Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has ruled out a two-state solution with the Palestinians. He has said that Israel needs to control security between the Jordan River and the sea, and that this is incompatible with any form of sovereignty for Palestinians.
This hardline attitude is a disaster for Israel.
Firstly, Hamas will only get stronger if Palestinians have no hope of getting their own state (as promised by Israel in the Oslo Accords of 1993). That imperils the survival of Israel.
Secondly, Israel risks losing popular support if it takes control of Gaza and the West Bank. This one-state solution would necessarily make Arabs/Palestinians second-class citizens as they would otherwise outnumber Jews in an expanded state of Israel.
This discrimination would be unacceptable to many countries. Israel cannot afford to lose global backing for its existence, particularly from the United States.
It seems that Netanyahu is driving this hardline approach for fear that he might lose power if there is an election after the war. Yet many Israelis have a more nuanced view, even if they generally support the war in Gaza. It is time for another election in Israel.
Quote of the day: "Say not always what you know, but always know what you say."
Claudius
He was proclaimed Roman emperor on January 24, AD 41
