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Originally Posted by GirlySports
I have a very poor understanding of this topic so I wanted to ask simply, why can't a two state be agreed upon? After the Six Days War in 67, shouldn't a two state solution have worked out?
Could Israel and Palestine co-exist in the same way for example Malaysia and Singapore co-exist? Malaysia and Singapore also had tensions in the 60s. Or even India and Pakistan.
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A number of reasons.
#1 When Israel was created in 1948, 700,000 Palestinians were displaced and became refugees. Those refugees now number about 7 million. Simply defining Palestine as the 1967 borders without a solution to the refugees has always been a sticking point for the Palestinians. Returning them to Israel proper means that the Jewish character of Israel would become compromised, essentially turning Israel into an Arab state.
#2 the 1967 border runs right through Jerusalem with all the historical parts located in the Arab east end. Israel views the city as their eternal, undivided capital. The Palestinians view it the same way more or less. The Palestinians are willing to turn the eastern portion in their capital, the Israelis aren't willing to give up any of it.
#3 Israel wants to control the future Palestinian state's borders and air space. That is problematic for the Palestinians.
#4 Israel wants Palestine to be a demilitarized country, which again is problematic for the Palestinians.
#5 There are currently 500,000 Jewish settlers living in the West Bank. Israel wants to maintain control of those settlements. The Palestinians have an issue with that since it breaks up the continuity of their country.