DeepHour wrote:
That's interesting. I remember many years ago having a discussion about these issues with a Jewish supporter of Israel, and she told me that the very idea of a one state solution was anti-semitic, apparently on the grounds that it would imperil the status of Israel as a Jewish state. I've also observed that whenever I've asked the question of supporters of Israel, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, as to how they'd react to the idea of Arabs becoming a majority in the state of Israel, they've often become very uncomfortable, sometimes angry, or have tried to evade the issue. I think it's extremely unlikely that Arabs could ever become anything like a majority in the state of Israel as defined by its 1967 borders, but even so it's an interesting subject in the context of Israel's claim to be a modern democratic state.
As far as I can tell, a return to the 1967 borders is unacceptable even to the most moderate Jewish Zionists, such as my partner, due to the resulting military vulnerability. Either Israel itself or a unified Israel-Palestine needs to control the militarily strategic highlands, in both the West Bank and the Golan Heights. Hence the never-ending Israeli occupation of "Area C" of the West Bank, which is why there has been no further progress towards a 2-state solution since the first steps were taken towards it thirty years ago.
Anyhow, yes, the population balance is a BIG issue. In a unified Israel/Palestine, the total Palestinian/Arab population -- including West Bank, Gaza, and returning refugees -- would indeed significantly exceed the number of Israeli Jews, at least in the short run. In the long run I think the number of Israelis/Jews would likely end up being greater than the number of Palestinians/Arabs, but in the short run, Palestinians/Arabs would be the majority. Hence my suggested compromise of a waiting list for full voting rights on the part of the returning Palestinian refugees.
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20 Oct 2023, 8:33 pm
