As though anyone cares, but I thought I'd get this out there.
To start, this is something I thought of years ago. It wasn't inspired by recent events. Furthermore, I can see no way this would come about in reality. It would have to be imposed from outside and nobody is in a position to dictate such an arrangement.
So my solution would of course involve having 2 states, Jewish and other. The boundaries would roughly agree with current patterns of Jewish settlement, and would not be controlled or defended A citizen of either state would have the privilege of travelling, or in fact, residing in either state. Some areas that have been officially part of the State of Israel, e.g. parts of Galilee, would probably transfer to the "Palestinian" state (but Jews living there would not be expelled).
Both groups would have a right of Return. HOWEVER, any member of either group would also have the right of immediate naturalization in any country they wish. Some Palestinians living in Lebanon might choose Lebanese citizenship, for example. But obviously most who choose emigration will go to Australia, Canada, the United States, or maybe New Zealand.
I think this is fairly simple. The worst complication I can think of would be Palestinians who might demand of Jews that they vacate homes once occupied by their ancestors. I would limit forced expulsion to Jews who were personally responsible for the expulsion of former Palestinian residents or took occupancy when aware that a previous resident had been forced out. Most people would probably go farther.
Just a thought experiment. The impossibility of this happening contributes to my skepticism regarding any sort of peace in the Middle East, despite most people's demands for such.
05 Sep 2024, 7:12 am
