As a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict becomes less and less likely, some are suggesting a one-state solution, in which Jews and Palestinians live together as equals in one country. In other words, a binational state. But if history and current events are any indication, a binational state would be an epic disaster, especially for the Jewish people. In the overwhelming majority of cases, multicultural states are doomed to failure. One need only look to Israel's neighbors to understand why.
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To the north of us are Lebanon and Syria, two countries with multiple ethnic and religious groups constantly competing for power and supremacy. Lebanon has already gone through a horrific civil war and is very likely headed for another one. Syria is currently in the grips of its own civil war, with no end in sight. These are countries whose peoples were never meant to be together in the same state. But because of the imperialist ambitions of former European colonial powers, they ended up being forcefully put together, with very bloody results. Further east, in Iraq, another multi-ethnic, multi-religious state, the story is similar. Sunni Arabs, Shiite Arabs, and Kurds continue to fight amongst each other, without end. Anyone who looks at the Middle East today should understand why multicultural states are disasters waiting to happen.
Next door to Israel is the vast continent of Africa, which is now mostly made up of states whose borders were drawn up by former European colonial powers, just like in the Middle East. And as was the case in the Middle East, the Europeans drew up the borders with little to no regard for the aspirations of the multitude of different groups that fell under their rule. The end result? Decades of ethnic, racial, and religious conflicts that have led to millions of deaths. Some of these conflicts have resulted in full-blown genocides. I'm sure there are some folks out there who still remember the 1994 Rwanda Genocide, in which a million members of the Tutsi ethnic minority were slaughtered by the Hutu majority. Creating a binational state of Jews and Palestinians would almost certainly lead to a similar situation, with what could become an Arab majority slaughtering their Jewish neighbors.
Unfortunately, proponents of a binational state for Jews and Palestinians, who are also likely fans of multicultural states in general, ignore the evidence of such states leading to bloody conflicts and instead argue that multicultural states work out just fine. It's not entirely an argument without merits. After all, the most powerful nation-state on Earth is a multicultural country. I'm speaking of course of the United States of America, which is a country that is often called a melting pot because it supposedly blends the cultures of many different peoples into one American identity. But if proponents of multiculturalism would take a closer look, they would see that the melting pot is getting ready to boil over. Indeed, the recent turmoil in the US over race-based discrimination should be a wakeup call for anyone who believes that the American empire is immune from collapsing under the weight of inter-racial violence. And the violent destruction of the US due to racial tensions would very much resemble an apocalypse.
I believe that it is possible for multicultural countries to succeed, but it is incredibly difficult to say the least, which is why most multicultural states do not succeed. It requires making the vast majority of a country's citizens believe in a national identity that supersedes any racial, ethnic, or religious identity. The only country I know that has been able to do this successfully and last through the centuries is Switzerland, which is largely a country of three distinct ethno-linguistic groups of Germans, French, and Italians. The Swiss Confederation has largely avoided the violence and strife that plagues so many other multicultural states. But as I understand Swiss history, the cantons that make up today's Swiss Confederation united for the sake of collective security to protect their freedom against neighboring imperial powers. Thus, over time, the Swiss have been able to forge a collective identity that has endured to this day.
A similar, but not identical, scenario has played out in Canada. The provinces that make up Canada united largely due to the threat faced by revolutionary America. Nevertheless, the unity of Canada has always remained tenuous, especially in regards to the majority French-speaking province of Quebec, in which many people yearn for independence. There is also the ongoing tension between different regions of the vast country as the needs of each region differ significantly from one another.
Quebec, and to a lesser extent, western Canada, want to preserve what they perceive as their distinct identities. It remains to be seen whether or not Canada will continue to flourish, or if regional, ethnic, racial, and linguistic differences will tear it apart. Moreover, it is almost impossible to export Canadian-style multiculturalism to the Holy Land, where the Jewish and Palestinian peoples have two very distinct narratives and national ambitions, and where there is no sense that a binational arrangement for the sake of collective security is needed.
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If Jews and Palestinians were forced to live with each other in the same country, the results would be disastrous and would probably result in Jews being victims of another holocaust. Once such a state was formed, the Jewish people would quickly become a minority, as millions of Palestinian so-called refugees would stream into the country, thereby creating a Palestinian majority, who would attempt to erase any trace of Jewish heritage in the Holy Land. At best, we the Jewish people would be reduced to a persecuted minority, just like many of the persecuted minorities in Muslim countries. At worst, we would be exterminated.
