A big, fat, utopic solution for Middle East

Haul out your What-If's and let's go utopic!


A new state is born in the Middle East. I don't have a name handy, so let's call it Semitia. The neighboring countries agree to respect its borders and the international community guarantees, with the commitment of armed intervention, its security.


Israel and Palestine are merged. No more West Bank, Gaza or settlements or whatever -- everyone is free to settle wherever he wants.


The new state has not specific religious affiliation. No national affiliation either. Taking a leaf from the American genesis book, the new state declares itself as secular, with its people free to practice their religion as they see fit, the refuge and melting pot of any citizen that is accepted into the polity.


A colossal outcry against such a preposterous idea is heard from Israel, that wants a "safe haven for Jews", and the Arabs who see this as a threat against their own, nationalistic-religious states. The United States President, wisely and forcefully [this might be the most utopic part], imposes his country's will onto the warring sides and has his way. Europe, the Third World and the whole United Nations follow suit. [insert here your own political fantasy anecdotes about how Hamas or Sharon react to the plan, but make sure they end with the Americans prevailing]


...Twenty years down the road, the old enmity and suspicion lives on but is not stronger than black/white animosity in South Central. Lots of inter-marriages have began to sprout up, to the horror of old timers. Sport teams regularly sport persons of all ethnic backgrounds. The best player of Maccabi is currently a Jewish kid with an Arab mother. A census taken by the U.N. finds that 17% of the people (35% of those under 25) already consider themselves as Semites rather than Palestinians or Jews. A full 82% of the population characterizes the old suicide bombers and the army sweeps as "stupid stuff".


The economy of the Semitia is booming and becomes the envy of the region. The country opens negotiations with the European Union for membership within 5 years. The model of inter-ethnic accomodation is found to be workable, after all! The intelligentsia all over the world proclaims Semitia the moral capital of the world.


In an emotional moment, New York and New Jersey legislatures take a vote to emulate the Jewish/Palestinian example and merge -- but the idea is abandoned as too preposterous.