On Qaddafi's One State idea

A Mennonite friend asked me to share my thoughts about Qaddafi's New York Times Op-Ed about a one state solution for Palestinians and Israelis. I thought I would share my response here.



There is a Biblical source for looking for the Dignity of Difference, as England's Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks argues in his book of the same name. He uses many sources to discuss it. One is in the Tower of Babel story. God created diversity. When we were all working together to reach the heavens, God reminded us that we are not gods by giving us different languages and ultimately cultures.

I think there is a lot wrong with nationalism and nation-states. Creating two national entities to solve a human problem, on the surface, seems like a step backwards. It could become a barrier to peace between people. But sometimes good fences make good neighbors. The wall between Palestinians and Israelis is not a good fence. It is an unjust barrier between two people because it is not on the green line, it separates Palestinians form their livelihood, it restricts their freedom of travel and it keeps them from reaching their holy places. Still, the idea of letting two nations that have been at war with each other for at least 60 years find time to cool down and adjust to their co-existence is a good idea.

I believe that we only have control over our own actions. Mixing two groups in order to create the climate that has each side take responsibility for itself is not a good method. This is why I am not a fan of Seeds of Peace. Even in the program I have been pushing for with Israeli and Palestinian teachers, I have not focused on their collaboration as much as the literacy of their discourse.

Qaddaffi's argument that a Palestinian state beside Israel will pose a threat to Israel may have some validity, but it is not a proof for the need to mix cultures. The idea that there exists a right of return for each people is unrealistic. Even if such a right exists, it is impossible to fulfill. When there are two states, Jews who lived in Hebron, for instance, before the state was created will need to compromise, likewise Palestinians who were in Jaffa before the state and fled will need to compromise. As for the people currently existing in the other's territory, we will need to be creative. I favor moving Israeli settlers to make them live in pre-1967 Israel. I am not a fan of doing this to Palestinians in Haifa, Akko and other Arab Israeli cities. This is a question of justice and it is certainly open to discussion. The bottom line is that we will need to be more creative.

If, in the future, two secular democratic countries want to build a federation, I'm all for that. But it will take some time to cool down first. Jews need to figure out a lot about themselves before they can become partners with another nation. We are still trying to define who is a Jew? What rituals and beliefs comprise Judaism? And most importantly, how do we behave under this very unfamiliar beast called sovereignty. Merging our two nations under the current set of challenges within each camp is a recipe for disaster.

I hope that answers your question, and I'd be delighted to hear your response.

Best,

David Steiner