Dear examinator,

If there are two states Israel will continue to discriminate against non-Jews and Jews who are not orthodox. The Palestinian state will probably follow the pattern that Hamas has already set up with discrimination against Christian Arabs. The animosities will continue to fester, and the stage will be set for the next war. If there are two states what happens to the non-Jewish population of Israel? They will be encouraged to live in the other state or expected to continue being treated as second-class citizens.

Although South Africa still has many problems there is a chance of solution because neither the Afrikaaners nor the Zulus got the self-determination that they wanted. They are forced to live together and may succeed in doing so in a state which does not discriminate.

The British issued the Balfour Declaration giving land that didn't belong to them to us without considering the people who are living there. Balfour was an antisemite who did not want Jews who were fleeing tsarist persecution to come to England. During WW1 England made contradictory promises to Arabs and Jews.

In large part England, the US and Australia refused to accept Jews fleeing Hitler. During the Cold War there could be no peace because the Soviets backed the Arab countries, and the US backed Israel. Left alone they may have made peace.

Israel is the result of the action of English speaking countries which have done the dirty to both Arabs and Jews.

I think there should be one state which doesn't discriminate against its citizens. The English speaking countries can try to make up for their double dealing in the past by allowing immigration to Jews and Arabs who don't want to live in the same state.

Herman Yunic, looks like you want to start WW3, which will surely happen if tiny little Israel has a go at Iran.

What with Russia and possibly China, even Turkey will be onto blow-bags Israel if she has a nuclear bash at Iran.

Please get some sense in your head, for Chrissake.

Is there official discrimination between Jews and non-Jews in Israel? I didn't know. What kind of discriminatiion?

I thought the conflict in Israel, in a nutshell, was that the Jews will not be satisfied unless they stay, or have the state of Israel, and the Arabs will not be satisfied unless the Jews leave or abolish the state of Israel. So it seems likely that there is no solution while both sides hold these irreconcilable views.

Obviously a single democratic state won't work because there will be nothing stopping the majority from oppressing the minority, which is the standard problem in all democratic states.

As a state is a territorial monopoly, two states won't work either because they both lay claim, at least in part, to the same territory.

The problem is actually in the idea that what is needed is a territorial monopoly of power - in other words, a state. Jews and Arabs get along with each other fine, or fine-ish, where there is no opportunity to oppress each other using a state apparatus, both within and outside of the state of Israel. They even practise their respective religions next to each other with toleration all over the world. The problem is not religion per se, but worshipping the false god of the state, and a democratic state will be no improvement on the original problem.

Hi Peter,
I was just reading that geneticists have mapped the genome of the potato and discovered that it has about a quarter of the chromosomes of humans. In your case, I suspect some hybridity, but are you really suggesting that both a one-state and a two-state solution are impossible in the case of Palestine-Israel, that, in a world of states, a no-state - non-democratic - solution is your preferred option ? That might find favour amongst some Saudis, the Taliban and some ultra-orthodox Jews in Israel, so the question is: do you wish to turn back the clock fourteen hundred years, or three thousand years, and allow people's lives to be dictated by various versions of the Book ? Do you by any chance think of yourself as left-wing ?

Ultimately (which may be some time) a one-state, democratic solution may be the least unsatisfactory, but the only, solution to this dilemma, one which allows the right of return on equal grounds to both Jews and Palestinians to their birth-places in a federated state. Any other solution might have just too many loose ends.

Joe

'...nothing is more essential than that permanent, inveterate antipathies against particular nations, and passionate attachments for others, should be excluded; and that, in place of them, just and amicable feelings towards all should be cultivated. The nation which indulges towards another a habitual hatred or a habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest.'

'So likewise, a passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils. Sympathy for the favorite nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no real common interest exists, and infusing into one the enmities of the other, betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter without adequate inducement or justification. It leads also to concessions to the favorite nation of privileges denied to others which is apt doubly to injure the nation making the concessions; by unnecessarily parting with what ought to have been retained, and by exciting jealousy, ill-will, and a disposition to retaliate, in the parties from whom equal privileges are withheld. And it gives to ambitious, corrupted, or deluded citizens (who devote themselves to the favorite nation), facility to betray or sacrifice the interests of their own country, without odium, sometimes even with popularity; gilding, with the appearances of a virtuous sense of obligation, a commendable deference for public opinion, or a laudable zeal for public good, the base or foolish compliances of ambition, corruption, or infatuation.'

George Washington. Farewell Address 1796

Oh how easily the foolish forget their roots ... to their eventual regret.

Antony I quote this to every American I meet. They all are familiar with this speech and it resonates with them. It seems to silence the zealots

Hypocrisy and meanness, said examinator. A "two state solution set at pre-67 borders with an international, Palestinian, Israeli tripartite......"

Richard Goldston's report detailing war crimes by both Israel and Hamas demanding both entities fully investigate the serious charges of targeting civilians and infrastructure is a report I thoroughly support.

Specifically, I respect Goldston's identification of these crimes in the report and the way Goldston encourages trust and faith in Israel's legal system stating that he believes Israel has capacity to do the right thing, regarding a just internal national investigation should it be allocated and allowed. This move would help encourage a similar response from Hamas foreparting the debate among Palestinians, which would be equally capable, providing a breakthrough step toward a greater understanding between the two cultures.

J-Street is a refreshing new voice that helps to voice the views of Jews marginated by the narrow tunnel within the right side of all of Israels supporters. I believe J-Street does wish to "broaden the public and policy debate in the US about the Middle East?” Given the depth of irrationally within the Jewish culture, over the predilection of Israel, I hope J-Street is a step forward to at least begin a process of self-inspection. Rome was not built in a day and unfortunately neither is the human character when it comes to dealing with non-equitable mindsets.

Yes, you are quite right David, thinks Rhys Jones above. More to the point, Jones articulates that we, "Australians look back at the "white Australia" policy with a certain amount of shame, yet our government unreservedly backs Israel who's policies are even worse. They have the Jewish "right of return laws" which means only Jews can move to Israel. But worse than that they treat their existing citizens differently depending upon their religous affiliation. Land that can only be leased to Jews, exclusive Jewish communities, Jewish schools and jobs in government agencies that can only be taken by military veterans (Jews). This is not a system that we should be talking up as a "beacon of freedom and democracy" in the middle east".

http://www.miacat.com/