Forum: Israel at 60. Will It Survive as a Democracy?
Thursday May 8, 2008
Next week Israel turns 60. To Israelis, it's both a proud and anxious anniversary. The country is as rich, economically vibrant and strong as it's ever been. It's also in as difficult a situation as it's been since 1948.
Hostility from within Israel is growing among Israel's Arab population, which makes up 20 percent of its 7 million inhabitants. There's immense resentment from the 3 million Palestinians under Israeli occupation in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. There's the noisy belligerence of Iran and Hezbollah, Iran's proxy army in Lebanon, and the continuing rise of Islamic fundamentalism, which pegs its popularity to the rhetoric of hatred toward Israel.
What does the future hold for Israel? Can it survive as a democracy? Will it even be a viable state 60 years from now?
Join the discussion, speak your views in the forum.
Comments
“What does the future hold for Israel? Can it survive as a democracy?”
It would have to BECOME a democracy, first.
The US claimed to be a democracy back when slavery was legal, women had no rights, and only white-men could vote. Nobody today would call that “democracy.” So I suspect in the future very few will be willing to call Israel, as it exists today, a “democracy.”
I recently read a One State solution, a long the lines of South Africa. Sounds interesting if not viable:
Forget the two-state solution
Israelis and Palestinians must share the land. Equally.
By Saree Makdisi
May 11, 2008 LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/suncommentary/la-op-makdisi11-2008may11,0,6491639.story
What do you think?