Mohammed 2

Reem Mohammed

Mohammed 1

Global Issues
Professor Waseda-Hida
15 Sept 2014
Thesis: A one-state solution that is composed of a secular, democratic state that retains a
Palestinian and Israeli identity, as well allow the Palestinian refugees the right of return, is the
only solution for Israel-Palestine.
The one-state solution for the Israel/Palestinian conflict has been offered as an inevitable
solution, if the two-state solution is no longer an option. However, a one-state solution varies
depending on which party is proposing it. The Israeli right-winged leaders, such as Uri Elitzur,
Benjamin Netanyahus former chief of staff, proposes that Israel should annex the entire West
Bank and thus be one state. Annexing the area would bring about 1.5 million Palestinians into
Israel, which would affect Israels status as a Jewish State. Elitzur and other right winged
Israelis propose granting the Palestinians who come in full equal rights, thus giving them the
same rights as Arab Israelis, the Palestinians who are currently living in Israel. They would be
able to participate and vote for the Israeli Knesset but, there would be no changes to the
electoral system. The one-state solution planned would not include the annexation of the Gaza
Strip due to it being a demographic threat to Israels Jewish majority. In order to protect this
status, constitutional measures to define Israel as a Jewish state, would take place in advance
of the annexation. The Palestinian refugees will also not be allowed to enter Israel, or the West
Bank, after the annexation.

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Others propose solving the conflict by having a condominialism solution.
Condominialism, is a one-state solution which proposes that there would be a Palestinian and
Israeli state living side by side, with two different governing bodies. What makes it a one state
solution is that its citizens can travel, live, and work anywhere in the two states (Karmi 69).
So a Palestinian will be free to settle in any area of Israel and an Israeli will be able to settle in
Palestine. This solution is based on the way Belgiums current government operates where
Flemish and French-speaking communities, roughly equal in size but with different cultures and
a long history of mutual conflict, are joined in a federal union (Karmi 69). Jerusalem would be
an independent, self-governing capital for both states. There would be a federal constitution that
will protect the rights of Israelis and Palestinians; it would guarantee both groups religious
freedoms as well as protect them from theocratic extremism (Karmi 69).
The bi-national solution is one of the more well-known one-state proposals. It is similar
to the way the United States is run, for example, there would Jewish states and Palestinian states
linked to a central government (Karmi 68). The central government would be a jointparliament with equal representation and it would handle national defense, policy and economy
(Karmi 68). Each community would be self-governing in the issues of language, education, and
other cultural aspects. Each state would therefore retain its identity however, when it comes to
national matters they will adhere to one government.

Works Cited
Karmi, Ghada The One-State Solution: An Alternative Vision for Israeli-Palestinian

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Peace Journal of Palestinian Studies.Vol.XL, No. 2. Winter 2011. Web.
15 Sept 2014.
Sheizaf, Noam What is the Israeli Right's One-State Vision? 972mag. 12 May 2014.
Web. 15 Sept 2014