Can two-state solution work?

Africa and most other Third World countries were occupied by the colonial powers such as Portugal, Spain, Britain, France, Holland, Germany and, in more modern times, by the economic and military power of China and Russia.

The Europeans’ hold over their possessions began to retreat as they bowed to pressure in and from their own people and countries in their political alliances. Although most conquered countries raised freedom fighters or terrorists, none of them managed to overthrow the colonials on their own.

But in the case of Palestine and Israel, there are two peoples who have not been conquered by colonial powers. Both have been in the area for hundreds, and in Israel’s case, thousands of years.

So they are two peoples who have lived there, both under the impression that the land was given to them by God, both subject to unbearable horrors inflicted on each other.

Even neighbouring countries have had their part in encouraging this for their own purposes.

Both sides have encouraged the formation of terrorist forces, although Israel gives theirs the cloak of respectability and legality. The Palestinian cause has hurt itself over time by creating splinter forces such as Al Aqsa, Hamas, IS and Hezbollah, to name a few.

When they tried to create a democratic government of their own these groups derided it and terrorised it so that it became ineffective.

Both sides have done nothing to improve the shelled and despoiled refugee camps in Israel, Palestine and Lebanon so that they can use these hellholes for their propaganda purposes.

So out of all this, from where can the two-state solution come? Duncan

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