Base on the old debates by past scholars and notable personalities on same issues, I'll like to get opinions as to the same issue. And as one notable journalist once wrote an article on Israel and Palestine issue, he suggested the formation of an Israelestine, where both entities exist as a single entity, living in peace in harmony. Ignoring the facts that its like 90% impossible, what would be your take on that?

Originally Posted by ExNavyBoyStiles

Base on the old debates by past scholars and notable personalities on same issues, I'll like to get opinions as to the same issue. And as one notable journalist once wrote an article on Israel and Palestine issue, he suggested the formation of an Israelestine, where both entities exist as a single entity, living in peace in harmony. Ignoring the facts that its like 90% impossible, what would be your take on that?

My opinion is that a Israelestine is not possible because who's going to govern it? Neither the Palestinians nor the Israelis want to give each other the power to rule. A Lebanon style government is not possible. I'll give two reasons, an Palestinian and a Israeli one.

Palestinian : Religion, they want an Islamic state, Hamas even wants Sharia law.(arrticle 13 of the Hamas charter says :There is no negotiated settlement possible. Jihad is the only answer). Israel would never accept a government based on Islamic laws.

Israel : this land was founded because the Jews were looking fo a country where they were the rulers of a democratic state. This means that the majority of the people should be Jewish to safeguard their power. If Muslims were able to get the power through elections there is the fear of another expulsion of the Jews by simply changing the law.

An Economic Israelistine is possible, a political one not.

Originally Posted by ExNavyBoyStiles

Base on the old debates by past scholars and notable personalities on same issues, I'll like to get opinions as to the same issue. And as one notable journalist once wrote an article on Israel and Palestine issue, he suggested the formation of an Israelestine, where both entities exist as a single entity, living in peace in harmony. Ignoring the facts that its like 90% impossible, what would be your take on that?

In the "very" long term I think it is possible, it has worked with the reunification of Germany and in South Africa but I think getting the two sides to the point that they would agree to this is a very long way away and there needs to be a lot of short term steps in the form of a two state solution.

I think it was Jon Stewart that said the best chance for getting Israel's support on this would be if they spelled it Israelstein.

Originally Posted by MontyB

In the "very" long term I think it is possible, it has worked with the reunification of Germany and in South Africa but I think getting the two sides to the point that they would agree to this is a very long way away and there needs to be a lot of short term steps in the form of a two state solution.

I think it was Jon Stewart that said the best chance for getting Israel's support on this would be if they spelled it Israelstein.

I do not think a single state solution is possible. A two state solution might work. The reference to the unification of Germany is not so valid in this case. I am thinking of a different approach here, many times, and it is the most common approach is the top-down solution. There are many problems with a Top-Down, perhaps a Down-Top solution would be much better. The requirement to reach a an agreement is who implement it. I can use another reference; I am Swedish, therefore, I know my history, the two countries that have been at war most throughout the history are actually Denmark and Sweden, we really hated eachother, or at least our kings' did. Today we like eachother (I hope) So it is possible to reach peace, however, I doubt we will be around to see a change in Israel and Palestine. Things have changed very fast before. Nobody could predict the collapse of the Eastern Block and that happened quite fast.