Land for Peace: The Two-State Non-Solution
Why is Israel opposed to a two-state solution? Here are the times it has been attempted, and how it has failed
Because of the convergence of greatly increased hostile missile and homicide drone attacks in my region of Israel which disrupt normal life and work, and the High Holidays, which require time both for prayer and life, my post this week is an outline, not an essay.
Land for Peace: A Farce
This outlines every effort made by Israel or the United Nations to build the acclaimed “Two-State Solution” with Palestinian Arabs. Each one failed because the Palestinian factions refused to accept them.
Why did they refuse? Because they do not want a state next to Israel. They will only settle for a state instead of Israel. And since Jews that enter their territories today are very often murdered, Israelis understand that their single state will not be open to Jews, the way Muslims, Christians and others are full citizens of modern Israel.
Where available, I have used Jewish sources. If you want to see real biased reporting, check Wikipedia on these subjects. Be aware that most reporting against Israel is based on a small kernel of truth—but taken completely out of context, ignoring the reasons for Israeli actions. By reading the Jewish source and following up with Wikipedia, the New York Times, or another mainstream source, you will quickly understand what biased reporting is. You can also read about it in my May 30, 2024 post, Disinformation: Jimmy Carter Interview.
The Bases for Land-For-Peace
1967; UN Resolution 242, called for Israel to withdraw from territories occupied in 6-day War
1973: UN Resolution 338, reaffirmed 242 during the Yom Kippur War
1978: Camp David Accords affirmed these as the basis for a land-for-peace plan
Oslo I
1993: Rabin and Arafat signed the Oslo Accords, which affirmed Israel’s right to exist and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), called the Palestinian Authority (PA) when acting as the representative of the Palestinian Arabs.
Oslo 1 (1993) provided for:
Self-governance in the West Bank and Gaza under the PA
Authority for these primarily local services, which had been provided by Israel, was transferred to the PA:
Education
Health
Social Welfare
Taxation
Tourism
Start of a 5-year transitional period for Palestinian Arab self-governance in a more national sense, including negotiations on:
Jerusalem status
Palestinian Arab “refugees” (by 1993 it was 45 years—2+ generations—after they had left their homes)
Israeli settlements
Defined borders
Foreign relations
Creation of a strong Palestinian Arab police force
Democratic elections for Palestinian Arabs in the West Bank and Gaza
Arrangements for coordination between Israel and the PLO/PA on security and economic development
Oslo 1 in 1994
First stage of withdrawal of Israeli security forces; transfer of authority to PLO
Withdrawals of Israelis from Gaza City and Jericho were complete within weeks
PA soon began carrying out civilian functions in those areas
1995
Formal signing of Oslo II Accords extending PA self-rule to population centers in addition to Gaza City and Jericho.
Measures included much more self-rule and the withdrawal of Israeli forces in most places
Prevention of acts of terrorism and crime against each other was required
Safe passage between the West Bank and Gaza Strip was arranged
A deadline of May 4, 1999 was set for a permanent resolution
First Intifada: Dec. 1987-Sept. 1993. Terrorist activities against men, women and children throughout Israel were stepped up. Terrible violence ensued; suicide bombings in pizza parlors and other restaurants as well as buses and shopping malls.
Second Intifada: Sept. 2000. Another serious wave of violence was begun.
Myths and Facts Online, read the lies and truth about the Second Intifada
Major Palestinian Terror Attacks since Oslo
Bus bombings, suicide bombings in restaurants, malls, and other places people congregated. Bombers were both men and women, some teenagers.
What Did the Palestinian Arabs Do For Peace?
Nothing. The Arabs never gave peace a chance. The terrorism after the signing of the Oslo Accords was far worse than before. It became clear to all but the hard-line leftists that Arafat had lied when he signed for the prevention of terrorism and crime.
Withdrawal from Gaza, 2005
Israel withdrew unilaterally from Gaza
All security forces were removed
All Jewish settlements
There were even evacuations of 4 Jewish settlements in the West Bank as an Israeli demonstration of good will
Israeli “blockade” of Gaza—the media makes much of the fact that Israel blockaded Gaza, giving the impression that nothing was allowed in or out.
What was blockaded? Only materials that could be used to create weapons
Requirement to lift the blockade: Hamas had to renounce violence against Israel, recognize Israel, and honor all previous agreements between Israel and the PA.
To stop infiltration of terrorists from Gaza to Israel
Food, medical equipment and medications, and consumer goods were permitted
The presence of luxury hotels along the coast, seen by Israeli soldiers, is evidence that there was a flourishing tourist business before October 2023. Either Google’s anti-Israel algorithms or journalists’ edits have made unbiased information about the past very difficult to find online.
What Now?
The story does not end here. This war will change things, but how is uncertain. The west is still pressuring for a two-state solution, but even most leftists no longer believe that such a thing is possible. The implacability of our enemy is all too obvious.
My favorite dream is that the Iranian Islamic government will end within the next few weeks or months, and a new civilian government will cut off all money to terrorist groups including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Boko Haram, and the other sponsors of Islamic fundamentalist terror around the world. The United Nations will be barred from Israel and the so-called territories; they have been major fomenters of the conflict for the last 76 years. The USA will stop funding the UN, kick the organization out of Manhattan, and the organization will become in practice what it is in philosophy: a wrung-out dirty rag.
I envision, within Gaza and the West Bank, that Israel will take firm control of education and, the way the USA did in Germany and Japan following World War II. I see us re-educating the population about their victimization under Islamic fundamentalism, with billions donated for their aid going to the war effort while many of them live in squalor, and as their use as human shields and tools for violence by their so-called leaders. And I envision that education as changing their attitudes toward coexistence with Israel.
In my dream, after they have been re-educated to renounce violence against non-Muslims, they will be encouraged to move to Muslim-majority countries such as Jordan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia—from whence their ancestors came prior to 1912 and the improved health and economic conditions in the land brought by the Jews.
At 78, I do not expect to live to see these dreams fulfilled, but I hope that I live to see them not only begun, but well underway.
I do not have time to be more complete. If you are interested in more on the subject, by all means research it. Googling will be helpful, just pay attention to the source. Try to read a Jewish source before you read the others. The Jewish Virtual Library contains a lot of excellent information.
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