Nationalism and Binationalism: The Perils of Perfect Structures

Volume I examines binationalism – a topic that has gained popularity in academic circles as a possible solution to the Israel/Palestine issue (though the historical experience of binationalism is discouraging) – from a theoretical point of view and from a practical angle, analyzing cases in which two ethnic groups or nations share one political system and govern it jointly. Some contributors challenge the accepted notion of national unity in several countries, such as France and Germany; others consider the precedents of Belgium and Canada, and other countries, which are considered as binational. The history of the binational concept in Israel is explored and different opinions are presented on its future prospects: the idea of Israel within the borders of 1949 as a binational state, and the possibility of a binational state between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean.