Palestine as a State

Recently there has been much controversy over whether Palestine should separate from Israel and become a UN recognized, sovereign state. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has formally filed for statehood through the UN. Debates are still raging on in the UN, the newspapers, and the streets. Today I want to explore the reasons for a Palestinian state, and the reasons against one. For a more detailed explanation and update of what is going on, it would be helpful to visit this site:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13701636

So what will happen if the Palestinians gain the independence they desire? Will this change be for the better, or will it cause more disturbances and violence? I have compiled a list of reasons why a Palestinian state would be a positive change and why it would be a negative change. Hopefully this will help both you and I understand the situation better and get a clearer idea of what we believe as individuals. This list is not a complete list, but a few of the points I felt were most important.

Reasons for a Two Separate States

1. Palestine deserves its own independent state, just as Israel did in 1948. The Jewish people felt they deserved a land that they could call home where they could choose to be governed as they wished. So why shouldn't the Palestinians have the same right?

2. Palestinians are a minority, or second class citizens, in Israel. Sure, Israel recognizes Palestinians but the majority of the country practices some form of Judaism. Having their own state would eliminate this problem because Palestinians would be the majority in their new state.

3. If a Palestinian state is not created, more violence and aggression may occur in the future. As seen with the other uprisings going on in the world today, when people don't get what they want, they voice their opinions through protesting. While protesting can be peaceful, it does end it violence. The conflict between Palestinians and Israelis is not classified as peaceful by any means, especially in the last view years. Delaying the formation of two separate states would only increase tension and violence.

Reasons for Palestinian-Israeli Unity

1. Creating two separate states does not ensure peace. If they couldn't make peace as one nation before, how could they come two agreements as two separate entities? Before trying to become separate nations, they should try to work things out. They live in very close proximity and peace can only help both Palestinians and Israelis.

2. Palestine simply isn't ready to take on independence. They have no stable, central government nor experience ruling over a population. The UN simply cannot hand over statehood without the guarantee for success. You wouldn't give a child a book before they knew how to read.

3. The US. The US will essentially do anything to support Israel, which means no Palestinian state. The US has ample power in this situation. This isn't exactly a reason for unity, but a reason that unity will be most likely kept.

So what do I think the UN should do? Before making a decision, they need to reflect, reflect, and reflect some more about what would happen if a Palestinian state was created. This isn't an easy decision to make; whichever way the UN goes someone will be unhappy.