Mar 31, 2009

Two-state solution older than Israel

March 31, 2009

The two-state solution isn't a new and sudden idea. In this American Thinker piece, Victor Sharpe traces the history of two states to pre-Israel. And it was a lot larger than anything in question now. In fact, present-day Jordan would've been included in Mandatory Palestine.
The Balfour Declaration issued by Lord Balfour, British Foreign Secretary, never envisaged that the Jordan River would be the eastern boundary of the reconstituted Jewish homeland.

The squabbling by the French and British colonial powers over the final frontiers of the Palestine Mandate had earlier led the London Times to urge Paris to accept sensible and rational frontiers in both the north and east of Jewish Palestine. As early as September 19th, 1919 it had thundered in an editorial:

"The Jordan will not do as the eastern frontier of Palestine ... Palestine must have a good military frontier east of Jordan ... Our duty as Mandatory is to make Jewish Palestine not a struggling state but one that is capable of vigorous and independent life ... "
Great read. Article here.

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