How will this end?

There is absolutely no peaceful alternative to end the Israel-Palestine conflict other than a two-state solution. Having said that, there's the harder part to figure out: exactly how these two states will cohexist? Firstly, there needs to be a mutual recognition of statehood by both sides, so that the Palestinian people can have a representative with a mandate to represent them in negotiations. The only way that I see these negotiations going somewhere, though, is if both sides compromise in order to reach a final settlement of land disputes. It will probably be impossible to go back to the 1945 division created by the UN, given how much Palestinian territory Israel has taken since then, but an agreement that respects Palestinian's rights can be reached, if the Israeli settlements and other matters are also resolved.

2 comments

Rachna Shah

Jun 14, 2017

Thanks for sharing your thoughts Joao! That's how I see it too: a two-state solution seems to be the only feasible solution to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict. A state must coincide with the notion of a nation - a group of people united by a common cultural, for instance, identity. Based off of the UN Resolution, Palestine's borders would have to be returned to how they were before 1967.

Nonetheless, little progress has been made. The 2013-2014 peace talks led by US Sec. of State Kerry notably failed. A 2016 resolution declared that Israeli settlements could no longer occur in Palestinian territories, a resolution to which the US notably abstained. However, it is uncertain how the return to Palestinian borders will occur due to settlements in the West Bank.

chase_brown

Jun 29, 2017

You are both right, a two state solution is absolutely ideal but it simply is not feasible."The Palestinians have been offered statehood on three different occasions in the past century. In all three instances, Israel supported the plan while the Palestinians viciously opposed it and instead resorted to terrorism." https://mic.com/articles/1749/palestine-has-always-rejected-a-two-state-solution#.8zXDHImM5 It is a known fact that Israel has offered the possibility of a two state solution on multiple occasions and has been denied each time. The most recent offer was in 2000 at the Middle East Peace Summit moderated by President Clinton. "Israel offered nearly everything the Arabs wanted, an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza, compensation and right of return for refugees, and control over much of Jerusalem. Almost inexplicably, the Palestinians rejected the proposal." The Palestinians are the ones that have never supported a two-state solution not Israel. Even Prince Bandar bin Sultan of Saudi Arabia has agreed and said that “Since 1948, every time we've had something on the table we say no. Then we say yes. When we say yes, it's not on the table anymore. Then we have to deal with something less. Isn't it about time we say yes?”