In defense of the two-state solution
VoxMay 26, 2021
Netanyahu Rejects Hamas Proposal to End Gaza War
The Facts
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected a proposal to end the war in Gaza submitted by Hamas — who offered to release all Israeli hostages in exchange for leaving Hamas intact, withdrawing Israeli forces from Gaza, and releasing Palestinian prisoners. Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed that Hamas must be destroyed.
Netanyahu said such a deal would amount to capitulation and mean soldiers had "fallen in vain." Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told the families of the hostages that Israeli operations in Khan Younis will expand, with reports on Monday that Israeli forces had advanced into the west of Khan Younis and closed in on the city's two main hospitals.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Israelis and Palestinians must make peace via a two-state solution. Though it may seem that it has never been as difficult to make peace, moderates must rise above the populist extremism of Hamas and the Israeli political right so the land can be shared. Both Israeli and Palestinian national aspirations are valid projects that deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. The two-state solution may not be the most equitable or desirable for either side, but it's the most achievable outcome.
Pro-Israel narrative
Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel was the final nail in the coffin for the establishment of a Palestinian state. Since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, the enclave has essentially existed as a terrorist-run proto-state run by Hamas. Given the Palestinian Authority's inefficacy, Israel has no partners for peace, and the last 20 years in Gaza prove this. A violent, terrorist-run Palestinian state would be an existential threat to Israel's security.
Pro-Palestine narrative
Israel killed the two-state solution. There can't be a Palestinian state after nearly 75 years of Israeli policies effectively atomizing and dividing the Palestinian political scene and physical landscape via a system of apartheid and occupation. The only solution is to accept reality — Israel is an apartheid state that practices sovereignty over the region, and this apartheid must be dismantled so that all people residing in the land can live free as equals.
Nerd narrative
There's a 64% chance that Israel will have de facto power in the Gaza Strip on Jan. 1, 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.