THE ONLY TWO STATE SOLUTION POSSIBLE?

Given the history of the last 100 years, there was always a concept of two states — an Arab/Muslim and a Jewish state. However, this was always rejected by the leaders of the Arabs in Palestine, as well as by most Arab states.

Many attempts were made to find a solution acceptable to the Palestinians; at least four offers were made since the late seventies. This included an offer for a Palestinian State to consist of 97% of the occupied land in the Westbank and Gaza, compensation of additional land for the 3%, all of East Jerusalem, and a strata solution for the Temple giving the Palestinians the upper level — Al Aqsa Mosque — and the Jews the lower level (Wailing Wall). Arafat, whilst agreeing to that solution at Camp David in negotiations with Bill Clinton and Yitzhak Rabin, returned to Israel only to reject this solution. Instead Arafat triggered the first Intifada which killed over a 1,000 Israeli civilians, mostly in suicide bombing attacks.

Today, we have three parties who need to come together and negotiate in good faith to find an acceptable solution for both sides — Hamas, PLA (Fatah), Israel. Hamas is a religiously inspired Muslim Brotherhood Islamist entity which clearly rejects any concept of a two state solution. Instead it has a policy platform which calls for the destruction of Israel and for the establishment of a Palestinian State “from the (Jordan) river to the (Mediterranean) Sea”. There is no room in their policy for a Jewish State, in fact there is no room for Jews at all unless they are a small (invisible) minority in an Islamist State.

Fatah, the party in control of the Palestinian Authority governing the West Bank, is less clear than Hamas but is also dominated by politicians who reject a two state solution unless it includes a return of all territories lost in the 1967 war. This would include large agglomerations, like Ariel with over 200,000 residents, as well as all of East Jerusalem disregarding who lives there. Fatah also rejects any concept which would limit its sovereignty — eg. Limits on the size of its military and the kind of weapon systems they can have and unfettered control of their borders with Egypt and Jordan. There is currently no leader within the PLA who would accept and promote a solution which would address Israel’s legitimate security concerns.

After many attempts over a period of over 50 years to find a two state solution by Israel, all of which led to nothing, Israel is now governed by a coalition of centre right, religious and extreme right (settlers’) parties. This government under the leadership of Bibi Netanyahu is fundamentally opposed to a two state solution. It points to the brutal Islamist regime of Hamas in Gaza and states that a two state solution would simply see a radical, authoritarian Islamist state extending over the Westbank and Gaza arming itself for the next attack on its neighbour.

It has to be clear, after all attempts made and considering the stated positions of the parties that there is very little chance for a negotiated agreement based on compromise which allows both parties to live in peace next to each other.

At the same time, it seems clear now that with the help of Iran weapons (rockets and missiles) have been supplied to or locally manufactured by Hamas which makes it militarily impossible to guarantee security for the citizens of Israel. The barbarous attack on 7th of October, slaughtering some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking some 240 people hostage have shown that only a broad based military action and presence on the ground can control the situation in Gaza (and in a way in the West Bank). However, military actions in Gaza and the West Bank will always lead to the death of innocent civilians being in the cross fire of the two opponents. Also, occupation and control of the administration of Palestinians has only grown resistance and has been unsuccessful guaranteeing security for Israel.

What solution, if any, is left? Israel can’t continue with its occupation of Palestinian land but it seems to be unable to find a partner to negotiate an acceptable solution for both sides. But, at the same time, Israel can’t live and cooperate with neighbours planning and working constantly on ways to destroy the Israeli State. There seems to be only one way to change the deteriorating status quo:

1. Israel has to pull out of Gaza and the West Bank including giving up control of the borders between Palestinian land and the Jordanian and Egypt borders.

2. Settlers have to be given an ultimatum to return to Israel or chose to stay in the Westbank without protection.

3. Israel has to establish an “Iron Curtain” , keeping 3 or 4 large towns on the Israeli side, and completely separate itself from Palestine. This curtain must be more sophisticated than the current separation fence and essentially be impenetrable.(essentially the kind of border we had between East and West in Europe during the cold war, between the two Koreas)

4. Israel must stop any economic, health, cultural exchange. Palestinians cannot enter Israel, not for work, not for medical treatments, not for education.

5. It is up to Palestine’s neighbours — Jordan and Egypt — to assist with the establishment of the Palestinian State. Israel will not be involved in helping with the development of this State.

6. The connection between the Westbank and Gaza is via Jordan and Egypt. There are no crossing between the new Palestinian State and Israel.

7. Israel will be clear that any attack, any shooting of missiles from the Palestinian State would trigger a strong response from the Israeli air force.

Many Israelis will say that this concept was intended when Israel pulled out of Gaza and Lebanon and only led to the current situation — a strong Hezbollah attacking again and again in the North and Hamas attacking constantly from Gaza. However, the border with Gaza, as we had to painfully see, was never secure. Tens of thousands of Gazans crossed every day into Israel to work there, to get medical treatments, or on their way to visit relatives in the Westbank. It is clear now that a number of these people were in fact infiltrating Israeli Kibbuzim, checking out towns, and passing on detailed information to the military wing of Hamas which in turn used this in their attack against civilians on 7th of October. This has destroyed the preparedness of Israelis to welcome Gazans on their land and has added to fear and suspicion when it comes to Palestinians from the Westbank.

Israel’s policies have not been able to prevent the establishment of a violent authoritarian Islamist state in Gaza. There is little chance that they can prevent the West Bank following on the same path despite the majority of the Palestinians wanting to live in a free and democratic state. However, if Israel pulls out of the Palestinian territories there might be a chance that Palestinians find a way to concentrate on the building of their own state, find ways to cooperate with its neighbours, Arab and Muslim countries around the world and international organisations assisting in building a competent administration and improving standards of living. If not and the main political platform of Palestinians remains the destruction of Israel nothing has changed but Israel has left and will only respond to any attack made with its full force.