Left Foot Forward is hosting a discussion about Israel, Palestine and the prospects for a two state solution at this year's Labour Party conference in Manchester.
Tuesday 17:30, Labour Party Conference, Manchester – LabourList Marquee (secure zone)
The issue of Israel and Palestine is rarely out of the news. Behind the stories of human tragedy, however, there exists a solvable land dispute. Traditionally this has meant progressives working towards a two state solution. But is this still a realistic goal?
In light of recent events, where now for the two state solution? Speakers will be asked to talk for seven minutes each before the debate is opened up to the floor.
Left Foot Forward with BICOM. Chaired by Left Foot Forward’s James Bloodworth with:
Richard Burden MP – Omer Bar Lev, Member of the Israeli Knesset – Melanie Ward, Labour PPC – Dermot Kehoe, BICOM
The event will take place at the LabourList Marquee inside the secure zone, just outside the conference centre.
(Click to zoom)
Wheelchair access: Yes
Drinks: Yes
For further information on holding an event with Left Foot Forward please contact events@leftfootforward.org
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16 Responses to “Event: Where now for a two-state solution?”
Gary Scott
I think you have a basic misunderstanding about both the balance of power and the nature of HAMAS position within Palestine. The power is with Israel, with size, money, funding, weaponry and even its own public’s opinion. HAMAS does not have universal support for its actions within its own state the way the Israeli government does, although recent Israeli actions increase the Palestinian publics desire for hard line action in the manner HAMAS pursue. Here in the UK we can do something about Israel’s funding but not about HAMAS. Until negotiations prove to have ANY meaningful impact on improving the lives of ordinary Palestinian people they will continue to support military actions which, although weak, give them some hope rather than none. In truth HAMAS are not either a serious government or military force but their actions allow Israel to carry out these ‘actions’ which are so disproportionate.
Dave Roberts
Your understanding of the Irish situation is as lacking as that of the Israeli. The IRA had an intelligent and pragmatic leadership. They were able to see that Unionists could not be forced into a united Ireland against their will and that The Republic would never accept a a hostile population anyway.
Both sides eventually had leadership that was able to negotiate and that led to the Good Friday agreement which has, by and large, held. Your comments about the supply of arms show your complete ignorance of the situation. Most firearms were American M16s bought openly or otherwise in the USA and the explosives were largely home made “kitchen mix”. The amounts of materiel surrendered showed that the IRA could have continued the struggle indefinitely.
In 1948 the newly announced state of Israel accepted the borders as set out by the United Nations. All of the Arab nations and the Palestinians rejected them, declared war with the stated intention of “Driving the Jews into the sea” and invaded. In the ensuing debacle, Israelis are good soldiers, Arabs aren’t, that’s just the way it is, Israel greatly expanded its area. That was the fault of the Arab nations and the totally unelected Palestinian leadership.
I have the greatest sympathy for the ordinary Palestinian people who have been used as bargaining counters by being kept in camps for sixty and more years when a fraction of the money that has been wasted could have resettled them. All of the land that the Jewish people occupied in 1948 had been bought from Arab and Turkish owners. Everything else was lost as a result of Arab intransigence and incompetence.
swat
The Arab Palestinians couldn’t run a whelk stall, so will need the Jews to organise and run the country anyway. The Jews will provide the brains and the Arabs the brawn in a One State Palestine. I guess that answers your question.
They will work together.
Dave Roberts
Actually while I am strongly pro Israeli I disagree. The Palestinians I have come across are highly entrepeneurial. They are great adapters and a glance at the tunnels and smuggling will confirm that.
What they cannot do is to break out of the mindset that one day they will drive the Jews into the sea and return to everything pre not just 1948 but pre any Jews at all in the region. Something like the Ottoman Empire in the mid nineteenth century.
The leadership, which lives in luxury in various Arab and western capitals, uses them as cannon fodder and their conditions as guilt material for western liberals.
Leon Wolfeson
It’s their politicians and militants who won’t abandon their goals, as you say. The “mindset” is not one of the normal people.