Israel will not allow Palestine to achieve sovereign power status – ever.  The reason is that an independent Palestine country would then be “allowed’ to wage unfettered war with Israel.  Both sides are intransigent in their view of the situation, their religious beliefs and their political approach are wedges and these wedges are cementing the stances of both parties.  Currently, and one can easily reason for the foreseeable future, this situation will not improve.  For the rest of the world, and even for Palestine and Israel, we all need a viable solution.  We need to examine more options.  We need to move forward toward a workable solution, if there is one.  Unless there is a drastic new initiative, one that is so radical, that it will be laughed out of existence or momentary contemplated we will be treading this political water for our life times.  We really need at this point in time some modicum of hope.  We need to think of all possible solutions, especially new ones. Even a momentary contemplated solution that is way off base might throw some water on the burning fires raging between these two nations.

Any solution that will work needs to rely on the fact that both countries reside side by side.  Political and social solutions need to work out some form of mutual conflict resolution.   Way in the future, one would hope, the two states  would modify their behavior toward one another and just get along as good neighbors.  We will not see this happen in our life time.  Why not try something radical to propel history forward?  Why not jump ahead sooner so we are not forced to view the inevitable change from heaven or hell?

Here is a truly radical solution and I mean way out there.

Here is the radical idea: Create one nation with Israel and Palestine as one combined nation!  Get both countries to form a single sovereign power, single state department, single military, single social support network, single banking system?  Why not form a unified government with two near independent sub states but with an over riding unified government body?  Each sub state would be run by governors and smaller sub state governments empowered by an agreed upon overall constitution.

This would NEVER happen because these two houses really do not like one another and more importantly do not trust one another.  On the other hand, this idea does have some real opportunities.  The negatives are so obvious that I will not list those.  But, let me list some positives.

Positive points:

• The Israel settlements would no longer be such an important issue because the settlements would be within the same sovereign nation.
• Ports and borders would be completely open to full unfettered commerce.
• Economic development would be shared.
• Political problems would no longer be international but internally resolved.
• Religious shrines would also be shared.
• The social impact of bringing these two divergent nations together should, one would hope over time, mollify religious hatred.
• Other Arab states, run by dictatorial powers, would no longer be able to use the Israel and Palestine conflict to deflect their crimes toward their people.
• Option:  If this “marriage” turns out to become a divorce, the process might still form some bridges for more sincere working solutions, mutual respect possibly, between the two states.

I am not being blind to the huge undertaking of resolving the really huge and broad issues to get this into some form of political, social and economic order.  The differing personalities on both sides, alone, surely will render this idea into the crazy and laughable category of ideas. The odds are way against this proposal.  But, if nothing else, is it not a remarkable, mildly crazy and a vicarious dream of hope to think about?