The Gates Are Closing on the Two-state Solution
Advocates
of a two-state solution – in other words, a majority in Israel and
throughout the world, or nearly so – cannot be unmoved and helpless in
the face of its accelerated death spiral, in plain sight, under the
irresponsible leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned 10 days ago, in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly,
of the momentous change taking place before our eyes. It was the first
time Abbas addressed in detail the remaining option open to the
Palestinians – to declare a new struggle, for equal rights throughout
the territory of Israel-Palestine – in other words, a one-state
solution.
Thus
spake Abbas: “[N]either you, nor we, will have any other choice but to
continue the struggle and demand full, equal rights for all inhabitants
of historic Palestine.”
Not a week went by before Netanyahu provided the ultimate proof of Abbas’ argument. In his speech at the state Ceremony
Marking 50 Years of Settlement in Judea, Samaria, the Golan Heights and
the Jordan Valley, held in Gush Etzion he said, “There will be no more
uprooting of communities in the Land of Israel!” In other words, there
will be no additional evacuations of settlements, a declaration meaning
the end of the chance for a two-state solution, which is based on the
simple, fair formula of land in exchange for peace.
From the beginning, the central goal of the settlement enterprise, which celebrated its 50th anniversary
on Wednesday, was to frustrate the possibility of establishing a
Palestinian state alongside Israel and destroy any hope of reaching a
peace agreement with the Palestinian people. This destructive objective
could be within reach. Only the urgent and vigorous mobilization of all
forces in Israel and the international community that want a strong and
free Israel alongside an independent Palestinian state could avert the
evil decree, in the words of the liturgy, and rescue the most logical,
just and feasible solution for ending the occupation and obtaining
peace.
A moment before the gates close, this is our wake-up call. What is not obtained soon will never be obtained.
The above article is Haaretz's lead editorial, as published in the Hebrew and English newspapers in Israel.
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