IF YOU MADE A PROPOSAL …How long would you wait for an answer?
IF YOUR PROPOSAL WAS REJECTED? WOULD YOU TRY AGAIN? Israel & Palestine?
After WW I a Palestine for Arabs/Palestinians WAS NOT one of the more than 40 countries carved out of the old Ottoman Empire. Israel WAS. It became a promised land — it was promised to survivors of the Holocaust and to the Zionists who had been working on the land for decades. (And also for the Jewish people, survivors of two thousand of years of expulsions.)
At the same time a country of Palestine (with contiguous borders ) was proposed.
The proposal was rejected. (During the years leading up to 1947 there were more than ten commissions and proposals for two states; none was acceptable to Arab leaders).
For the next SEVENTY years one proposal after another for a Palestinian State was rejected. While waiting for a Palestinian State that would be accepted — what was happening inside Israel? It was continually attacked by terrorists killing Jews.
The terrorists - the Palestinians and their backers (Iran +) would settle only for the erasure of Israel. This was stated in all of their charters. Some charters included a mission to kill all Jews. Somewhat or wholly surprised? This can be researched.
What was happening inside the territories? This is land captured by Israel from Jordan and Egypt when Arab countries (once again) launched a war against Israel. Traditionally land captured in war becomes part of the winning entity’s country.
More decades. More proposals for two states. More rejections. More killings of Jews.
If you had a sniper in your house what would you do?
For more than seventy years Israel has had to keep the snipers and terrorist attacks at as low a level as possible while waiting for a new country to arise ‘next door’, Palestine. Each year it became less possible. The demands made, to create the new country, became increasingly ludicrous. Like ‘the right of return’. Or borders? No agreement could be reached.
How long could you wait while the folks who wanted to be your new neighbors were teaching their children how to be a martyr by killing Jews?
Would you conclude that enough time and effort had demonstrated that no proposal for two states would ever be accepted? Although the rest of the world was telling you to keep trying. …
Could you conclude that no Palestinian state (as a neighbor to Israel) would ever be acceptable for Israel? What would you do then?
*Proposals were agreements attempted with all stakeholders at the table.
