Israel and Palestine: Finding Peace Is Easier Said Than Done

While I, like many, believe in the possibility of a Jewish nation, the actions of the current regime of Israel against its neighbors have not only made such a notion less morally palatable, but also less practically achievable. Thus, if there is any dual-state solution to be had, Israel would have to make significant concessions in its behavior and outlook.

For years now, the Israeli government has been encroaching on the borders of the West Bank and building settlements well within Palestinian territory. Stunningly, over 130 large-scale settlements have been constructed throughout the West Bank, inhabited by some 400,000 Israelis. In the process of the development of these settlements, countless Palestinian families have been forcibly evicted from their homes, bringing about the irrevocable fragmentation of entire communities. 

While these actions can most charitably be described as morally questionable, the very existence of these settlements may be working against Israel’s own interests. The United States, Israel’s most valuable ally, has repeatedly determined a two-state solution to be most preferable and viable, which would entail Israel and Palestine being separate, wholly sovereign nations. However, the formation of these settlements has only added to the difficulty of achieving a two-state solution, complicating the critical issue of where a border between the two nations would be drawn. Most hitherto proposed borders, if followed, would isolate Israeli settlers, an unacceptable proposition for Israel. Moreover, any redrawn borders would encompass a large Palestinian population on Israel’s territory, leaving a minority on the wrong side of the border. 

The most obvious alternative would be a one-state solution, in which the West Bank, Gaza, and Israel are united into one, unified country. However, this is entirely contrary to Israel’s vision of a Jewish state, as Israeli Jews would be outnumbered by an Arab majority in such a hypothetical nation. Moreover, it is hard to see how this could be a harmonious relationship, given the tension between Arabs and Jews in the region. 

Unfortunately, any hope of a solution is untenable if Israel is unwilling to de-escalate tensions with its neighbors, which seems to be the status quo. In May, responding to IDF (Israel Defense Forces) attacks against Palestinian worshippers in Jerusalem, Hamas, the Gaza-based extremist group, fired a barrage of missiles deep into Israeli territory, killing 12 people. While Israel most certainly has the right to defend itself from attack, their retaliation was vastly disproportionate, killing almost 50 Palestinians.

Given all this, it seems that Israel’s actions haven’t been motivated by a search for a peaceful solution, but rather to destabilize Palestine and defend its own interests. With Benjamin Netanyahu recently ousted, we can only hope that Israel’s new coalition government will take on a more moderate and diplomatic tone, but domestic political pressure may make that quite challenging. The current state of the region is incredibly volatile, making it crucial that the international community continue to monitor all involved parties and hold those in power accountable.

Grey Pilarczyk is a senior at Singapore American School and a rising freshman at George Washington University.