September 1978. Camp David Accords and the Arab-Israeli Peace Process. The Camp David Accords, signed by President Jimmy Carter, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in September 1978, established a framework for a historic peace treaty concluded between Israel and Egypt in March 1979.
Why isn’t the U.S. stepping into the violence between Israel and Palestine? We did it in 1978 – why not now? Start by getting Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon together to start insisting on peace. There is no reason on Earth that we cannot make peace happen.
There have been reports of joint efforts with Israel, between Israeli and Palestinian citizens, to demand peace. “The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP) is a group comprising over 70 leading non-governmental organizations that work to foster reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians, as well as Arabs and Jews in the Middle East.” Arabs within Israel are also protesting for peace. This is a moment in which America can step in – as did President Jimmy Carter 43 years ago – and create real peace.
Why isn’t America doing its part? Peace-makers like Bernie Sanders – who is Jewish – has spoken actively on the subject: “In this moment of crisis, the United States should be urging an immediate cease-fire.” But neither Democrats nor Republicans, in general, are joining him. The Democrats have powerful Jewish politicians, and the Republicans want to keep selling arms in the Middle East. So they both keep mum and the fighting goes on.
President Biden should see that this as his opportunity to make history. He should send American diplomats to the Middle Eastern countries and get their cooperation. He should do the same with Israel and Palestine. A strong position on this would help him politically at home as well as abroad. He doesn’t need to rely on Republicans because there is no need for the United States to sign a peace treaty. All that is needed is a strong invitation to Israel and Palestine to come to Camp David, sit down, and solve the problem.
Aljazeera says: “Today, the “two-state solution” is nothing more than a distraction. It is a myth used by Israel to divert attention from its efforts to make the dream of Greater Israel a reality. Israel’s actions, from relentless settlement expansion to systematic dehumanization of Palestinians, make it clear that it has no intention of ever allowing the formation of a sovereign Palestinian state.” So the real question is whether we should continue to pursue a two state solution, or go to a one state solution, or something else.
I cannot see a “one state” solution being anything but disaster unless there are some really stringent controls. A one state solution would be like putting the Old South together with BLM in one nation. At least a two state solution keeps the Jews separated from the Muslims.
I tried to imagine a one state solution. How could we have the people live? Possibly in separate, segregated towns? Or separate, segregated states? Or we might have the houses for Jews and Muslims next door to each other, so that they are forced to confront one another on a daily basis. The segregated states might work if there were no national government and the little states were prevented from confronting one another.
We could have a two state system in which neither state really had an army and in which an army of another people (Chinese? Americans? Russians?) kept them from bothering one another. In the meantime, intermarriage between Palestinians and Israelis should be encouraged, with money being paid to those who had interracial families. If there were intermarriage, the two countries could become one in about 100 years.
Actually, you could try a one state solution so long as the Jews and Muslims were in different cities, policing were done by Chinese or Russians, and there were really no national government, just local governments. Or possibly segregated state governments. That might work, but don’t count on it.
Whatever the solution, it has to be one in which the populace is disarmed and cannot confront one another. There also should be policies that encourage friendship among the populace. Let’s face it – it’d be difficult.
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