The two-state solution is non-negotiable
Though he has reiterated this stance many times before, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's latest declaration on Palestine is staggering. It comes in the backdrop of an ongoing genocide in Gaza that has killed nearly 65,000 people, including nearly 20,000 children, and led to massive displacements and casualties by starvation. Adding to this humanitarian catastrophe is the recent bombing of Qatar, a country actively working to broker a ceasefire, which has been rightly condemned by many nations. Despite this, while speaking at an event in an Israeli settlement near Jerusalem, Netanyahu has said: "We are going to fulfil our promise that there will be no Palestinian state. This place belongs to us."
This position directly contradicts the two-state solution—a long-standing policy backed by the United States, ironically Israel's closest ally. Since the Oslo Accords, which laid the groundwork for Palestinian self-rule, US presidents have supported a two-state solution. President Bill Clinton was the first to endorse it explicitly in 2000. George W. Bush called for a Palestinian state in 2002 and backed the "Roadmap for Peace." Barack Obama strongly supported the solution and criticised Israel's settlement expansion. The Biden administration also continued to endorse it as the only path to lasting peace and security.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. During Donald Trump's presidency, however, US support weakened. His administration considered the two-state solution as just one option among others, even proposing US administration of Gaza and Palestinian resettlement—plans that severely undercut the possibility of a Palestinian statehood. Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and the relocation of the US embassy there further marginalised the two-state framework.
Against this backdrop, Netanyahu's statement not only defies decades of US foreign policy but also ignores widespread international condemnation. Twenty-one countries, including close allies like the United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan, have denounced Israel's plans for a new illegal settlement in the occupied West Bank, warning that such actions render a two-state solution impossible. But Israel continues to violate international humanitarian law with impunity. The world has watched the ongoing genocide, starvation of civilians, and targeted killings of Palestinians seeking food, of children in schools, of patients in hospitals, of aid workers, doctors, and journalists. And yet, the international community has failed to act decisively.
Nations that still offer Israel unconditional support must understand that these actions endanger not only Palestinian lives but the stability and security of the entire region, and the world by extension. They are in direct opposition to the core human values the international community claims to uphold. The two-state solution, therefore, must be urgently revived. At the same time, the world must act to stop the genocide, force Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, and hold it accountable.
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