(Harbinger’s Daily)—In response to the Israel-Gaza war and the ongoing tension between the Israelis and Palestinians, the proposal of a two-state solution is again on the table as a viable way of bringing peace to the region. Is this idea reality or fantasy?
Some historical background assists in answering this question. First, what is the two-state solution? As far back as 1937, Britain suggested splitting what was left of British Mandate Palestine into an Arab state in the south and a Jewish state in the north, with Jerusalem as an international zone. Britain saw this plan as an expression of its commitment to the Jewish people as voiced in the 1917 Balfour Declaration, as well as a solution to the uncontrolled violence in the region.
The Arabs (they did not call themselves Palestinians until 1967–68) rejected the proposal; and Britain realized that it demanded the forced relocation of large populations, which was not viable.
Carving Up the Territory
After World War II, the newly formed United Nations on November 29, 1947, passed Resolution 181 to partition British Mandate Palestine into two entities: one Arab, one Jewish. The Jewish leaders welcomed the UN plan; the Arab leaders rejected it. On May 14, 1948, the 30-year-old British Mandate expired. The British left the region; and Israel declared statehood, leading to the War of Independence as Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Transjordan (now Jordan) all attacked the fledgling Jewish state.
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