Young men are turning to violence in Palestine.
by DANIEL DEPINA
TEL AVIV -- The "two-state solution" would create an independent Israel and Palestine, and is the mainstream approach to resolving the conflict. The idea is that Israelis and Palestinians want to run their countries differently; Israelis want a Jewish state and Palestinians want a Palestinian one. Because neither side can get what it wants in joined state, the only possible solution that satisfies everyone involves separating Palestinians and Israelis.
The "one-state solution" would merge Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip into one big country. It comes in two versions. One, favored by some leftists and Palestinians, would create a single democratic country. Arab Muslims would outnumber Jews, thus ending Israel as a Jewish state. The other version, favored by some rightists and Israelis, would involve Israel annexing the West Bank and either forcing out Palestinians or denying them the right to vote. Virtually the entire world, including most Zionists, rejects this option as an unacceptable human rights violation.
Most polling suggests that both Israelis and Palestinians prefer a two-state solution. However, the inability of Israelis and Palestinians to come to two-state terms has led to a recent surge in interest in a one-state solution, partly out of a sense of hopelessness and partly out of fear that, if the sides cannot negotiate a two-state solution, a de facto one-state outcome will be inevitable.
Polls aside, the mentality of the Israeli population has to experience a major shift in order for things to change for the better. Not only change but stay that way, as we have seen so many times peace can turn into conflict at any moment, and that is the real root of the problem. A solid, trust filled foundation must be built between the two sides in order to bring a solution to this ongoing confilct once and for all.