What about helping Palestine become a sustainable economy? Diverting all the water to the Golan Heights doesn't and won't help them grow much food. Palestinians need more than the creation of a state and territory they can call their own. They need land that can actually be lived on. Palestinians will continue to feel hard done by if they end up with a useless wasteland for a country.
I think it will be centuries before either state can let go of the hatred that has built up since the allies kindly deposited the world's traumatised jewish population in what they thought would be a nice home for them.

Look at the comments above. There will NEVER be a solution to this issue and the Middle East will continue to burn until something big enough and bad enough crushes their abilty to fight with one another (not just Israel and the Palestinians, but the populations of the entire region). I've stopped caring....

In general a good analysis by Mr. Melman. However, there are four points I would like to share.

1. I do not believe Israel really wants to give up its occupation of West Bank lands, as the Israeli's say in its truly religious extremist ways: "God promised this land to the Jews 3000 years ago!

2. Why is it that each time we come close to some sort of a peace discussion, that the Israeli helicopters and missiles kill Palestinans, and light up the rage of the Palestinians and the Muslim world once again? The excuse of firecracker missiles from Gaza into Israel is hardly a justification for a kill ratio of 400 Palestinians to 1 Israeli in the last few years. The the Israelis say we do not do body counts as a measure of killing. However, when it is convenient for the Israelis to muster sympathy they have no hesitation to count the 6 million dead in the holocaust. There is something wrong with this picture!

3. Why is it that Palestine has to recognize Israel as a pre-condition. Why does not Israel recognize Palestine in terms of Internationally recognized 1948 borders? Ever wonder?

4. Without the Intifada and legitimate resistance by the Palestinian people, we would not be even talking about a Palestinian state today. Therefore, I believe the resistance (within the West Bank and Gaza) against occupation troops and collaborators is necessary till complete withdrawal from Palestinian land is achieved. That is precisely the way liberation is achieved, even by our founding fathers here in America. The French helped us financially and our freedom fighters valiantly fought the British and sent them back to their country. That is called liberation! One may say, well that was 200+ years ago! Oh well, how about Kosovo or the other Baltic states, they would have hardly achieved independence without a liberation fight, and with support from outside -- and that was in the last 10 years.

The Palestinains have been fighting for their liberation for 50 years against a poweful Israel, collaborated by the most powerful nation in the world -- the United States, mainly because Israeli religious extremists and sympathizers influence US foreign policy towards the Muslim World till today. Not until the United States plays a truly fair and balanced game will there ever be peace in the Middle East or in the World!

It is far too late for a two-state solution. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict should have been settled after the Six Day War, when defeated Arab states would have been more willing to negotiate peace in order to regain the land taken by the Israelis. In exchange for Israel withdrawing to the pre-war borders, all neighboring countries should have been forced to sign an accord, recognizing Israel's right to exist and disavowing further violence. Peace keeping forces could have been put on the ground until the area became stable. Anyone violating the peace agreement would be subject to severe punishment.

Instead, we have had decades to foster hatred and distrust among all involved. The number of refugees has grown exponentially as has the number of Jewish settlers. Despite the desires of the many Israelis and Paelstinians to find a peaceful, two-state solution, the actions of those unwilling to compromise, both Israeli and Palestinian, prevail.

Forget the two-state solution. The US should support and encourage a single, secular state where Jews and non-Jews have the same democratic rights, and everyone can stop arguing over borders.

Wow! What a let down that was. You had me until point #1 and then it fell apart. This is just more of the same. No real compromise, just do what you want to do and expect everyone to fall in line.

Hamas is not the problem, whether you ascribe the current situation to them or not. It is and has always been the state of Israel. It as well as the US and the world should be ashamed at what has happened there.

The Palestinians have, from the beginning, been the victim in this Zionist movement, and the support of the world has been criminal in the least.

It is time for most of the worlds leaders need go and make room for the next generation of leaders. They have failed Human kind miserably and deserve nothing but the ash bin of history. Hopefully the new world leaders learns from these horrible, horrible mistakes.

You have all brought the world to the brink of extinction, and the "un-people" will not stand for it much longer.

Seems to me that this "compromise" is too favorable to Israel.

It is true that Hamas is Israel's enemy. But aren't people supposed to speak with their enemy in order to reach a compromise? Whether or not Hamas's cause is just, to refuse to even speak with them speaks plenty about the goals of Likud and other Israeli parties.

Why is there no mention of the billions in aid from the United States to Israel? Will that cease as part of the deal? To make no mention of this is inherently disingenuous. Even with all the high tech weapons of mass destruction delivered by the United States, the Palestinian people (both Christian and Muslim), still continue to fight against the illegal occupation.

But let's say we go with your plan. Then what? What will this independent Palestine do? What will Israel do?

There is no solution to this conflict other than the dismantling of the state of Israel. States which favor one racial/religious group over another are inherently self-destructive. Claims based upon an ancient book are not meaningful in the 21st century.

Israel will collapse within the next 50 years. In its place will be a free and democratic Palestine that does not favor one race or religion over another.

What about Jerusalem?