The savage Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on 1,400 people in Israel has shaken every human being to the core. Beyond that, it has rattled the prevailing conditions between Israel and the Palestinians, making it impossible to return to the status quo ante. This incomprehensible killing offers, though under horrifying circumstances, an unprecedented opportunity to bring a gradual end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The failures to reach any peace agreement to date are fundamentally attributed to the fact that both sides claim exclusive ownership of the entire land from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River, albeit they blame each other for failing to make the necessary concessions to reach a peace agreement.
While the prospect of a two-state solution was viable following the 1993 Oslo Accords, the outlook for such a solution became progressively dimmer as Israel moved to the right-of-center. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been in power for most of the past 15 years, made it clear that there will be no Palestinian state under his watch. The idea of a two-state solution has been steadily losing traction in Israel, the occupation of the West Bank has been normalized, and a de facto apartheid state has been created — becoming a way of life for most Israelis and Palestinians.
About the author
Alon Ben-Meir
Alon Ben-Meir, Ph.D., is a retired professor of international affairs at New York University’s Center for Global Affairs. He has taught international negotiations and conflict resolution and has authored seven books related to the Middle East. He is currently working on a new book about human rights in conflict zones.
