nearly 8 decades.

One thing these recent stabbings (and 2/3 of Palestinians supporting terror attacks) shows is that 1-state would be a disaster. So why are you all for it?

[Little Tich]

14. None of those offers removed the illegal settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

If they're not removed, there's simply no place for a Palestinian state. Now, this has become old history and only a bunch of hypothetical what ifs, as thanks to Netanyahu, the PA cannot support a state, and it wouldn't work even if Israel removed all of the 650 000 settlers tomorrow.

Frankly, I can't see another way out of this mess than the one-state solution, which I guess will at least start out as the Apartheid state of Israel.

[King_David]

15. Nah ,what's more likely is ...

Way before a one state will be a unilateral withdrawal of Israel and leave the 2 statelets of Palestine to their own devices ... Probably merge with Jordan and Egypt....
Far more likely a scenario.

[Little Tich]

16. I consider that solution extremely unfeasible.

Jordan has no interest in taking over Israel's problems in the West Bank, nor has Egypt any interest in Gaza. A withdrawal from the West Bank without provisions for ensuring political stability could make the West Bank into a security nightmare. Those settlements really forces Israel to have a security presence in the West Bank, as long as there's no other solution.