Although the struggle between Israelis and Palestinians has been ongoing for over a century, there is a simple solution. It's called "an Independent Palestinian state." If the Palestinians could establish their own state, living side by side with Israel inn peace and security, this would provide the basis for finally ending the Conflict between the two peoples.
Let's begin with three basic assumptions. If Israel refuses to allow the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, then it will face a "Forever War." Because time and international support are not on its side, it would ultimately lose this war. Second, Palestinians must renounce violence, whether by HAMAS and any other terrorist organization. Violence, especially the deaths it causes, will never create a Palestinian state. It only undermines that end by eroding trust among Israelis that Palestinians are serious about achieving a peaceful solution to the Conflict.
Third, once two states have been established, there will need to be the creation of a large network of economic and institutional ties. When I was in Israel and the West Bank in the summer of 1980, I was impressed how Israeli and Palestinian women's organizations had established an educational programs which were attracting 1500 women from both communities each year.
At the start of each program, both sides were give one and a half hours to presen their hiatocial narrtive with no interruption allowed by the other side
As promulgated United Nations Resolution 181 of November 1947, two new states were to be created in historic Palestine - one Jewish and one Arab. While the Jewish people established Israel, Palestinians, many of whose families had lived in historic Palestine for centuries, failed to achieve the right of legitimate self determination.
For such as state to become a reality, we need forst and foremost to challenge the would-be hegemonic view of the Conflict as on of "ancient hatreds" and a "forever war." We need to remember that arch enemies can become friends, such as Germany and France after wars that began in the 1870s and ended in 1945, and the German, French and Italian Swiss, who were once mortal enemies but live together in security and prosperity.
Who can develop the counter-hegemony which creates public opinion support for a two state solution to the Conflict? The key here is generational. It is the "generation in waiting," namley Israelis and Palestinian youth who refuse to grow up in a context of continued tit-for-tat violence. Only when a large youth movement, such as the anti-Vietnam War and Civil Rights movements in the United States, the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, and the global anti-Apartheid movement which ended white only rule in South Africa can the Conflict be solved.
As many analysts have noted, the Israeli peace movement is currently at a low point. Unlike many advanced Western nations-states, the younger generation leans heavily to the right while the older generation is more on the left. Given the brutality of HAMAS' October 7th attack, there is a strong streak of revenge coursing though Israeli society which makes the discussion of peace a non-starter at the current moment. The View Within Israel Turns Bleak
Still, it is not in the interest of either Israeli youth or their Palestinian counterparts to live a life in which war and conflict are a ubiquitous part of life. For this reason, one of the most important foundations to support a two-state solution is for the network of Israeli peace organizations to become strengthened through foreign support, particularly financial, to allow these groups to better coordinate their activities to bring about a peaceful solution to the Conflict.
Founded in 1949, and closely associated then with the now defunct MAPAM Party, Givat Haviva (Haviva's Hill) is named after Haviva Reik who was a Jewish resistance fighter against the Nazis in Eastern Europe before she was killed. The organization provides a large number of services to Israel's Palestinian citizens and pushes for peace through its Center for Peace Studies. Hebrew Language and the Young Generation in Arab Society Conference
Given its important standing in Israel, Givat Haviva must take a more direct role in pushing for a two state solution. Its Board of Directors includes few Israelis of Palestinian heritage. Adding more respected Palestinian Israeli members to its leadership would give it more legitimacy in its effort to develop a more powerful peace camp in Israel and expand its connections to Palestinians in the Occupied Territories.
Another important effort must be the development of greater coordination of Jewish peace organizations and activists organizations within the Palestinian Israeli community. One of the most powerful Palestinian Israeli organization is al-Adalah (Justice in Arabic) which advocates for the rights of the Palestinian Israeli minority.
al-Adalah works closely with the Israeli Jewish peace camp and has the opportunity to strengthen ties between Israel's Palestinian and Jewish populations. In addition, through Israel's Palestinian citizens, al-Adalah can promote greater ties with Palestinians on the West Bank and, once HAMAS is not longer in power, with Gaza as well. An important initiative in linking Jew, Israeli Palestinian's and Palestinians in the West Bank is to promote the development of a powerful violent movement for the rights of Palestinians in the West Bank and a two state solution ‘Where Is the Palestinian Gandhi?
Another important player in the peace process is ALLMEP (Alliance for Middle East Peace). Founded by Avi Meyerstein in 2003, it includes 150 organizations in Israel which are working for a peaceful solution to the Conflict. That ALLMEP has raised millions of dollars in funding to date demonstrates that it will continue to be an important component in a process to create a two state solution to the Conflict which will become ever more salient once the Gaza War ends. Pope Francis signs ALLMEP's letter to G7 Heads of State
