Is the two-state solution dead?

Palestinians, living near the Israeli settlement of Kiryat Arba on the outskirts of the West Bank city of Al Khalil (Hebron), take part in a demonstration near the settlement on August 24, 2016 to protest against the ongoing ban for Palestinians to access a main road in front of Kiryat Arba. (AFP)

The most comprehensive survey of Palestinian and Israeli opinion in recent times has indicated that support for a two state solution is at an all-time low since peace negotiations were launched in the 1990s. Does this mean that the two-state solution is dead?

Only a small majority of Palestinians (51%) and Israelis (53%) support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to a new poll.

The poll by the Israel Democracy Institute and the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research surveyed 1,270 Palestinians and 1,184 Israelis and focused on the public’s views on a permanent peace agreement, ability to trust and compromise with the other side, and mistrust and fear of the other.

When presented with a peace agreement package based on that from previous rounds of negotiations, only 39% of Palestinians and 39% of Israelis said they support such a package.

The Palestinian Ambassador to UK, Professor Manuel Hassassian,  said ideally he would prefer a one-state solution but pragmatically and politically the two-state solution is the best option that the Palestinians could realistically achieve. Although, he said even that seems to be rather impossible under the current political climate.

Professor Haim Bresheeth said that the Israelis have made a two-state solution impossible because of their continuous violation of international law. Moreover, the two-state solution is immoral the whole of historic Palestine belongs to the Palestinians and any jews should share their land in a free and democratic state.


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