HAIFA - BY MIDDEL EAST INSIDER - Oct 17,2023

The conflict between Israel and Palestine seems to be at an impasse, with the emergence of extremist groups on both sides further polarizing and antagonizing the two sides. A two-state solution is currently inconceivable, while a one-state solution would be equally problematic. What we are left with is an unbearably tense stand-off, with right-wing Israelis and extremist Palestinians goading each other.

 

Both sides share responsibility for the current impasse, with distrust, bad faith, and mutual hatred making it almost impossible to expect substantive concessions from either party. While Israel has offered the Palestinians deals that would give them a state with most of the West Bank, it has continued to build settlements there. The Palestinians, on the other hand, say they want a two-state solution, but in truth, they could never agree to one unless their refugees were allowed to return, turning Israel into an Arab-majority state.

 

As the conflict persists, the centre-left in Israel has woken up to the country's shift to the right, with liberal Israelis protesting against attempts to neuter the Supreme Court and potentially push the country toward becoming a de facto dictatorship. However, the prolonged occupation continues to poison Israel's body politic, while higher birth rates among ultra-religious Haredim, who have long allied themselves with the right, swell their numbers.

 

Continued occupation has fed Palestinian extremism, with Hamas and Islamic Jihad now rivalling the Palestinian Authority. The seemingly endless cycle of violence strengthens Palestinian radicals and weakens the old-guard. Many Israelis argue that patience with the Palestinians is running thin, but it is ultimately in their interest to come to an accommodation with them because the occupation and the fanaticism it spawns are destroying Israel from within.

 

For now, a two-state solution makes no sense, and a one-state solution is just a recipe for apartheid. However, investing heavily in the economies of the West Bank and Gaza could provide Palestinians with dignity and hope, while promoting substantive cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians on economic, energy, and cultural issues could isolate extremists, providing a space for serious dialogue over refugee issues and the contours of a Palestinian state in the future.