A number of Palestinian activists and supporters of a single state, wouldn’t mind the creation of two independent, full-fledged states. However, they don’t consider this outcome ‘realistic’, nor do they believe that the international community ‘ever truly backed the idea’.
US’ ‘Deal of the Century’ between Israel & Palestine Bound to Fail: Russia
Experts argue that due to Israeli actions on the ground, including the construction of settlements in West Bank, Palestinians already live in a ‘de-facto single state’, but one in which they ‘lack the same rights as Israeli Jews’. This situation has also been likened to apartheid South Africa.
With the US President Donald Trump’s administration preparing its ‘peace plan’, the push for one state with equal rights for Palestinians and Israelis has gained momentum in recent years. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, is heading the ‘one-state solution’ and is expected to unveil it at a June conference in Bahrain.
Executive Director of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, Yousef Munayyer said Trump is burying the two-state solution because it wasn’t viable. He said It’s important for them to respond very clearly that they need equal rights in one state. However, this would mean short-term pain for Palestinians. But they hope to draw the world’s attention over time to the implications of one Israeli state in which Palestinians lack full voting and freedom-of-movement rights.
Moreover, Trump’s pro-Israel actions, including recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel despite its contested status, has fueled the push for one state with equal rights. Hamada Jaber of the One State Foundation says it’s not Trump’s intention to help the Palestinians, but indirectly, it’s helping them. “There is no two-state solution. It’s pushing us as Palestinians to think about an alternative.”
Furthermore, the Israeli and Palestinian officials have acknowledged that the decades-long efforts at achieving a political solution have stalled. The two sides’ respective position on issues like borders, the status of Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees may be irreconcilable.
For years, the Israeli leaders have been blaming the Palestinians for lack of progress in past peace talks. They say that Palestine has repeatedly refused generous offers ‘that would have helped them create their own state while supporting violence against Israel’.
