A Palestinian State Would Be Good for Israel: The Chance for a Two-State Solution Still Exists—but Won’t for Long

12 comments

1. This analysis has many interesting points. Haas argues that a Palestinian state is less of a threat to Israel because it will have an incentive to rein in terrorism while currently violence is an outlet for a people who are stateless with little hope of having a state. That argument makes sense to me. The counter argument would be that what if a newly formed Palestine state elects a Hamas govt that does not rein it in and the violence continues.

2. Idiotic take.

   We had a Palestinian state 2005-2025. It promoted terrorism and was a major security risk for Israel.

   As long as the Palestinian people want to fight, whatever government they have will always have an incentive to fight Israel or be replaced by a group who will.

3. People who on paper who support a two state solution but then write essays say a one state solution will somehow be inevitable baffle me.

   A one state solution (and the status quo) being unviable in basically any possible world is why anyone would support a two state solution to start with.

   And yes a Palestinian state is the best longterm solution for the conflict but only one with strong meaningful security guarantees.

4. >The Chance for a Two-State Solution Still Exists

   At this point, even that hippie “One Secular, Multicult, State” looks more realist, sorry.

5. Israel *has* offered multiple two-state solution deals in exchange for renunciations of terrorism and security guarantees multiple times, and they have been refused every time.

   The problem is the society is right now an overwhelmingly radicalized one. If you get a government entity by some miracle that is actually willing to crack down on terrorism in exchange for statehood, it will be seen as a collaborationist puppet government and what’s left of Hamas or a successor group will be vastly more popular and very likely take over.

   There is no deradicalization when UN schools are staffed full of Hamas members and Hamas sympathizers. There is no deradicalization when western governments are going to reward Hamas by recognizing statehood in the aftermath of the Oct. 7th attacks and the war they started.

   Until that changes there is no hope for a 2 state solution, and you’re going to get more of the same.

6. “*A Palestinian state, rather than providing a base for terror, would be more likely to reduce it in ways that the Israel Defense Forces cannot. **That is because terrorists can now act with near impunity, as they are not responsible for any territory or economy and have no citizens to answer to**. Absent a Palestinian state, Israel likely faces a forever war. By contrast, the government of a Palestinian state would face the military and economic consequences of any attacks it authorized on Israel, which would be acts of war rather than terrorism, and of unauthorized attacks that occurred from within its borders, which a sovereign government is expected to prevent.*”

   His perspective in this specific paragraph feels idealistic and in direct contradiction with how the local actors – both Hamas and the Israeli government – perceive the reality of Gaza since 2007…

   Hamas in many ways came to power by initially focusing on social services & presenting themselves as the law-and-order de facto government in a land rife with violence and instability (in addition to being absolutely brutal vis-à-vis Fatah forces & eventually the civilian population too).

   Israel in many ways has treated Hamas as the de facto government, going as far as approving work permits and allowing funds in over the years partially in the hopes that it would moderate Hamas’ more militant factions, which clearly did not work. Israel’s reaction to October 7th is very much the type of military and economic consequences that Haas is describing would happen with a future Palestinian state, so I really do not see what additional consequences he imagines would happen differently with/without official Palestinian statehood. (I am not saying Palestinian statehood should not happen eventually once negotiated between Israelis and Palestinians; I simply think Haas makes a very weak argument for it, given what has transpired these last few years).

7. It doesn’t solve the issue. You need to listen to ACTUAL Palestinians. The majority of them feel ALL of the land is theirs. Again, most not all, Palestinians feel the entirety of the land should be free of Jewish Israelis. They’ve turned down a state 5 times. They elected Hamas in Gaza which has that in their Charter. Also watch the ASK Project on YouTube. They repeat it over and over. They don’t want some of the land. They want all of it. They need to be de-radicalized.

8. Incredibly naive article – A Palestinian state would not curb any violence. Look at Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, as those provide “cookie-cutter” models for how to continue attacking Israel, even after a potential state would be formed.

   Step 1: Create a government / state.

   Step 2: Form a violent paramilitary to attack Israel.

   Step 3: Once Israel attacks the paramilitary back, hide within and underneath civilians. Claim disproportionate response, civilian deaths (even if they are military operatives), war crimes / genocide, etc…Rally the international community to condemn / weaken Israel.

   Iran knows this, so if a potential Palestinian state were to form (which is obviously a highly unlikely scenario), they would be ready to send in military equipment, missiles, etc. under the guise of food / medicinal aid. It may not happen immediately, but you can bet it will happen.

9. The chance of a two state solution happening in my lifetime died on October 7, 2023.

10. Of course it would be good for Israelis but have they asked Palestinians, especially Gazans, how they feel about it? I imagine even Israelis stopped believing in a 2 state solution after Oct 7th. It’s radical right wishing for a war to stop in Ukraine (by Ukraine capitulating). Yeah world peace is great, but it’s a teenagers dream with no roots in reality.

11. the people here who are so adamantly against a palestinian state, conveniently never elaborate as to what is the alternative to that, particularly as time goes on and the expansion of israeli settlement in the west bank grows more stablished

    It seems like many are hinting at ethnic cleansing as the only possible long term arrangement

12. > Resolving the Palestinian issue would also create a context in which the Abraham Accords, and normalization between Arab countries and Israel more generally, could continue and broaden.

    This is what it is really all about.

    Saudis want to see Palestinian issue quite down; instability is particularly bad for you if you are in the investment business, let alone the biggest investment body in the world. [Kushner has been saying this for years](https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/saudi-arabia-economic-interests-normalise-israel-jared-kushner) and it seems the Saudis are ever more inclined to agree.

    At the same time there’s a [shift in Arab regime attitude towards non-state armed groups like Hezbolla or Hamas](https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/04/middleeast/egypt-gaza-plan-draft-hamas-war-israel-arab-summit-intl) – they want them gone for fear they or other similar group would be able to launch an Oct 7th-like attack directed not at Israel but at their regimes.

    Notice how the [push to recognize Palestine is spearheaded by France *with Saudi Arabia*](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/28/saudi-arabia-france-un-palestine-statehood). A very telling sign that this wave of declarations of intention to recognize Palestine is part of a much larger play.

    Basically, the idea seems to, once war is over, that Israel will be presented with a choice between accepting emaciated Palestinian state in WB (and later in Gaza) in exchange for Saudis joining Abrham accords and normalizing relations with Israel (the carrot).

    Failing this, Israel would face world condemnation and even Trump turning his back on it (the stick). Also, it seems [likely Israel would be allowed to annex the settlement blocks](https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-stands-with-israel-after-calls-by-israeli-ministers-to-annex-occupied-west-bank/3620210) to make this pill a little easier to get passed the far-right elements in Israel’s government.

    If this play works, it would be the start of a new era in the region, and of course, Trump would get his Noble (though probably MBS and MBZ would deserve it more).

    And if the play doesn’t work – another decade or two of bloodshed probably, before a new window opens, so I for one am hoping Trump ends up getting his noble, funny how one man’s ego can help drive historic events sometimes.

Comments are closed.