Today I read a book about Palestine and Israel, apropos considering the current climate. Because I finished this right after Herodotus' The Histories, I could really sense how this could only be a modern conflict. Because if this situation happened in any earlier period, this is the solution: One side (probably Israeli with their military dominance) would just completely annihilate the other. You'd go in, execute all the men, and take the women and children as slaves. Possibly even kill them too. That's exactly what happened when Joshua's army toppled the walls of Jericho in the Bible back when the Jews first came to Israel. It was so common that Herodotus would mention mass slaughters almost in passing.

Nowadays the ideas of morality and human rights really are the only thing preventing this because both sides aren't very happy with the alternative. The Israelis don't want to assimilate the Palestinians into their country because with their birth rates in a few generations they'll dominate the Israeli legislature. And they don't want a two-state solution because that'll involve ceding land and settlements that many aren't willing to give up. The Palestinians are still upset over the loss of their land sixty years ago as well as previous injustices and are demanding more than is reasonable. Really if they both just want the land, then before what you'd just do commit genocide until there wasn't anyone to stop you from doing so. It's just because nowadays we're not insane so just the mere idea of it sends shivers up our spine. (The dominant political party in Palestine, Hamas, seems open to it though.) Consequently they both have to dance around each other, never really reaching a solution. And I don't think there will be one anytime soon.