You’d think that British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, who just happens to be Jewish, would have heard the “From the river to the sea” chant, shouted by many of his citizens, at one of their almost daily anti-Israel protests.
The phrase, which represents the entire State of Israel, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, means that any officially approved Palestinian state, to those protesters, would have to comprise that full area, including Judea, Samaria and Gaza.
That unnegotiable demand is not just coming from the shouters on the street. It is the final goal of Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, and anyone who assumes leadership of Palestinians.
While some might be tempted to point to PLO head Mahmoud Abbas, arguing that he has advocated for a two-state solution, that contention is contradicted and completely undermined by the educational indoctrination given to Palestinian children who are taught, from an early age, that Israel is occupying Arab land and that the enemy must be eradicated.
So, for all intents and purposes, the spoken commitment of “From the river to the sea” wholeheartedly negates a two-state solution.
Nonetheless, for whatever reason, Miliband has said that “when it comes to the attempt to destroy the two-state solution, this party, this movement, this government says, ‘we will not let you succeed.’”
My question is, how do you square those two things – a growing protest movement that insists the State of Israel must be entirely replaced by a Palestinian one, with no Jewish presence, and a government minister who assures everyone that no one will succeed in extinguishing the aspiration of a two-state solution?
Unless I’m wrong, each of those concepts is diabolically opposed to the other. One supposes the good will of both sides, endeavoring to commit to peaceful coexistence and ready to make whatever compromise it takes for the sake of ending the long-standing conflict.
While the other immediately dispenses with all pretense, publicly declaring that there will be no compromise, no attempts at sharing the geographic area, and no getting along with those they clearly despise.
So, where do you go from there? Because Miliband and his government are, essentially, pushing a policy that’s being drowned out by the voices on the street who are, in no way, supportive of the idea.
Of course, Miliband is not alone. He shares the company of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, along with an overwhelming majority of UN member states.
Leaders from France, Canada, and Australia are also on board with the two-state solution. And shockingly, the official policy of the US agrees with that position.
Needless to say, many Arab states, such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, the UAE, Qatar, and Egypt, support the idea as well. Those Arab League members base their assumption on pre-1967 borders, with east Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state.
So what we’re witnessing is a stalled status quo, paralyzing the possibility of all progress, because while a significant part of the global leadership still promotes a two-state solution, the ones who would be instrumental in approving such a deal are laser-focused on the whole pie, and not just one piece.
How can there be any resolution to one of the world’s biggest conundrums when two sides are dug in deeply, believing that their particular philosophy is the only proposition that is acceptable?
That leaves us with only one conclusion. This falls into the category of unsolvable problems that are simply too complex and too emotionally charged to figure out.
When coming to that obvious reality, it’s tempting to ask ourselves why, then, would someone like Miliband, and all the others, continue to back a losing proposition, knowing, in advance, that the likelihood of its implementation is zero?
Here is a speculative answer. The whole concept of a two-state solution is very compatible with the social construct of virtue-signaling. That is because the idea of two states for two peoples sounds reasonable, moral, ethical, and even noble. It plays into the idea that there can be an equitable solution for both sides, resulting in a real win-win situation.
The cost of indoctrination
What is missed by those leaders, who are clearly attempting to inflate their own goodness, is the vast reservoir of hatred and contempt, welling up inside of the individuals who have been part of a centuries-long experiment of indoctrination, from cradle to grave.
The toxic and lethal education they received, both at home, in school, and at their mosques, did the trick, painting Jews as demons who must be eradicated at all costs. Losing one’s life for the sake of diminishing their numbers is the greatest sacrifice that can be made.
Consequently, it’s no wonder that such a society, dedicated to the end of another one, cannot build anything productive or contribute to others through its own achievements and accomplishments.
Because when you are obsessed with destruction, the thought of rising to greatness is completely counterproductive and immaterial to the goal of finally doing away with an avowed enemy. It’s the reason that their youth will never live to inherit the realization of their dream, if that were possible.
Everything is secondary to eliminating the evil in their backyard, and that is the tragedy completely missed by world leaders who have spent decades trying to fit a round peg into a square hole.
So, if you think about it, the thing that is standing in the way of “peace in our time between Jews and Arabs” is the personal need of those in power to appear virtuous, magnanimous, and the ones who possess the highest moral standards.
By forcing the rest of us to cling to a losing prospect, precious time is wasted, young lives are snuffed out, and nothing moves forward. It is the ultimate prolonging of conflict, almost deliberately designed to remain the world’s thorn in the side, as useless and feigned efforts are expended to resolve the mother of all unescapable quagmires.
Don’t even bother asking the question of why they can’t see this for what it is, because they clearly are deeply invested in playing the game of who can appear the most civilized and principled exemplary figures, each vying for that top honor.
Yet, they are outed by the continuing conflict, which will only result in more bloodshed. And, sadly, there’s absolutely no honor in that!
The writer, a former principal of Jerusalem elementary and middle schools, was a member of Kibbutz Re’im from 1994 to 1999. She is the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs, available on Amazon.