- However, the two-state solution is now further away than it has ever been, with some even proclaiming it “dead”.
- But what actually is the two-state solution and why do so many see this as the only resolution to the conflict?
What is the two-state solution?
- The first attempt at creating side-by-side states occurred before the independence of Israel in 1948.
- More than 700,000 Palestinians were displaced from the new state of Israel, fleeing to the West Bank, Gaza and surrounding Arab states.
- This would mean the new Palestinian state would consist of the West Bank prior to Israeli settlement, and Gaza.
- How Jerusalem would be split, if at all, has been a significant point of contention in this plan.
Why is statehood so important?
- The kind of statehood referred to in the two-state solution, known as state sovereignty in international politics, is the authority given to the government of a nation within and over its borders.
- The vast majority of people on Earth live in or legally fall under the jurisdiction of a sovereign state.
- More than 160 members of the UN now recognise Israel; those who do not include Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Indonesia.
- As such, the self-determination of Palestinians through the creation of a sovereign state has been a cornerstone of Palestinian political action for decades.
The closest the two sides got – the Oslo Accords
- Negotiations began largely as a result of Palestinian uprisings across the West Bank and Gaza.
- In 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and the head of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) Yasser Arafat met in Oslo and signed the first of two agreements called the Oslo Accords.
- The Oslo II Accord was signed in 1995, detailing the subdivision of administrative areas in the occupied territories.
- And over the next few decades, the two-state solution has only become harder to achieve for various reasons, including:
the rise of conservative governments in Israel and lack of effective political pressure from the US
the shrinking political influence of the Palestinian Authority under Mahmoud Abbas and the rise of Hamas in Gaza, which caused a political split between the two Palestinian territories
Hamas’ vows to annihilate Israel and refusal to recognise the Israeli state as legitimate
the continued growth of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which has turned the territory into an ever-shrinking series of small enclaves connected by military checkpoints
dwindling support among both Israelis and Palestinians for the model
continued political violence on both sides.
And of course there is Netanyahu – no individual has done more to undermine the two-state solution than the current Israeli leader and his party. In 2010, a leaked recording from 2001 came to light where Netanyahu claimed to have “de facto put an end to the Oslo accords”.
What alternatives are there?
- There aren’t many alternatives and all of them have significant problems.
- Although Arabs already make up around 20% of Israel’s current population, the one-state solution would not be politically feasible.
- According to Zionist ideology, Israel must always remain a majority Jewish state and granting Palestinians citizenship in the occupied territories would undermine this.
Andrew Thomas does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
