Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume. 34, Number 5. 1971
Solution 3: An Israel with a Palestinian Minority
Solution 3: An Israel with a Palestinian Minority
This solution is an Israel reversal of the Arab proposal to establish a binational Palestine and calls for the annexation by Israel of all the territories occuped in the Six-Day War. What this in effect means is that the large number of Palestinian Arabs who would thus be incorporated in Israel would turn Israel into a binational state, in which the Palestinians would be in a minority status.
page breakAdvantages:
1.) | It preserves the independence of Israel with the most convenient strategic frontiers. |
2.) | It may give at least one million Palestinians an autonomy of some sort. At present the Palestinians do not even have that. |
Disadvantages:
1.) | Palestinians, like the Jews, would not like to become a national minority. |
2.) | This is an Israeli solution to the Palestinian problem. But a solution to this problem to be acceptable to the Arabs, must also be an Arab solution. |
3.) | This solution establishes a binational State in which Israelis will be the predominant nation. This will lead to internal conflict. |
Is this Solution Possible?
If Israel so wishes this solution can be imposed. Its imposition can be guaranteed by military force, but this does not mean that the conflict will be resolved.
To Sum Up:
This solution can be enforced but it is not acceptable to the majority of Palestinians nor to Arab governments. In effect, this is a solution which assures a protracted conflict both between Israel and the Arab States and between Israel and the Palestinians.