Whoever talks about the Palestinian-Israeli question from the United States to China and from the European Union to Russia claims that they support a two-state solution. The main reason for this claim is the two well-known United Nations Resolutions about the issue.
The U.N. General Assembly passed Resolution 181 on Nov. 29, 1947, which recommended the partition of the Palestinian lands and the establishment of two states, an Arab and a Jewish state. The U.N. Security Council adopted the second resolution on Nov. 22, 1967. Later on, the U.N. repeatedly passed resolutions that referred to Resolution 242, which is generally accepted as the basis and reference point of international law.
In spite of these resolutions and many other decisions made by other international organizations, Israel persistently continued to steal the lands of the Palestinian people. The developments in the Palestinian lands for the last 70 years show us that it is not feasible to reach a solution in Palestine and to establish a Palestinian state.
Challenges to solution in post-atrocity Palestine
Even after the latest Israeli atrocities and the total destruction of the Gaza Strip by Israel, not only those who blame Israel for its atrocities but also political actors who support Israel, talk about a two-state solution to the problem. However, when looked closely, it is clear that a two-state solution cannot be implemented in Palestine. In this piece, I will list some reasons why a two-state solution is impossible.
First of all, Israel will not implement the Articles of Resolution 242, which calls for the withdrawal of Israel from the occupied lands (namely, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem) and the establishment of a Palestinian state. As a matter of fact, so far, Israel never implemented articles of any decisions or agreements. It never respected the decisions of any international authority, including the U.N. That is why, as long as the U.S. and other Western countries support Israel, it will not implement principles of international law, articles of international agreements, or decisions of international organizations. The Western countries must also be held responsible for Israel’s indifference to any international norms.
Second, Israel continues its expansionist policies and its occupation of the Occupied Lands. It calls for Jews living in other countries around the world to come to Palestine and occupy and take over the houses and lands of the Palestinian people. Israel has been trying to justify this occupation by calling this policy a “settlement policy.” That is, Israel and its people continue to steal the Palestinian lands, not only in Gaza but also in the West Bank. The current realities on the ground make the establishment of a viable Palestinian state impossible. Israel has been awarded for the continuation of its occupation policies in Palestine. The Western countries, which continue to provide free aid to Israel, did not take any measures against the Israeli atrocities against the Palestinians. On the contrary, they give an open check to Israel.
Third, the U.N. Resolutions about Palestine cannot be implemented, because no global power takes any concrete step toward the realization of these resolutions. Decisions of international organizations cannot be effective unless global powers support these decisions. Especially, when the mastermind of the U.N., that is the U.S., opposes a decision, it is impossible to implement it. On the one hand, the U.S. uses its veto power in almost all anti-Israeli proposals at the U.N. Security Council, the executive organ of the U.N. On the other hand, decisions made by the U.N. General Assembly are advisory only. Eventually, unless the U.S. wants, no U.N. resolution can enter into force.
Although U.S. officials, including President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, continue to claim that they support the two-state solution, it is clear that these explanations serve no purpose other than stalling world public opinion. It is impossible for a state that gives unconditional support to Israel to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity to find a solution in favor of the Palestinians. In other words, the U.S., as the strongest supporter of Israel, which officially recognizes the occupation of East Jerusalem and the annexation of the Golan Heights, will never support the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Global powers’ inertia
Non-Western global powers such as China and Russia also did not take any concrete steps to reach ultimate peace in Palestine or to pave the way for the establishment of a Palestinian state. All global powers directly or indirectly support Israel and remain indifferent to its crimes committed against the Palestinians. They never problematize the inhuman conditions of the Palestinian people in their bilateral or multilateral relations.
Fourth, Arab regimes and states do not support Palestinian statehood, i.e., a two-state solution. Even during the most recent Israeli atrocities in Gaza, many Arab regimes give direct and indirect support to Israel. For example, Egypt does not open the Rafah border gate. No Arab state such as Jordan, Saudi Arabia, or the United Arab Emirates (UAE) considers closing its air space to Israeli air forces or imposing sanctions against Israel and its supporters. On the contrary, these Arab states provide economic support to Israel by facilitating Israel’s trade with other countries. They even go further and prevent other Muslim states from seeking an ultimate solution to the problem. Therefore, it is not wise to expect these Arab states to work for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Fifth, the rest of the world has no power to realize or even to contribute to a two-state solution. The global media has been heavily biased against the Palestinians, since the world public opinion had been shaped by the pro-Israeli media, especially by the Western media. Pro-Palestinian states, mostly Muslim states, lack the power to force Israel and its supporters to pave the way for a two-state solution.
Although world public opinion generally recognizes the rights of the Palestinian people, including the right of self-determination, it is impossible to deter Israel and its supporters at this point to reach a just solution in Palestine. The Western countries have remained indifferent to the Israeli atrocities in Palestine. There is no redline for Israel – it does whatever it can get away with against the Palestinian people. It seems that a two-state solution is possible only after radical changes in the global balance of power or the success of the Palestinian resistance against the occupation.
