This house supports a democratic secular one-state solution for Israel-Palestine

The US recently launched another attempt at bringing peace to Israel, bringing conflict in the middle east back into popular attention. Israel has been controversial ever since the country was created in the aftermath of the second world war, when Jewish refugees fleeing persecution settled in a new homeland, but expelled the previous occupants in the process. Most attention has been paid to the "two-state solution" in which the disputed territory is divided up into two sovereign states, one Israeli, and one Palestinian. However other propose a "one-state solution" in which all people would have equal rights as citizens of a single country with a secular-democratic government. Supporters of the one-state solution argue that the two-state approach has failed and that, as the only viable alternative, the one-state solution must be taken seriously. They also argue that it is morally correct that all people on that land should be given equal rights in a single democratic country, rather than discriminating between people based on their history, religion, or parentage. Opponents compare modern Israel to South Africa, with the Jews' treatment of the Arabs echoing the whites' treatment of the blacks. They argue that a similar peaceful transition can, and should, take place in Israel and that the current discrimination against Palestinians is racist and immoral. Opponents of the one-state solution argue that, due to the demographic advantage of the muslim population, there would be little chance of a bipartisan secular government, and the result would instead inevitably be the destruction of Israel as a Jewish state, and the creation of an Islamic state, in which Jews would not be safe. They argue that Arabs have consistently shown their unwillingness to accept the presence of Jews in the middle east, and that it is unrealistic to expect Arabs to peacefully share a state with Jews. They also point out that the one-state solution goes against the wishes of both Israeli's and Palestinians and therefore is onworkeable. Is democracy the right solution in all countries, or does it only work in cases where people see themselves as one nation and respect the interests of other groups? Is it fair to give one vote to each person when one racial group is reproducing much faster than others? Is racial discrimination ever justified? Would a one-state solution inevitably lead to the destruction of Israel? Would Jews be safe in a combined state? Did the end of apartheid in South Africa really work as well as we like to think it did? Does the persecution the Jews were fleeing give them the right to live in Israel? Why does nobody talk about the way Palestinians are mistreated in other Arab countries such as Jordan and Syria? Does a nation have a right to the land they have lived in for generations? - if so, how far back should we go? Should the Caananites have right of return too? Is all the hatred directed at Israel by Arab countries just a way to distract attention from the abuse of their own people? Is endless violence between the two sides the best long term solution on the tables? Come to our debate and tell us what you think... SFDebate is an informal member-led debate group that discusses the political issues of the day. The debate will begin with speeches on either side by members who have read up on the issues, and we will then open up for a floor debate in which anyone can say what they think. Please email me (rob) if you would like to be a speaker. No prior knowledge of the topic is required, provided you are prepared to spend a couple of hours reading up on the key issues. References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-state_solution http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article9134.shtml http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/opinion/22qaddafi.html?_r=1&ref=opinion http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/12/could-there-be-a-one-state-solution/ http://www.thenation.com/doc/20031103/lazare Note that, as a commonwealth club event, there will be a $5 charge for people who are not members of the commonwealth club.