I have a dream - the bi-national state.

“I have a dream”, I admit I didn’t listen to that speech by Martin Luther King but I know that it begins this way. And Mr King does have a point, we all have dreams on all different levels. Some of us dream about the time we get our next meal, while others dream of a time when we become famous pop stars and there are a lot of people who dream of an ideal life, an ideal state.

I have had such a dream and I know that when I tell you about my dream you will probably think it is too much to hope for, but dreams never harm anyone I guess so here it is.

Firstly, it has to do with Israel, Palestine and the problems that lie between them. And the most ideal situation for me would be a bi-national state…
Yes, many people expect the peaceful elements on “both sides” of this mess to be supportive of a two state solution, and I think that is realistic, but my dream…my dream is a one state solution.

“So who is going to be pushed out? The Jews or the Arabs?”
Well none really, because if it is a bi-national state then it will include both peoples. No one will have to leave.

So let me grab you a map!

So here is a map (pretty big one too, but hey the bigger the better).

Every district, both in the West Bank, Gaza and Israel proper will have an electable representative. These representatives will make their decisions in a “united congress” for the  bi-national state and more local decisions in the “congress” of the state of Israel or in the state of Palestine depending on the district they are from. And because of the bi-national state, there are no borders or restrictions between them because they are essentially one.

Think of it as a two state version of the United States of America.

There will be no Arabs or Jews in the face of the law, it is just one man, one vote, based on the irrevocable fact of our humanity which unites us. Whether someone is a Jew or an Arab is something that is to be respected, and not discriminated or prejudiced against.

The congressional bodies will be held in Jerusalem, the capital of this bi-national state, so in theory, the bi-national state will respect the nationalism of both Palestinians and Jews by allowing it to be their capital at the same time. East Jerusalem will be a district for Palestine and West Jerusalem will be a district for Israel.

As for the problem of the settlements, two things could happen:
1. They are all dismantled with the illegal settlers being relocated elsewhere.
2. The illegal settlers are told that if they wish to stay, then their citizen ship will be under the name of Palestine and not Israel because they will be required to vote for their representatives in their districts. So a settler in the district of Nablus will vote for the available representatives there.

The extremist elements on both sides should be treated, whether it is Hamas or the extreme settler movement responsible for “price tag” attacks and vandalism. They should be given fair trial in a court of law for all the crimes that they are responsible for, whether it is targeting and killing innocent civilians, or terror attacks (both apply to both mentioned groups).

These are the basics of my thought on the matter so far. But how far this can go I have no idea, assuming it can go any distance at all. I know that it has a high chance of never happening in the history of man, but if you don’t mind, I am going to fantasize how I will be able to travel straight from Jericho to the beaches of Acre and Haifa.

Good bye.