What is the “two-state solution” and why would it be a disaster for Israel?
Following the Hamas atrocities of October 7, 2023, in which Hamas brutally murdered over 1,200 innocent Israelis, President Biden and his administration have repeatedly declared their support for the creation of a Palestinian state within the framework of a “two-state solution.” On November 26, 2023, President Biden said: “A two-state solution is the only way to guarantee the long-term security of both the Israeli and Palestinian people.” He added that his administration “will not give up on working towards this goal.”
The “two-state solution” envisions an independent Palestinian state centered in the Gaza Strip and Israel’s Biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria.
For several reasons, the “two-state solution” would be disastrous for the people of Israel, threatening its very existence as an independent state.
A Palestinian State would Pose an Existential Threat to Israel’s Security
In 2005, Israel withdrew its military and civilian presence from Gaza, giving the Palestinians the opportunity to govern themselves in the entire Gaza Strip. Rather than setting up a functioning state, they used billions of dollars in foreign aid to build a terrorist infrastructure and have continually attacked Israel with rocket fire ever since.
For a span of 16 years, Israel attempted to coexist with the Hamas government in Gaza, which functioned as an autonomous Palestinian state in all but name. The constant barrage of missile attacks created a harrowing existence for residents in southern Israel and, eventually, for a significant portion of the country whenever Hamas and its counterparts in Palestinian Islamic Jihad initiated rounds of conflict.
Efforts to thwart the flow of “humanitarian aid” into the region, which inadvertently funded the construction of Hamas’s tunnel network for fortification against attacks, also proved futile. Despite multiple Israeli military campaigns against Hamas over the years, Israel was unable to deter Hamas from its terror attacks against Israel.
This predicament reached its climax with the calamity of October 7, marked by horrifying atrocities committed by Hamas. The Hamas attack left over 1,200 Israelis dead, thousands injured, and over 240 innocent civilians taken as hostages in Gaza. On that terrible day, Hamas terrorists and thousands of “ordinary” Gazans committed appalling crimes, including gang rape, torture and the murder of entire families. More Jews were murdered on October 7 than on any day since the Holocaust.
Recent polling shows that 75% of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza approve of the Hamas massacre of October 7. A Palestinian state, regardless of the makeup of its government, would present an existential threat to Israel’s national security, empowering a terrorist state dedicated to Israel’s destruction.
President Biden believes that the Palestinian Authority, which governs the Arab population centers of the West Bank, is capable of ruling an independent Palestinian state. But at its core, the PA is no different from Hamas. The PA seeks the destruction of Israel, financially rewards the families of terrorists who murder Israelis, and has shown itself incapable of responsible and peaceful governance.
For over 75 years, Palestinian Arabs have refused to accept the existence of the State of Israel. The significant majority of Palestinians aspire to the destruction of Israel and a second Holocaust. A “two-state solution” that creates a Nazi-type state on Israel’s borders would bring unspeakable horror and destruction upon the State of Israel.
A Palestinian State would be a Rejection of the Bible
The land of Israel is the Biblical and historical homeland of the Jewish people, who have maintained a continuous presence in the land since Biblical times. No other nation has ever governed the Land of Israel as a local sovereign entity.
The Palestinian Arabs have no historical claim to the land of Israel. There has never been a “Palestinian” national entity in the land. While Palestinian Arabs must be granted full individual rights, there is no legitimate Palestinian claim to any part of the land of Israel.
Genesis 12:3 states that God will bless those who bless Israel and will curse those who harm Israel. The US government must not allow America to harm Israel’s interests. Pressuring Israel to surrender any part of the land of Israel to her enemies is contrary to the Bible and the truth of history.
An Overwhelming Majority of Israelis and Palestinians Oppose the Two-State Solution
Even before October 7, 65% of Israelis (including 59% of Arab Israelis) were opposed to a two-state solution (Pew Research Center, Sept. 2023). The Hamas massacre of October 7 has only increased the number of Israelis opposed to the two-state solution.
According to polling conducted after October 7th (Gallup), 76% of Palestinian Arabs are opposed to a two-state solution.
The essence of Palestinian nationalism is inextricably linked to the conflict against Zionism, making it impossible for their leaders to embrace even the most advantageous two-state resolution. A two-state solution would require Palestinians to acknowledge the legitimacy of a Jewish state, a concession that generations of Palestinians have steadfastly rejected, regardless of the specific borders delineating that state.
Every “two-state solution” plan since the 1930s has failed, despite the Jewish people’s acceptance of this framework. This failure is due to the lack of interest from the majority of Palestinian Arabs, who have consistently rejected proposals such as the United Nations’ 1947 decision for an Arab state of Palestine, as well as multiple offers for an independent state extended by Israel over the past quarter-century.
It is the height of arrogance and folly for the US administration to pressure Israelis and Palestinians to accept a solution that neither population wants. Without the support of Israelis and Palestinians, a two-state solution is doomed to fail.
