Comment by YZF

I don't see how the minority of Israeli Arabs can so easily be used as proof. The Arab population of Israel is around 20% at 2 million. The population of the two Palestinian territories is at around 5 million Arabs and they have a strong Muslim majority. Israel's population is considered to be 3/4 Jewish. If Israel and the Palestinian territories were to become combined into a single state, it would no longer have a strong Jewish majority and would also cease to have its strong secular minority. It would cease to be Israel.

Even though the current Israeli government may be more conservative than the ones previous, I see few possibilities for a more socially liberal government if Israel were to combine with the more-conservative majority-Muslim Palestinian states, given that there is not a single majority Muslim country in the world that is close to as socially liberal as Israel is, even now. Especially given that Muslim majority countries have a tendency to start employing Sharia law, even in Malaysia, far separated from the Middle-Eastern Muslim world.

> Most Israelis don't want that

Because it would mean the end of a Jewish state. Combine Israel and Palestine and you get roughly 50% Jews, 50% Arabs. (5.3M Arabs in Palestine, 7.1M Jews in Israel and 2M Arabs in Israel).

I have the impression that Israel's government does want a one state solution, but only after expelling as many as possible of the Palestinians into neighbouring countries to join those already in exile; they certainly don't want to grant them Israeli citizenship.

Arabs rejected a two-state solution at the very inception of Israel. An Arab majority Israel-Palestine would drive out its Jews, just as every other Arab country has done.

They might have to change what the UNRWA schools in Palestine (among others) are teaching to get people on board with that first:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/unrwa-continues-to-teac...

> Palestinians did not reject a one state solution. Most Israelis don't want that. I.e. annex the West Bank and Gaza and have a single country, let's call it "Israel-Palestine".

Hardliners in the current Israeli government (e.g Itamar Ben-Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich, Amichai Eliyahu) want to "annex Judaea and Samaria". There seems to be a bit of ambiguity about whether they mean only Area C, or the whole of the West Bank (or even annex Area C now as a precursor to annexing A and B later.)

If they did that, what would happen to the Palestinians living in those areas – would they become Israeli Arabs? Would they first have to request Israeli citizenship? Would they be entitled to it, or would it be up to the Israeli government to decide whether to extend it to them?

"One state solution" is an idea primarily associated with Israel's peacenik far left, but maybe the best way to achieve it might (paradoxically) be to let the Israeli far right get a big chunk of what it wants?

> If you want more radical ideas then if all Palestinian Arabs convert to Judaism we can also solve the problem pretty quickly...

Speaking of radical ideas, I find the "cantonization" proposals [0] for the future of Israel rather fascinating. Basically convert it into a federation of different "cantons" representing the different sectors of Israeli society (secular, religious, Haredi, Arab). These cantons might be partially geographical and partially personal – i.e. every citizen belongs to a canton personally, the canton also controls the territory where its members are a majority, but has to protect the rights of minorities from other cantons in its territory; individuals will receive some government services from the canton of residence (e.g. public utilities), others might be provided by their personal canton (e.g. education, family law)

[0] https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-05-05/ty-article-ma...

> I think the Israeli Arabs are a model/proof that it can work

Because they’re a minority. Look at what happens when Jews are a minority in a Muslim-majority country.

Even if Palestinian Arabs could get okay with Jews it would be a powder keg long term. Because the whole Muslim world hates the idea of Jews in the holy land, and uses Palestinians as a proxy against Jews. I’m from a “moderate” Muslim country. Out of thousands of Jews that used to live in the country, only a few families are left (openly). It’s really as bad as people think.

And Arab counties won't take them either because they cause trouble. Egypt in particular absolutely refuses to take refugees from Gaza.