Two-State Solution

15.09.2025

Two-State Solution

Context

Recently, Spain, Ireland, and Norway formally recognized Palestine as a state, intensifying debates over the Two-State Solution. France expressed readiness to recognize Palestine at an “appropriate moment.” This highlights growing global political and moral pressures in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

What is the Two-State Solution

The Two-State Solution proposes the creation of two independent nations—Israel and Palestine, living side by side with mutually agreed borders.

Main Components:

• Borders: Negotiated boundaries, often based on the pre-1967 lines with possible land exchanges.
   
• Jerusalem: Shared capital, with East Jerusalem envisioned as Palestine’s capital.
   
• Security: Demilitarisation arrangements, border management, and counterterrorism cooperation.
   
• Refugees: Addressing Palestinian refugee rights through resettlement, compensation, or return options.
   
• Settlements: Deciding the fate of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian lands.
   

Historical Background

• 1936–37: The British set up the Peel Commission, recommending division of Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states. Arabs rejected it.
   
• 1947: The UN Partition Plan (Resolution 181) proposed Jewish, Arab, and international zones. It was accepted by Jewish leaders but opposed by Arab states.
   
• 1948: Establishment of Israel led to the first Arab–Israeli war; Israel gained more land than the UN had allocated.
   
• 1967: After the Six-Day War, Israel occupied West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, Sinai, and Golan Heights.
   
• 1993–95: The Oslo Accords created the Palestinian Authority and international recognition of the PLO, laying groundwork for a two-state framework.
   

International Legitimacy

• UN Resolution 242 (1967): Called for Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories.
   
• Camp David Accords (1978): Israel agreed to limited Palestinian autonomy.
   
• Oslo Process (1990s): Recognised PLO as the representative of Palestinians and envisioned two sovereign states.
   Despite these frameworks, implementation has stalled, leaving the vision unfulfilled.
   

Challenges to the Two-State Solution

• Undefined Borders: Expansion of Israeli settlements makes drawing borders difficult.
   
• Jerusalem Dispute: Both sides claim it as their capital.
   
• Refugee Issue: Millions of Palestinians displaced since 1948 demand recognition of their right to return, which Israel resists.
   
• Political Divisions: Rise of hardline groups in both Israel and Palestine has weakened peace efforts.
   
• Security Concerns: Trust deficit and recurring violence undermine negotiations.
   

Way Forward

• Genuine dialogue backed by international mediation.
   
• Freeze and gradual rollback of settlements.
   
• Mutually acceptable formula on Jerusalem.
   
• Fair resolution of the refugee question with compensation and limited return.
   
• Confidence-building through economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.
   

Conclusion

The Two-State Solution remains the most widely supported approach for resolving the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. However, political stalemates over borders, refugees, and Jerusalem, combined with entrenched leadership stances, have stalled its progress. Without compromise, peaceful coexistence seems distant.