OK, I can almost agree to that. There were Jews there who had lived there, like, forever. And there were some who came in 1492, for example, along with some Muslims from Spain.
Okay, so far we agree that there were people there -- both Jews and Palestinians -- who had either "lived there forever" or had immigrated so long ago as to give them some sort of claim to the land, yes? And we agree that those who have "lived there forever" or for a really long time have, equally, a valid claim to the land.
I hope you would also agree to the fact that there are people -- both Jews and Palestinians -- who immigrated more recently. And that, applied equally, would have to be treated in the same manner.
So what does all this mean in terms of a solution? Moving forward, what do we DO with all these different groups of people?
As far as I can tell there were no land disputes for hundreds of years before the Zionist colonial project.
More-or-less agreed. But its important to understand the REASONS why this is so and how it changed over time. neither group had national political aspirations under the Ottoman Empire; the one because it never occurred to them and the other because it wasn't thought possible; the villages were small and scattered and it didn't really matter if there was a Jewish village or a Palestinian village over the hill because one did not have much contact with the other; there was plenty of land to go around and one could set up a village far enough away from the next one so as not to encroach upon each village's cultivatable land. And there was limited "otherness" between the Jews living in the villages and towns and the Arab Muslims. They had different religious faiths, but they lived the same lives.
And, let's be honest, there were disputes between Arab Muslims and Jews intermittently. I wouldn't go as far as Phoneall, but they certainly existed. Dhimmis did pay a jizya or maktu tax up until 1856 in the Ottoman Empire, and the "military substitution tax" after that. (and as an aside to that, imagine the outcry at modern Arab Israelis having to pay a tax to avoid the military requirement in Israel!). Jews were not equal citizens, but had restrictions on where they could live, how they could dress, etc. There were pogroms and even outright massacres in Arab lands, especially in the 1800's.
The Zionist colonial project was/is the problem...All of the problems stem from the Zionist project. That is why the Jews lost land (and lives) in Hebron, East Jerusalem, and even in Gaza.
But that is narrative. And very simplified narrative, at that. One that absolves one side from responsibility and colors them as the sole victim.
Now, I don't have a problem with narrative. Narrative is important. Each side's stories are important. And in this conflict, each side excludes the other from the narrative and refuses to acknowledge that even though the two narratives are in conflict with each other, they are both true.
The way to solve the conflict is to stop creating or supporting narratives which identify unsolvable problems or assign the problems as an irreparable, inherent feature of the other group.
For example, one could as easily argue that it was Arab Muslim nationalism that was the problem, rather than Zionism. Why was it not possible to trade one overlord (Ottoman Empire) for another (the Jewish State)? The Arabs from that area never wanted an independent state and national sovereignty before. The Arabs never had a problem living next to Jews before. Why was it suddenly a problem to live under Jewish rule rather than Ottoman rule? Especially when lives were improving under that rule?
The Palestinians, including the Jews, wanted a single state where everyone had equal rights like they had been living for generations.
No. The Arab Muslims wanted a continuation of the status quo -- a world where rights belonged with the Arab Muslims and the Jews were mostly tolerated as long as they quietly paid their taxes and stayed out of the way. Everyone was equal, but some were more equal than others. (The Arab Muslims continue to want this -- witness the Temple Mount.)
The real problem is that the national aspirations of both groups, which grew and developed parallel to each other and in response to the other became essentially incompatible. They are currently incompatible. They may not be that way forever, but for now, they are. Thus, regardless of whatever narrative one wants to tell, whatever victimization one wants to assert, whatever injustices one wants to highlight -- the solution must be two states. (Two more states).
So, again, I ask you where do we go from here? What is the solution? I know you seek a one state solution (well, two, since I assume you don't want to dissolve Jordan). What do you want that one state solution to look like? How would it be different than it is now? What would bring about equality, as you claim to want, which is not there currently? How would you convince each side to give up national self-determination? How would you convince me that the Arab Muslims are capable of treating the Jewish people equally?