Lieberman’s Two State Solution

US Special Envoy to the Middle East George Michell met with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Thursday to discuss the future of Israeli policy and peace strategies. He made an emphasis that the US still supports a two state solution.

I never heard Lieberman say anything against a two state solution, he actually supports it. However, he does not support the traditional idea of a two state solution. His might actually work. I would like to preface this by saying that I am not all for a two state solution, this is Lieberman’s plan.

Lieberman’s idea for a two state solution is to draw a line through Israel separating the Jews from the Arab Muslims. Large settlement blocs, such as Gush Etzion, would be in Israel. Israeli cities that are Arab majority, such as Umm Al-Faham, would be in “Palestine”. Land would not be divided up by where we all want it, it would be divided by where we all live.

Under the Lieberman plan, Israel would remain a Jewish state free of the threat of a Muslim majority due to the demographics of birth and death rates. The Muslims would have their own country that they can do what they want with. This is the only two state plan I have ever heard that might actually work.

I do not love this plan, though, for many reasons. First, we would be giving away a lot of biblical significant Jewish sites. While we would keep places like Ma’ale Adumim, we would lose Hebron. It would be sad for the Jewish people to lose access to one of the holiest places we have.

Beit Lechem, or Bethlehem, would likely fall under Palestinian control. While this is not a loss to me, it would be a loss to Christians who are guaranteed access to the site today. The PA would probably raze important churches and put up mosques on top.

The best part of this plan is that it does not require consent. This one can be done unilaterally and quickly. The West Bank Jews would not, and should not, go down without a fight though. We saw the sadness of uprooting Jewish families in Gush Katif, Homesh, and Amona.

The downside for the Arab population is that they would be stripped of Israeli citizenship and placed in the new PA. A new Palestinian government would likely offer far inferior health care, freedom, and safety. While racism is an issue in Israel today, racial violence is not a major problem.

Some call the Lieberman plan racist. Some call it crazy. Some call it logical. However, only the ignorant have said that he does not want a two state solution.