No 2 State Solution, No Place for Palestinians?

If the PLO and Hamas continue to reject peace deals that offer an independent Palestinian state, whilst continuing to murder, rape and take Israeli civilians hostage as they did on October 7, Israel may resort to drastic measures, in the name of ensuring the safety and security of their nation, such as forcible population transfer.

I hope that even though the Palestinian Liberation Organization was created with the intention to fight for a single Arab state from the river to the sea – and who have since rejected the Clinton Parameters and Olmert Plan, both amazing offers Mahmoud Abbas could only dream about today – that they, the Palestinian leadership, recognize reality and reach a peace agreement for the long-term safety of all civilians across the region.

Israel has always made the safety of their civilians paramount to everything and anything, since the day they declared independence in 1948.

For example, after they fought too many wars of self-defense against states in the Arab League, who had self-imposed themselves as enemies of the Jewish state, Egypt was finally willing to entertain peace – but for the price of the Sinai Peninsula, which Israel had taken in the 6 Day War.

The desert is a big piece of land and would close to quadruple Israel’s total size, but more importantly, it borders extremely strategic international waterways – the Suez Canal and Straits of Tiran. It is a wild understatement to say that the Sinai Peninsula would have a tremendously positive impact on Israel’s economy and global importance.

Instead, Israel’s Prime Minister Levi Eshkol signaled a desire to offer it back for long-term peace – just two days after capturing it. And then, even after Egypt tried to annihilate Israel again in 1973, the two countries did the deed in 1979: Israel returned the Sinai Penisula in return for peace (even though Egypt has broken prior ceasefire agreements).

The Jewish state of Israel will do whatever it takes to ensure its survival as a country and as a people. From 1939 until independence, that took the form of illegal Jewish immigration into Mandatory Palestine. In 1948, it was to defend themselves against their neighbors’ attacks. In 1956, it was to invade Egypt, together with Britain and France. The list goes on, and on, and on.

Israel has historically attempted peace deals first, even to their own long-term detriment, which cannot be said for its enemies. But over time, as their enemies have changed, so have Israel’s peace processes.

Instead of having powerful neighboring armies who want their annihilation, Israel now faces a different enemy: terrorist groups who find it acceptable to murder, rape and take innocent civilians hostage. The war against Israel’s mere existence may have lessened, but the conflict seems to have become more savage and barbaric.

At the same time, Israel’s internal politics have been dominated by right-wing parties in recent years, mainly being Likud, and with right-wing extremist parties also growing in influence. With this increase, which is likely to grow even further in the future, the Israeli government is becoming more critical and wary of any peace deal – especially one they would have to do with the PLO or Hamas.

If the Palestinian leadership continues to turn down peace deals, whilst simultaneously there’s a continuation or increase of terrorism committed on Israeli soil against innocent civilians, then even mainstream sentiments in Israel will start to shift towards distrust against any peace deal.

Once that point is reached and there is no potential peace deal on the table, Israel will start to look at other options, however extreme, to ensure the safety of their people. This may lead to forcible population transfer and/or the full annexation of the West Bank and Gaza.

I say this with sadness, and to stress the necessity of a long-term peace deal.

As President Trump has repeatedly mentioned in recent weeks, “You don’t have the cards right now.” The Palestinian leadership must recognize that, and push for a deal for independence that includes Gaza, a small majority of the West Bank, land swaps if lucky, and a road to demilitarization. Be realistic and make a deal, sooner rather than later.