So what does it matter who ruled the land, or who is ruling presently? That is not a reason to say that the Palestinians do not deserve a state. They want one now and have wanted one for like 40 years or so. Before Israel's formation the majority of today's Jews or their ancestors did not even live in that region (I am talking present day Israel, not the middle east) and yet worked the political elites in the colonial UK govt. to set up state for themselves. The Palestinian demand for a state is therefore more legitimate today, than the Jewish demand 100 years ago.
And countries need contiguity, and I dont understand your comment about Bangladesh. Bangladesh is a contiguous land. Or are you referring to the time when it was East Pakistan? Look how that turned out lol.
And I am not going to choose which plan, 67 or 48, or Olmert or whatever. I will leave that to the experts. I will just make the following statements:
- Palestine has to accept Israel as a legitimate state.
- Israel has to accept Palestine as a legitimate state.
- Both countries need to be open to compromise.
- Palestine should make commitments on dropping extremism or take measures to curb extremism.
- Israels should cede land to Palestine. How much is unclear and I will leave it to the experts. But I would agree with the UN, to back to the 1948 plan and start from there.
- Palestine should be given complete and total sovereignty. Palestinian independence should be all encompassing - politically, economically and morally all encompassing. Which means, they are able to establish their own state, adopt and elect their own government, control their immigration, borders, airspace, are able to have a military of their own and adopt their own economic and foreign policy and so on.
That is what will lead to lasting peace.