The tragicomic story of the one-state movement

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There has been renewed talk this week about the possibility of a one-state solution to the Israel/Palestine conflict.

Did you know that Noam Chomsky began advocating for a one-state solution in the early 1970s? As proof it would work he pointed to two models of complicated populations living in harmonious co-existence: Lebanon and Yugoslavia.

Then, of course, protracted civil war and ethnic conflicts tore both countries to pieces, with Yugoslavia exploding into five nation states. It was as if Chomsky had put forward Fred and Rose West as models of parenting shortly before the bodies of 11 tortured kids were found in their garden.

For a while, most proponents of the one-state solution fell into embarrassed silence.

Then, about seven years ago, the anti-Israel movement suddenly said to themselves: “Hey, whatever happened to that obviously ridiculous idea we had? Shall we resurrect it?”

And they did. Lunacy can be a tenacious beast.

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