Spring Break
Palistinian plan won't create lasting peace
Michael Harris-Peyton
Issue date: 10/19/07 Section: Ed-Op
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In a rather surprising statement, Condoleezza Rice recently said that it was time for the formation of a Palestinian state in order to bring the decades of sporadic violence in Israel to an end. This is not the first time a US official has stated that some sort of two-state solution is important, but it is the first time that a member of the current administration has stated the plan so bluntly.
While in a meeting with the Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, Secretary of State Rice said, "Frankly, it's time for the establishment of a Palestinian state." She went on to assert that it was "absolutely essential for the future, not just of Palestinians and Israelis but also for the Middle East and indeed for American interests."
The sad thing about this development is that the plan is going to be a colossal failure. Even if the negotiations succeed, and the Palestinian state is formed, it will take years for the borders to be established properly, and there will still be resentment on both sides for the years of senseless violence that has engulfed the region. While Palestine and Israel will finally be established as separate states, they will still be at war ideologically, if not in reality. The fact of the matter is that as soon as Israel was established in 1948, extremists on both sides saw each other as aggressive and evil, and that ideology will take generations to disappear.
History has shown that countries based on an ethnic or religious ideal are doomed to polarize against other states. A country built on the idea of a homeland for an ethnic group sees itself as a contained unit; it establishes a "we don't need anybody else" attitude, because it is homogenous. And the two-state plan for Israel and Palestine seeks to establish two nations based upon an ethnic-religious idea. Familiarity breeds tolerance, isolation breeds stereotypes and misunderstanding.
By cutting up the territory, which is very small and complex, and separating the people by this ethnic-religious method with actual, physical borders, the US plan does nothing more than create two states to be enemies of each other. It simply does not solve the problem; in fact, it may make it worse. It will cease to be a one-country, two-sides issue and become a full blown, verifiable international war.
While in a meeting with the Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, Secretary of State Rice said, "Frankly, it's time for the establishment of a Palestinian state." She went on to assert that it was "absolutely essential for the future, not just of Palestinians and Israelis but also for the Middle East and indeed for American interests."
The sad thing about this development is that the plan is going to be a colossal failure. Even if the negotiations succeed, and the Palestinian state is formed, it will take years for the borders to be established properly, and there will still be resentment on both sides for the years of senseless violence that has engulfed the region. While Palestine and Israel will finally be established as separate states, they will still be at war ideologically, if not in reality. The fact of the matter is that as soon as Israel was established in 1948, extremists on both sides saw each other as aggressive and evil, and that ideology will take generations to disappear.
History has shown that countries based on an ethnic or religious ideal are doomed to polarize against other states. A country built on the idea of a homeland for an ethnic group sees itself as a contained unit; it establishes a "we don't need anybody else" attitude, because it is homogenous. And the two-state plan for Israel and Palestine seeks to establish two nations based upon an ethnic-religious idea. Familiarity breeds tolerance, isolation breeds stereotypes and misunderstanding.
By cutting up the territory, which is very small and complex, and separating the people by this ethnic-religious method with actual, physical borders, the US plan does nothing more than create two states to be enemies of each other. It simply does not solve the problem; in fact, it may make it worse. It will cease to be a one-country, two-sides issue and become a full blown, verifiable international war.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 8
Gerry
posted 10/20/07 @ 3:13 PM EST
The author writes with 20/20 foresight, predicting all sorts of problems with any settlement - I would like hear his solution to this Israeli/Palestinian saga!
coh
posted 10/20/07 @ 6:41 PM EST
the opinion in this article is pretty ridiculous. the UK is officially Christian. There's like 50 countries officially Islam, and another 10 countries officially Christian. (Continued…)
Adam
posted 10/21/07 @ 9:18 AM EST
So what is your solution? And how will it work? Do nothing? Your whole premise is nonsense. Have you ever been to Japan, China, South Korea, Poland? Have you walked the streets of Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul, Warsaw as I have? Wonderful countries and cities and people, and it is because they are ethnically homogeneous. (Continued…)
Crassidy
posted 10/21/07 @ 2:24 PM EST
this article is biased and the author makes glaring, generalizations attempting to pass them off as "fact"; in short, "it sucks". I say "it sucks" because it is not worthy of anything more elegant. (Continued…)
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