Manak Sharma, November 28, 2023:
The two-state solution is believed to be the only possible way to end the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The solution proposes two separate states, Israel for the Jewish people and Palestine (including both Gaza and West Bank) for the Palestinian people. The solution is designed on the basis that both the states have the legal right to decide their own destiny in the international order. Both Israel and Palestine will share Jerusalem as their capital city. The border between the two states will be based upon the 1967 border before the third Arab-Israel war. In a fair and equitable manner, Palestinian refugees settled in different parts of the world will be allowed to return.
Since 1947, the United Nations has stated the two-state solution as its official policy but it has failed to be implemented and the Israel-Palestine conflict continues. Many countries around the world have endorsed the two-state solution including Qatar which is mediating between Hamas and Israel.
PROBLEMS IN IMPLEMENTATION
There are mainly three reasons why the two-state solution has failed to be implemented. First, both countries do not agree on the border of Palestine in future. Second, with the Israeli government building settlements continuously in occupied Palestinian territories, it becomes difficult to create a Palestinian state which will share the border with Israel. Third, the two-state solution does not clarify how the millions of Palestinian refugees living all around the world will be able to return to their country. Palestinian authorities will not agree to any solution which fails to address the issue of Palestinian refugees returning home.
CONCLUSION
The two-state solution might be complex and difficult to achieve but it is the only viable option to establish peace in the region and end the conflict which is causing hundreds of casualties daily since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th this year. The international community rather than instigating the war further, needs to mediate between the two countries encouraging them to make necessary compromises and agree on the two-state solution. The two countries reaching a solution seems difficult but the four-day truce which will make both the IDF and Hamas return civilians taken as captives shows a ray of hope that the Israeli government and Hamas will agree to some deal and stop the war in near future.
