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Netanyahu and Meshal forever
By Gideon Levy

A great surprise: The overwhelming majority of Israelis support a one-state solution. After years in which the binational solution was anathema, it has suddenly become apparent that this is the preferred solution. You don't believe it? Look at the opinion polls. Benjamin Netanyahu is again leading them. You don't believe Netanyahu advocates this solution? Listen to his words. Once again, Netanyahu "does not find" a Palestinian partner. The conclusion: Wait and do nothing.

Netanyahu is not alone. Judging by their inaction, the prime minister and the foreign minister are also unable to find a partner; it is furthermore doubtful whether the Labor Party will find one. There are heaps and heaps of preconditions - one time it is the democratization of the Palestinians and another time it is their recognition of Israel; one time it is a halt to terror and another time it is a revision of their covenant; one time it is "no" to Arafat, then "no" to Mahmoud Abbas (the "fledgling") and now it is "no" to the unity government.

And the result is plain to see. One state, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, is coalescing before our very eyes. Because what are Netanyahu and his ilk offering? To sit and do nothing, which simply translates into a binational state. Most Israelis declare that they are in favor of two states? This is a hollow statement - after all, they prefer Netanyahu.

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In fact, this is the real "big bang": The political map of Israel has been upended. There is no longer right and left, no more hawks and doves. The center, the right and the margins of the left are united. From now on, one should say: Israel is divided between supporters of one state, the overwhelming majority, and supporters of two states, a negligible minority.

Whoever does not work immediately for the formation of two states is pushing for one state. There is no other solution, no third way. Anyone who supports the settlement enterprise is a devotee of the greater Land of Israel.

"Tibi or Bibi?" It is more correct to say: "Netanyahu and Khaled Meshal forever." Both are proponents of a one-state solution and their dispute is only over the nature of this state - one favors an apartheid state and the other an Islamic state. Only the extreme left advocates a single democratic state.

All of the talk about the questions concerning the future of Israel is misleading. While Netanyahu is running on his favorite ticket, the danger of a holocaust emanating from Iran, a more acute question mark hovers over the declared character of Israel: Has it not already become a binational state? It will soon be divided into two equal halves, and later there will be an Arab majority. What is Israel if not a binational state? And what are 3.5 million Palestinians, who have already lived under Israeli occupation for 40 years, if not subjects of a state that has existed with the occupation for twice as many years as it has existed without it?

No, the occupation is not temporary, nor is the current nature of the state.

Enough empty talk about "a Jewish state." There is no such thing. The fact that the Palestinians live under unequal conditions does not make them subjects of another entity. On the contrary, the state's control of their lives is immeasurably greater than its control over its Jewish citizens.

"What good will it do - the time that is slipping like sand between the fingers, without taking any action," Netanyahu asked in an interview with Haaretz, published on Friday, in which he was described as someone who has "shifted to the center." But of course the "moderate" Netanyahu was referring to Iran, defiantly ignoring the really crucial hourglass. In another moment, the Palestinians will be a majority here, and then what? A minority that continues to abuse a majority? Non-citizens forever? South Africa has already taught us how this culminates.

This grown child must now be called by its name - Netanyahu, Yisrael Beiteinu, the National Religious Party, the settlers, Kadima and all those who reject negotiation should now be called "fans of the binational state." If it becomes a just state, perhaps this is good news. But is this really what the majority wants?

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  1.   One State West Of The Jordan WON`T Be "Bi-National" 10:02  |  Yishai Kohen 11/03/07
  2.   The "good" shepherd Nethanyau is calling..... 10:08  |  Swiss (Dino) 11/03/07
  3.   Suckling the Breast 10:28  |  FOX 11/03/07
  4.   To Kohen: Sad to See such blindness in the Land of Moses 10:38  |  Markus 11/03/07
  5.   SO BE IT 10:45  |  indrajaya 11/03/07
  6.   I appreciate Illusion 10:48  |  FOX 11/03/07
  7.   Mr Gideon Levy 10:49  |  John Fletcher 11/03/07
  8.   Israelis know Oslo + Rd Map are DEAD, no more giveaways for zip.. 10:52  |  Pavel 11/03/07
  9.   Yes, the Zionist OMnipotent Believers In Eternal Struggle lead! 10:53  |  Andreas 11/03/07
  10.   THE SECOND STATE IS HEREITS CALLEDJORDAN 10:55  |  paul harris 11/03/07
  11.   LONG LIVE A SECULAR DEMOCRATIC GREATER ISRAEL 10:59  |  Mohammad 11/03/07
  12.   No one since 1948 denies two State solutions, Israel and Jordan 10:59  |  e.m 11/03/07
  13.   Levy: Oslo Psychosis ate your brain 11:11  |  Yacov 11/03/07
  14.   Doing the thing 11:18  |  Negru Voda 11/03/07
  15.   # 3 FOX 11:21  |  Swiss (Dino) 11/03/07
  16.   The Gathering Storm 11:21  |  Clickfool 11/03/07
  17.   AT LAST 11:26  |  Choni Davidowitz 11/03/07
  18.   #5What a disastrous you are already in grave, don?t you feel it 11:31  |  e.m 11/03/07
  19.   What Israelis want hasn`t changed 11:42  |  Sam 11/03/07
  20.   Indrajaya #5, So be it, indeed 11:47  |  Clickfool 11/03/07
  21.   1 state 11:51  |  Former leftist 11/03/07
  22.   TO INDRAJAYA #5 11:54  |  alonitzafoni 11/03/07
  23.   IT LOOKS LIKE THE ONLY SOLUTION 11:57  |  alonitzafoni 11/03/07
  24.   Bye Bye Israel 12:25  |  wally 11/03/07
  25.   no need to hurry the end of days 12:25  |  flashman 11/03/07
  26.   gideon levy there is a wall which demarcates 12:27  |  flashman 11/03/07
  27.   Swiss Dino, you are correct 12:27  |  FOX 11/03/07
  28.   And the right things they will save Israel? 12:29  |  Tzfonit 11/03/07
  29.   True logic - Israel and Palestine are the same 12:48  |  Sammy 11/03/07
  30.   LONG LIVE "PALESRAEL" 12:55  |  Racon-tour 11/03/07
  31.   clickfool and "the gathering storm" 12:59  |  harzion 11/03/07
  32.   G-D COMMANDS STRANGERS LIVE AT PEACE UNDER ISRAEL`S SOVEREIGNTY 13:04  |  Bill. 11/03/07
  33.   #19 Sam 13:09  |  Racon-tour 11/03/07
  34.   #17 Choni once again 13:11  |  Ari ben Yisrael 11/03/07
  35.   levy "the Pied Piper of Ha`Aretz 13:16  |  Ari ben Yisrael 11/03/07
  36.   #17 Choni Davidowitz 13:38  |  Boycott 11/03/07
  37.   #32 Bill 13:43  |  Metatron 11/03/07
  38.   Question for Bible Bill # 32 13:46  |  Clickfool 11/03/07
  39.   #35 CAUSE IT REVENUE !!! AND PERHAPS THE RIGHT WING IS RIGHT 13:49  |  paul harris 11/03/07
  40.   and Gideon gets paid for this dribble! 13:51  |  alan cohen 11/03/07
  41.   # 13 Levy and his so called a one State solution! 13:55  |  Shlomo M 11/03/07
  42.   racon-tour is a racist 13:55  |  ephraim 11/03/07
  43.   racon-tour and "lebensraum" 13:58  |  ephraim 11/03/07
  44.   #15 swiss 13:58  |  duncan 11/03/07
  45.   Bi-national state 14:05  |  Roberta 11/03/07
  46.   Fake Clickfool - of course - # 20 14:07  |  Clickfool 11/03/07
  47.   The State of the Situation 14:14  |  Ronnie Wolman 11/03/07
  48.   NETANYAHU AND THE BI-NATIONAL STATE 14:21  |  ISHMAEL ISHMAEL 11/03/07
  49.   # 46, CLICKFOOL 14:26  |  indrajaya 11/03/07
  50.   # 44 duncan 14:30  |  Swiss (Dino) 11/03/07
  51.   indrajaya the only man/woman nut is you 14:37  |  tommy suharto 11/03/07
  52.   Racon-tour 15:02  |  Sam 11/03/07
  53.   Clickfool @ 16 is not me 15:20  |  Clickfool 11/03/07
  54.   Where would Netanyahu and Meshal be? 15:54  |  Mark Lincoln 11/03/07
  55.   Ronnie Wolman #47: Kudos! Well put! 16:16  |  Psalm 11/03/07
  56.   #50 swiss 16:17  |  duncan 11/03/07
  57.   Levy`s right (I) 16:28  |  Colin Wright 11/03/07
  58.   Levy`s right (II) 16:31  |  Colin Wright 11/03/07
  59.   duh, of course you will have one state. 16:58  |  jack 11/03/07
  60.   no partner for peace doesnt mean Israelis want a binational state 16:59  |  zionist forever 11/03/07
  61.   Eventually, even Jordan will become part of that one state. 17:08  |  Jack 11/03/07
  62.   11 - Mohammed 17:14  |  zionist forever 11/03/07
  63.   Strangers? Palestinians are descendants of Israelites. 17:17  |  Jack 11/03/07
  64.   Levy and other loonies forever 17:18  |  Dani 11/03/07
  65.   Psalm:Fundamentalism 101,Tottenham 3:3 17:21  |  Ronnie Wolman 11/03/07
  66.   one state 17:26  |  jack 11/03/07
  67.   What if 17:34  |  Sam 11/03/07
  68.   59 - Jack 17:39  |  zionist forever 11/03/07
  69.   64 there is a flaw in your solution 17:53  |  zionist forever 11/03/07
  70.   One and a half state solution 17:56  |  The North Wind 11/03/07
  71.   Gideon Levy wants to live under Sharia law 18:03  |  Ken Jurist 11/03/07
  72.   Question to Duncan 18:24  |  christa 11/03/07
  73.   cavalry 18:28  |  wh 11/03/07
  74.   Duncan # 56 18:35  |  christa 11/03/07
  75.   To zionist forever 18:40  |  christa 11/03/07
  76.   The North Wind is 18:43  |  christa 11/03/07
  77.   #72 christa 18:48  |  duncan 11/03/07
  78.   Well, fair is fair 18:58  |  Jozef 11/03/07
  79.   People like Meshaal 19:04  |  Yonatan 11/03/07
  80.   #15, Dino. Do you know recent history? 19:05  |  democrat 11/03/07
  81.   Netanyahu forever 19:07  |  Ralph 11/03/07
  82.   safety 19:19  |  Iche Behr 11/03/07
  83.   75 - christa 19:30  |  zionist forever 11/03/07
  84.   To Fox, #3,6.Very Perceptive. Propose? 19:40  |  Moishe 11/03/07
  85.   PA vs HAMAS vs ISLAMIC JIHAD 19:52  |  Avrum 11/03/07
  86.   "Transfer" is the only solution 20:03  |  Moises