Is a Palestinian State Really a Good Idea?

The idea of creating yet another Arab state in the Middle East is often presented as a “solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But ask yourself: why carve out territory from the one and only Jewish state in the world for yet another Muslim-majority state—when there are already over 50 Muslim-majority countries globally, and millions of Palestinians already live in existing nations such as Jordan, where they are a majority?

Role Reversal - A Thought Exercise Imagine if the roles were reversed. Imagine there were multiple, large Jewish-majority countries around the world and only one small Muslim-majority nation. Would the international community insist that this lone Muslim country give up land to establish yet another Jewish state? Especially if there had been longstanding distrust or hostility? Almost certainly not. The double standard is glaring.

Is 53 Muslim-majority states one too few? And should Israel's severely limited terrirtory be that used to create number 54?

Israel is a democratic nation in a region where such countries are rare, with ancient ties to the land that surpass by nearly 2,000 years those of any other religion or nation. Supporting the creation of a Palestinian state on and withing its borders, even with 'guarantees' of security risks turning an already tense region into an arena for endless conflict. It doesn’t solve problems—it institutionalizes them.

Instead of carving up Israel, the focus should be on solutions that encourage coexistence, security, and prosperity for all people in the region. Out of the box thinking is a must if we are to actually come to a resolution. Peace comes not from excruitatingly redrawing maps, but from building trust and cooperation. Creating another state in an already volatile mix is a recipe for continued instability—and the world should recognize that common sense and fairness matter as much as diplomacy.