Israel-Gaza War renews calls for two-state solution in Middle East
TAMPA, Fla. - The Israel-Gaza War has renewed calls for a two-state solution in the Middle East, but efforts to create an independent Palestinian nation have failed for decades.
As Israel leads its offensive in Gaza, the United States is advising Israel to take additional steps to reduce civilian casualties and develop a long-term plan to pursue after the war end. The leading options have all drawn controversy and mixed response.
There could be what’s called a one-state solution, in which Israel absorbs Gaza and governs the Gaza Strip and West Bank as part of Israel. The amount of control Palestinians have would depend on whatever rights they are granted.
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However, the Biden administration favors a two-state solution, in which Israelis and Palestinians have their own independent nations. And, President Joe Biden sees the Palestinian Authority playing an important role in an independent Palestinian state.
The challenge is calling for a Palestinian state (or a two-state solution) is that it’s getting increasingly harder to pull off as time passes. Gaza used to be part of Egypt and the West Bank used to be part of Jordan until prior wars in which Israel took Gaza from Egypt and West Bank from Jordan.
Israel ended the ground occupation of Gaza nearly 20 years ago and Hamas took over — raising concerns among Israelis over who would (or eventually could) govern a new Palestinian nation.
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At the same time, a growing number of Israeli settlers are moving into the West Bank, which the Palestinians see as a push to squeeze them out.
"King Abdullah might be the most important, because he is, in relative terms, the most cooperative of all the Arab leaders, the most supportive of a two-state solution, most supportive of peace between Israel and the Arab states," said Michael Nacht, a UC Berkeley professor emeritus.
There’s also a challenge with geography in the West Bank. The growing Israeli settlements and Palestinian towns are spaced around each other in ways that make it difficult to geographically divide them into two states.