Can a Two-State Solution Survive the Israel-Hamas Conflict?
2023-11-17
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1For 30 years, many nations around the world considered two states - one Israeli, one Palestinian - as the way to reach peace in the Middle East.
2VOA recently spoke to several experts about ideas for peace.
3Many people believe two states remain the only path forward even after Hamas' October 7 deadly attack and Israel's strong counter-offensive.
4Israel says Gaza's Hamas rulers killed about 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 240 in their attack.
5Gaza's Health Ministry, which is led by Hamas, says more than 10,000 people have died in Israel's counter-offensive.
6However, political expert Uriel Abulof of Tel Aviv University believes the loss of life on both sides has not made peace impossible.
7Abulof said the war has created a chance for people to "understand that this is not a conflict between the majority of Israelis and Palestinians, [both of whom] want to live in coexistence, without radical leaders," he said.
8"On one side you have Hamas, which you have to deal with militarily, and on the other side are (Israeli Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition, which need to be dealt with politically," he told VOA.
9Hussein Ibish is with the Arab Gulf States Institute that is based in Washington, D.C.
10He also believes that a permanent solution to the long conflict is possible only with a two-state model.
11He said it could be done in steps.
12"Israel must finally and formally accept the Palestinian right to a state and the need for it.
13The construction and establishment of settlements must stop completely," he said.
14Ibish believes Israeli settlements in the West Bank, one of the two Palestinian territories, should be halted. Israel completely withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005.
15Ibish also said Palestinians must condemn the Hamas attacks of October 7 and promise to end the violence.
16He said the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank, must be strengthened.
17Other experts are doubtful.
18Omer Bartov is a professor of Holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University in the American state of Rhode Island.
19Bartov believes the two-state plan is unrealistic.
20He said it would create an economically weak Palestine that is dependent on Israel.
21He added that "because there are between half-a-million and 750,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank...their removal from the territory would mean civil war."
22He also notes there are 2 million Palestinians who live in Israel.
23Israel captured the West Bank, along with East Jerusalem, from Jordan in the Six-Day War of 1967.
24It took Gaza from Egypt in the same war but withdrew from the territory.
25Bartov said another possibility is a confederation of Palestinian-Israeli states within the 1967 borders.
26A confederated state, he said, would permit Palestinian refugees to return to territories their ancestors left when Israel was created.
27"Jerusalem could be the common capital," he said.
28"There would be a difference between citizenship and residence," said Bartov.
29"Jewish settlers could continue to live in the Palestinian state but behave according to its regulations.
30And the Palestinians could return from exile..."
31However, he said the single-state solution seems impossible because of the current war.
32Ibish of the Arab Gulf States Institute said U.S. involvement would be important to any permanent solution.
33He said the U.S. is the only country with the influence to guarantee a two-state peace agreement.
34However, he said, there is a large political cost in the U.S. to put too much pressure on Israel.
35Bartov of Brown University agreed that no plan is possible without the U.S. support on which Israel depends politically and militarily.
36Without it, he suggested, the endless warfare would only continue.
37Israelis and Palestinians "really don't feel there is hope. That's why the perspective must be changed - how to make these two groups of people live side by side, not apart."
38I'm Gena Bennett.
1For 30 years, many nations around the world considered two states - one Israeli, one Palestinian - as the way to reach peace in the Middle East. 2VOA recently spoke to several experts about ideas for peace. 3Many people believe two states remain the only path forward even after Hamas' October 7 deadly attack and Israel's strong counter-offensive. 4Israel says Gaza's Hamas rulers killed about 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 240 in their attack. Gaza's Health Ministry, which is led by Hamas, says more than 10,000 people have died in Israel's counter-offensive. 5However, political expert Uriel Abulof of Tel Aviv University believes the loss of life on both sides has not made peace impossible. 6Abulof said the war has created a chance for people to "understand that this is not a conflict between the majority of Israelis and Palestinians, [both of whom] want to live in coexistence, without radical leaders," he said. 7"On one side you have Hamas, which you have to deal with militarily, and on the other side are (Israeli Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition, which need to be dealt with politically," he told VOA. 8Hussein Ibish is with the Arab Gulf States Institute that is based in Washington, D.C. He also believes that a permanent solution to the long conflict is possible only with a two-state model. He said it could be done in steps. 9"Israel must finally and formally accept the Palestinian right to a state and the need for it. The construction and establishment of settlements must stop completely," he said. 10Ibish believes Israeli settlements in the West Bank, one of the two Palestinian territories, should be halted. Israel completely withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005. 11Ibish also said Palestinians must condemn the Hamas attacks of October 7 and promise to end the violence. He said the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank, must be strengthened. 12Actionable plan or unrealistic? 13Other experts are doubtful. Omer Bartov is a professor of Holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University in the American state of Rhode Island. 14Bartov believes the two-state plan is unrealistic. He said it would create an economically weak Palestine that is dependent on Israel. He added that "because there are between half-a-million and 750,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank...their removal from the territory would mean civil war." 15He also notes there are 2 million Palestinians who live in Israel. 16Israel captured the West Bank, along with East Jerusalem, from Jordan in the Six-Day War of 1967. It took Gaza from Egypt in the same war but withdrew from the territory. 17Bartov said another possibility is a confederation of Palestinian-Israeli states within the 1967 borders. 18A confederated state, he said, would permit Palestinian refugees to return to territories their ancestors left when Israel was created. "Jerusalem could be the common capital," he said. 19"There would be a difference between citizenship and residence," said Bartov. "Jewish settlers could continue to live in the Palestinian state but behave according to its regulations. And the Palestinians could return from exile..." 20However, he said the single-state solution seems impossible because of the current war. 21A part for the U.S. 22Ibish of the Arab Gulf States Institute said U.S. involvement would be important to any permanent solution. 23He said the U.S. is the only country with the influence to guarantee a two-state peace agreement. However, he said, there is a large political cost in the U.S. to put too much pressure on Israel. 24Bartov of Brown University agreed that no plan is possible without the U.S. support on which Israel depends politically and militarily. 25Without it, he suggested, the endless warfare would only continue. 26Israelis and Palestinians "really don't feel there is hope. That's why the perspective must be changed - how to make these two groups of people live side by side, not apart." 27I'm Gena Bennett. 28Marko Protic reported this story for Voice of America. Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English. 29_______________________________________________ 30Words in This Story 31coexistence - v. to live together in peace 32construction -n. the act of building structures with workers and heavy equipment 33confederation - n. a group of people, countries, territories or organizations that are connected by rules or laws but that govern themselves 34residence - n. to live in a place and legally have it as your home 35regulation - n. rules and laws 36perspective - n. the way a person understands or thinks about something