by Ali Abunimah
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| List Price: | $23.00 |
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Product Description
A provocative approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict—one state for two peoples—that is sure to touch nerves on all sides
The Israeli-Palestinian war has been called the world’s most intractable conflict. It is by now a commonplace that the only way to end the violence is to divide the territory in two, and all efforts at a resolution have come down to haggling over who gets what: Will Israel hand over 90 percent of the West Bank or only 60 percent? Will a Palestinian state include any part of Jerusalem?
Clear-eyed, sharply reasoned, and compassionate, One Country proposes a radical alternative: to revive an old and neglected idea of one state shared by two peoples. Ali Abunimah shows how the two are by now so intertwined—geographically and economically—that separation cannot lead to the security Israelis need or the rights Palestinians must have. He reveals the bankruptcy of the two-state approach, takes on the objections and taboos that stand in the way of a binational solution, and demonstrates that sharing the territory will bring benefits for all. The absence of other workable options has only lead to ever greater extremism; it is time, Abunimah suggests, for Palestinians and Israelis to imagine a different future and a different relationship.
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 A One State Solution, 2008-08-18
I found Ali Abunimah's book to be a wake up call in a way. I have been skeptical of a two-state solution for many reasons, one of which is if Palestinians do end up with their own state, who is going to lead the way and govern? Hamas or Fatah? And how exactly when they are so opposed to each other? Then again the one state solution made even less sense to me. After reading Mr. Abunimah's book, I am convinced that one state with equal rights for all citizens is the only solution that makes sense. I gave the book five stars because I have a great deal of respect for the author and what he writes about. He is an intelligent man who is clearly very passionate about this subject matter. The topic explored in this book deserves to be considered and discussed. The book is a must read and I do hope serious and curious readers of Middle East history will make sure "One Country" ends up on their book shelf.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
A Bold Proposal and a Compelling Read, 2008-08-14
Ali Abunimah gives a bold, insightful look into a policy option that has not been seriously discussed within the mainstream media. "One Country" provides welcome relief from the mainstream media's largely pro-Israel bias.
He makes his point in a logical, easy to follow fashion, focusing on the history of the conflict and then to his proposal. I love his edgy, unapologetic writing style. He backs up his position with source after source. Ultimately, with so much written about the occupation and liberation struggle, it seems hard to advance the discussion. But Abunimah does just that. His comparison of Israel today to Apartheid South Africa is by far his most convincing part. He shows how the Israeli government cooperated with the South African regime when most other countries despised it. The proposed "roadmap" prompted the former South African prime minister, De Klerk, to remark on its similarities to the "Grand Apartheid" plan of the 1950's. The anti-colonial struggle against the British enabled both Israeli Jews and Afrikaners to play the part of the victim rather than victimizer.
But more importantly, he turns the two-state idea on its head. While it has been championed recently, this plan fails to address key issues: the status of refugees and settlements. A one state plan addresses this omission. But more importantly, he notes that Israel was partitioned once before. A two state solution is ultimately very unlikely because of the inability of both sides to agree on borders. The main argument against a one-state solution is that it would destroy the Jewish character of the country. But if the cost of preserving this identity becomes too high, as it did in South Africa, then there will be serious discussions on power-sharing.
The book is not without fault, however. I wish he would have gone into more discussion on the current Israeli legal system. Can non-Jews serve in the IDF? And while he does mention draconian Israeli citizenship laws, I would have been happier with a much clearer expectation.
Overall, agree with him or not, his edgy style and wit manage to carry across his point well. I believe books like his, Carter's and Walt and Mearshimer's show that people are less afraid of speaking out on Israel than before. If nothing else, read his chapter on South Africa, it may open some minds.
3 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
 Not genuine, 2008-05-17
This basic thesis of this book is flawed. It's not a serious, practical attempt to solve the problem, but a partisan ploy aimed to get the Arabs what they've wanted since the Mufti of Jerusalem befriended Himmler in the 1920s - a "Juhenrein" middle east.
It's about as realistic as proposing that USA amalgamate with South America in one big democratic love-in. Why not Australia and Indonesia? Perhaps the whole world should be one big democratic state? Of course the lamb would lay down with the lion and we would all beat our swords into ploughshares too. It's a fantastic utopian ideal, and all men of goodwill dream of it and work for it, but it's not a practical idea to solve the problem of Arab rejection of Israel, at all.
Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq were created from Ottoman lands won in World War 1. Why are they, along with another 20 Arab nations, 50 Muslim nations and 160 global nations legitimate, but the one Jewish nation is "illegitimate" ...in the eyes of this author?
Why should 5 million Jews, who have created their own nation, in accordance with their ancient culture and tradition (and which incidentally has amongst the best democratic and human-rights record on earth), allow itself to be swamped by millions of Arabs who have proven over decades that they reject their presence and aim to destroy them?
This proposed "one nation" would become like all tho surrounding Arab nations of the region: despotic, oppressive, faction-ridden and violent. How would it treat women?...gays?
Why would the 5 million Jews swamped by their Arab naeighbours be treated any better than the 900,000 Jews expelled from the surrounding 22 Arab nations since 1950? Most Arab nations are off limits even to Jewish tourists. What would then happen to the Jews of this so-called "one nation" when the same bunch of despots take over?
Don't waste your money and time on this...it's not a genuine work of goodwill.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 Unconvincing, but Still Interesting, 2008-04-04
In his book One Country, Ali Abunimah puts forth a radical proposal toward resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: that of a single secular-democratic state for both Arabs and Jews. While aspects of his argument have merit, particularly his assertion that the destinies of Jews and Arabs have become inextricably intertwined, Abunimah fails to explain how such a plan could be implemented in a way that is acceptable to both groups. Although the book is thought-provoking in that it challenges the reader to imagine an ideal scenario, I simply did not find his argument convincing or plausible.
As Abunimah himself points out, both sides favor a two-state solution, although many Palestinians support a one-state solution over a two-state solution without full sovereignty of the West Bank and Gaza. For Israelis, only the most radical minority calls for what most equate with the destruction of the State of Israel. The book fails to explain how Abunimah's vision could be implemented in spite of the international consensus on a two-state solution and Israel's overwhelming opposition to losing its status as a Jewish state. He also never addresses how such a state could function in the face of such raw tensions without breeding further violence. Finally, while he shows a certain understanding of Jewish fears and insists on maintaining the Law of Return (which grants all Jews the right to immigrate to Israel), he brushes aside the fear that a state with an Arab majority will fail to truly safeguard Jewish rights. It is possible that it would, but at this point, there is not enough trust between the two communities to give Israeli Jews the security to contemplate taking such a risk.
The book provides a rough sketch of what a single state might look like, encompassing either a federalist system or a binational state with two separate government systems (one unified government with seats allocated to each group and separate ones dedicated to cultural/religious affairs). Here, again, there are problems he does not adequately address. In a federalist scenario, what would stop the two sides from continuing to fight over territory and borders? Abunimah's sketch of a binational state sounds good on the surface, but he is essentially describing a confessional government divided along religious/ethnic lines, which has failed disastrously in countries like Lebanon. Power sharing is certainly possible--Abunimah demonstrates this with his description of the Belgian system--but the current situation, with all its explosive tension, more closely resembles Lebanon at present.
Abunimah claims that the failure of Oslo and Camp David are proof that negotiations along the lines of a two-state solution will always end in an impasse. His logic doesn't work, though: the failure of certain flawed proposals does not preclude the possibility of a better proposal appearing in the future.
Still, there is value in reading this book. Unlike many books on the subject, this one devotes a significant part to painting a detailed picture of what true coexistence might look like. Abunimah's vision is unrealistic as an immediate solution to the conflict, but in the very long term, his ideas may become more relevant. As he points out, the demographics are shifting in such a way that Israel will eventually lose its Jewish majority. When that day comes, Israel will be confronted with a very painful dilemma between remaining a Jewish state or a democracy. Binationalism may someday become Israel's only moral option, and in that case, the framework Abunimah lays out is worth examining.
2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Excellent argument for 1-state, 2007-11-21
This short but excellent book is an argument for the one-state solution. The book starts with a description of the author's parents living in pre-Israel Palestine where there was easy and peaceful exchange between bMuslims and Jews. HThe book then reviews the Israeli ocuupation of the West bank and shows how the occupation makes a two-state solution impossible. There is a detailed chapter describing the end of apartheid in South Africa, and seeking lessons that may apply to the Israeli-Palestinian scase. Finally the book argues that a one-state solution is inevitable, and it can be as good as pre-Israeli Palestine.
The author is a Palestinian who lives in Toronto
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