Over the past several years, as the outlook for the two-state solution continued to dwindle, the hushed rumors of a single-state solution have grown louder and gained multi-lateral, world-wide support. In this heated, and admittedly biased, Counterfire article, John Rees strongly calls for a single state solution. Examining the history that led up to last year’s war, Rees states that several key events have undermined the efforts for two states and in his view, negated that very possibility. Beginning with the gradual decline of Arab Nationalism that occurred after its zenith in the middle of the 20th century, Rees states that the nationalist movements that stepped in in the 1970’s began the erosion of the two-state idea. The revolutions of the Arab Spring, he states, further undermined the plight of Political Islam as the realities of the various revolutions, a mixed bag of unguided and semi-successful movements, sinks in. Adding in the continual encroachment of Israeli settlements, and ever-present losses at the negotiating table for the Palestinians, and Rees argues that the only way forward is a single, democratic, and multi-faith state. Again examining history, Rees states that the single-state solution has always been present, but glossed over. During the first world war, he states, the original plans were to pass the whole of Palestine on to democratic rule of the entire lands (a plan later scraped). Furthermore, Rees states, the original campaign of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the late ’60s was a single, unified state. It wasn’t until negotiations broke down that the PLO modified their goal. Lastly, Rees points to numerous surveys that all claim that a majority of Palestinians now want a single state.

Agreeing with Rees’ sentiments towards a single-state solution, this Times of Israel article references various polls conducted by the Brookings Institution that all show a continual increase of support for a single state solution by Americans. As referenced in the article, there was a 10% increase in support for a single-state solution, should a two-state solution fail, and more importantly, a good majority of the population polled, 63%, were against the continued settlement of Israelis in the Palestinian territories.

As decades of peace talks continue to fail, the outlook for the two-state solution is looking grim. Both sides, Palestinian and Israeli leaders, are locked in a near stalemate claiming that such a solution will not occur so long as the other side continues some sort of activity (be it continued land grabbing by the Israelis or the simple existence of Hamas in the Gaza Strip). Ironically, as Rees mentioned in his article, the recent revolutions of the Arab Spring have indeed seemed to undermine the efforts of Palestinians seeking their own individual state. As the initial rush of the successful revolutions subsides, the true hardship of the governmental change is taking light. The very struggles that the new leaders face dwindle the hopes of the revolutionaries in Palestine and more importantly, the new governments, in Egypt especially, are beginning to waver in support (the one border crossing on the southern side of the Gaza Strip that leads to Egypt is opening with less and less frequency). Hamas, torn and worn thin through several sieges from Israel, is even beginning to show signs of weakening (and the very fact that two parties rule the two separate lands leaves a two-state solution in shambles with such opposite ruling mantras). Combining all of the above together, the prospects for a two-state solution are indeed dwindling. However, the single-state solution, despite gaining world-wide support, is itself a mixed bag of complications. Who would rule such a state? How would two peoples, though composed of brothers and sisters, overcome years of strife to share a homeland? An interesting correlation has just recently begun to take root as these very questions are posed. South Africa, it seems, may well indeed hold the answer. Yet that will have to wait for another blog entry as I continue to examine the single-state solution.