Is it time to give up on the idea of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Thomas Friedman brings up this idea in the New York Times today. Friedman argues that it is only a matter of time before Palestinians in the West Bank start demanding a voice in the government that rules them. That is the government of Israel. He argues that it will be difficult for Israelis and their supporters to argue against the principle of one man, one vote.

I had never thought of the implications until he brought it up today. It would give Palestinians a stake in the government that actually rules them today. It would ease the problems of the right of return issue, since most Palestinians are already within the boundaries of the one state. It would make the West Bank settler problem irrelevant. The security barrier would be unnecessary. It would bring peace and prosperity to the whole country.

Why not a one-state solution? The only problem is that we would have to give up on the concept of a Jewish state in the Middle East. This means that there would be no country founded on the basis of providing a homeland for members of the Jewish religion. Is this so bad? America is founded on the concept of separation of church and state and the idea that government is a secular institution. But our policy in the Middle East is that of backing the state of Israel as a Jewish state. Of course, bringing up this idea opens one up to the charges of anti-semitism. But if US policy in Iraq and Afghanistan is to provide an environment in which a secular government, independent of Islamic clerical influences, can be created, why is our policy towards Israel different?

There are other problems, of course. If there were one state within the borders of Palestine, Arabs would outnumber Jews. It is uncertain whether a state with a predominance of Arabs would continue to allow Jews to immigrate. It is unlikely that Israel would even agree to bring the Palestinians into the state of Israel under these conditions. Issues such as the right of return for Palestinians outside of Palestine would still be unsettled. What about the claims of Palestinian refugees' lost lands? These are lost lands that they either left or were thrown out of in the partition of 1948. That is over 50 years ago and the Palestinian refugees still remember them.