Prospects for the Two-State Solution in the Middle East: Historical Context and New Realities

Authors

  • Akaki Dvali Independent Researcher, New York, USA

Keywords:

Palestine, Gaza Strip, Israel, Hamas, Fatah.

Abstract

The terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023, triggered one of the largest conflicts in the Middle East, which seemingly further compromised the grim chances for peace in this region. However, in the post-conflict environment, new chances and opportunities may emerge to restart the peace process. This paper discusses the historical context of the birth and evolution of the “two-state solution” principle in the Middle East. This principle has been the basis for the peace process and conflict resolution in the Middle East for decades and has aided several significant achievements. However, during the last two decades, two major impeding factors have appeared, and they have significantly slowed down the peace process, if not made peace unachievable in the foreseeable future. One of these two major impeding factors is the militant and terrorist organization Hamas, being in power in the Palestinian Gaza Strip since 2007. The second is the far-right, conservative government in Israel led by the longest-serving Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, which outright rejects the two-state solution. This paper ultimately discusses the possibility that the peace process may be restarted in the post-conflict period if these two impeding factors are eliminated and other less influential factors are addressed. If these conditions are met, the two-state solution can become possible, given the overwhelming interest and efforts of the international community.

Published

2024-12-24

How to Cite

Dvali, Akaki. 2024. “Prospects for the Two-State Solution in the Middle East: Historical Context and New Realities”. Free University Journal of Asian Studies, no. 6 (December). Tbilisi. https://journals.org.ge/index.php/asianstudies/article/view/206.

Issue

Section

ARTICLES