Calls for the dismantling of Israel have become increasingly common. What was once confined to the ideological fringes is now chanted openly in the streets, printed on placards, repeated on campuses, amplified online, and spoken aloud by activists, academics, artists, musicians, and political commentators with an air of growing moral certainty.

“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

Like all slogans, it possesses a kind of emotional efficiency. It conveys grievance, aspiration, outrage, solidarity, resistance. But slogans, however emotionally satisfying, are not plans. And when slogans concern the dismantling of an existing nation-state, one populated by millions of human beings, they eventually require elaboration. I would suggest that time has come.

What exactly is being proposed here?

I ask this not rhetorically, nor as some partisan trick. For many years now, I have asked versions of this question to friends, acquaintances, activists, and anti-Zionist commentators whose views differ sharply from my own. What, specifically, do you propose? Not merely what you oppose. Not what you denounce. Not what fills you with anguish or anger. What do you propose should happen next?

Recently, after raising this question online, I received the following response from a woman I’ll call M. Her answer was not unusual. In fact, it reflected, in distilled form, a sentiment I have encountered repeatedly:

“Open the vote to all people living in lands occupied by Israel, elect a representative........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)