The End of the Two State Solution?

For most of the last two decades middle east peace was founded on the concept of the "two state solution" between the Israelis and the Palestinians. The foundations of this concept was cemented by the Oslo Accords between Yassir Arafat's PLO and Yitzhak Rabin the Israeli Prime Minister, which gave the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza autonomy and the prospects for an independent Palestinian State. Many radicals in the Palestinian territories want to see Israel destroyed including Hamas. By recognizing a state in Palestine could legitimize the State of Israel as that was a part of the initial agreement. Palestinian radicals believe in a 'one state' solution where Israel ceases to exist. Luckily for groups such as Hamas which controls Gaza, many people in the Likud coalition government also seem to be toying around with a 'one state' solution.

Israeli Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin, was quoted in saying that he would rather have "Palestinians living as citizens of this country then dividing up the land."- Al Jazeera

An impression of Israeli government under Benjamin Netanyahu is that they do not care for the two state solution. Currently, the government has refused to negotiate anything cohesive with moderate Fatah movement which runs the West Bank. It also doesn't help that its is increasing the Jewish settlements in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem. The defense minister Ehud Barak a former prime minister, has warned against the idea of a one state solution saying that it could lead to an establishment of an apartheid state. Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was a little bit more ominous saying that if the Palestinians and Israelis lived in one state that Israel would cease to exist. If the Palestinians cannot vote then it would resemble apartheid. If they did gain a right to vote it would no longer be a Jewish state. Al Jazeera Demographically speaking, Arab Muslims could make up the majority of the population with their already sizable presence and high birthrates.

Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition need to either start getting serious with the the West Bank and get the two-state solution back on track. Or throw in the towel on Israel as a Jewish state. A 'one state solution' is only in the best interests of Palestinian radicals.