Large-scale demonstrations against Israel regularly appear in Arab cities all over the country, where it is not infrequent to hear the cries of “Death to the Jews” and where pictures of terrorist leaders from Hamas and Hizbullah are prominently displayed. These phenomena are a clear indication that a conflict between two peoples is the cause of friction.Sounds good to me.
The solution lies not in appeasing the maximalist territorial demands of the Palestinians, but in truly creating “two states for two peoples.”
The current demands from some in the international community are to create a homogeneous pure Palestinian state and a binational state in Israel. This becomes the one-and-a-half to half state solution. For lasting peace and security we need to create true political division between Arabs and Jews, with each enjoying self-determination.
Therefore, for a lasting and fair solution, there needs to be an exchange of populated territories to create two largely homogeneous states, one Jewish Israeli and the other Arab Palestinian. Of course, this is not to preclude that minorities will remain in either state where they will receive full civil rights.
There will be no so-called Palestinian right of return.
Just as the Jewish refugees from Arab lands found a solution in Israel, so too Palestinian refugees will only be incorporated into a Palestinian state. This state needs to be demilitarized and Israel will need to retain a presence on its borders to ensure no smuggling of arms. In my opinion, these need to be our red lines.
We have seen that history is moving away from attempts to accommodate competing national aspirations in a single state. The former Yugoslavia was broken up into many separate states. Czechoslovakia was split into two, and even in Belgium there are strong voices who wish to see that nation broken into separate Walloon and Flemish territories. The precedent of creating new states based on ethnic, national and even religious boundaries has been established in the international community and is becoming the trend.
With all the difficulties involved, this is the only solution that ensures long-term stability in the region.
See also, "Lieberman Proposes Peace 'Blueprint'."
Yes and no. A two state solution sounds great to us, but it will never come to pass. The Palestinians could have had a two state solution many times before and have rejected anything short of Israel’s complete destruction. Israel has often agreed to a two state solution throughout the peace talks for several decades. Palestinians have never agreed to it. Furthermore, Arabs have no incentive to bargain, because they are emboldened now after Obama administration distanced itself from Israel over Gaza blockade, allows Iran to build nukes. Even Turkey is turning from the U.S. to Islamic Sharia law.
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