Author: Noam Sheizaf

Affiliation: +972 Magazine

Organization/Publisher: +972 Magazine

Date/Place:  December 27, 2019.

Type of Literature: Policy Analysis 

Word Count: 2130

Link: https://www.972mag.com/one-state-annexation-decade/

Keywords: One-State solution, Two-State Solution, Palestine, Israel, Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Brief:

In this article, the author suggests many observations about his vision for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He identifies that in reality Israel already exerts control over the West Bank. For instance, Israel monopolizes the use of violence in the territory, controls its airspace, and exploits its natural resources including dumping  its garbage there. Therefore, for him, annexing the West Bank would merely be adding legal formality to the de facto reality that everyone has been living for a long time. Sheizaf reconsiders the idea that Israel cannot be a democratic state and an occupier at the same time; that Israel needs to give up one of the two: territory or democracy. Furthermore, he reminds us that for Netanyahu as well as for the Israeli political right, when the world condemns the Israeli occupation in the Palestinian territories, it is like threatening them with an empty gun. Consequently, there are no real challenges on the ground against the Israelis’ politics. The author concludes his article by stating that any political plan for a solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should start with recognizing the de facto reality that Israel entirely dominates the West Bank. He proposes removing the siege on the Gaza Strip as the starting point for ending the conflict.

By: Fadi Zatari, Senior CIGA Research Associate