Long bets - Israel & the Palestinians

time to read 2 min | 318 words

Brad Abrams asks about a site for long bets, and get an answer in a comment that the site is call Longbets.org.

The curious thing about it that I run a cursory search and, naturally, there is a long running bet for a peace between Israel and the Palestinians because of some improvements in water technologies (didn't investigate the spesific technology).

Registerring isn't free, so I answer this arguement here:

The reasons for Israel & the Palestinians conflict1 are much deeper than water conflict. The issue is deeply embedded within the culture of both people. The conflict is about land, and religion, a way of life and a culture. We live within two steps of one another, but we are very different.

To think that solving the water supply would end the conflict is to be hopelessly naive.

My bet?
There will be no resolution2 to the Israel - Palestinians conflict in the next five years3.

1 I'm using very neutral language here.

2 Resolution defined as:

  • Israel formally acknowledge a Palestinian state.
  • Israel trasfer full responsability for the internal affairs of this Palestinian state, including in security matters.
  • The Palestinians formally renounce the Right to Return
  • The Palestinians stop the propoganda against Israel in all goverment controled media and in the schools.

3 By God, I so hope that I'll have to swallow those words.