As Hamas in Gaza and Israel have waged war against each other, all people (especially Americans) need to promote meaningful and long-lasting solutions to permanently end this conflict. Taking sides to perpetuate violence is not in order. It must be noted that Hamas is not recognized by the State Of Palestine, which governs the West Bank. Hamas is considered by that Palestinian Authority to have unauthorized de facto control over the Gaza region.
Simply put, this war is not between Israel and Palestine but rather Israel and the rebel Palestinian group(Hamas) which actually controls Gaza.
There really is only one solution. There has to be a one state solution in which both Israel and Palestine are merged into one nation. That nation must be totally secular and all its citizens should be treated the same. Apartheid Israel must end and the Palestinians, becoming citizens of the new nation, must shed any and all of its Islamic extremism as well which currently exist in its current “nation”.
There are 1.6 Palestinian citizens living in Israel. There are nearly 700,000 Israeli Jews living the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. A two state solution, like the 1947 Indo-Pak Partition, will compel a massive exodus. That in itself will cause the perpetuation of racial and religious strife between Jews, Muslims, and Christians. That solution just will not work. Only a one state solution will work in which all of its 14 million citizens are treated as equal citizens. Immigration must be halted as well.
Once that new nation is formed, it must adapt a new name. Canaan would be a good name as it pre-dates the beginning of the practices of the modern Abrahamic religions.
Harsha Sankar / Covington