Israel-Palestine conflict: What’s the two-state solution? | Realpolitik

Summary

The video script discusses the resurgence of the Palestine question in West Asia's geopolitics following Hamas's attack on Israel and the ongoing conflict. It explains the two-state solution's history, from the Peel Commission to the Oslo Accords, and the current obstacles to its implementation, including disputed borders, the presence of Israeli settlers, the status of Jerusalem, and the right of Palestinian refugees to return. The script highlights the challenges and the complex geopolitical landscape that hinders lasting peace in the region.

Takeaways

• 📜 The two-state solution proposes dividing historical Palestine into an Arab state and a Jewish state for lasting peace.
• 🏛 The Peel Commission in 1936 first suggested partitioning Palestine, which was rejected by Arabs but accepted by the Jewish community.
• 🌍 The UN Special Commission on Palestine (UNSCOP) in 1947 proposed dividing Palestine into three territories, including an international territory for Jerusalem.
• 🇮🇱 Israel was unilaterally declared on May 14, 1948, leading to the first Arab-Israeli war and subsequent territorial gains beyond the UN plan.
• 🕊 The Oslo process in the 1990s saw the PLO recognizing Israel and agreeing to a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, which was about 22% of historical Palestine.
• 🔄 The 1967 Six-Day War resulted in Israel capturing the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza Strip, and other territories, effectively controlling all of historical Palestine.
• 🏢 The Palestinian National Authority was established as a self-governing body in the West Bank and Gaza, but with limited powers and Israel maintaining control over certain areas.
• 🚫 The assassination of Yitzhak Rabin and the rise of right-wing leadership in Israel contributed to the derailment of the peace process.
• 🛑 Structural factors such as undefined borders, the status of settlers, Jerusalem, and the right of refugees to return complicate the two-state solution.
• 🏙️ Israel's current right-wing leadership shows no willingness to make concessions, aiming to maintain the status quo of occupation.
• 🌐 Recognition of Palestine by European countries and the international community signifies support for a future Palestinian state.

Q & A

What is the main topic of discussion in the 'Real Politic' episode featuring Stanley and Johnny?

The main topic is the Palestine question and the two-state solution in the context of recent events, including Hamas's attack on Israel and Israel's ongoing conflict with Gaza.

How many people were reported to have been killed in the conflict mentioned in the script?

The script reports that 37,000 people were killed in the conflict.

What is the two-state solution in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict?

The two-state solution refers to the idea of dividing historical Palestine into two separate states: an Arab state and a Jewish state, with the aim of achieving lasting peace in the region.

What was the Peel Commission's proposal regarding the partition of Palestine in 1937?

The Peel Commission proposed dividing Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state, with the West Bank, Gaza, and Negev desert for the Arab state, and the coastal and fertile Galilee region for the Jewish state.

What was the outcome of the UN General Assembly Resolution 181?

Resolution 181 adopted the partition plan for Palestine into a Jewish state, an Arab state, and an international territory for Jerusalem. However, the plan was never implemented due to Arab rejection and the subsequent declaration of the state of Israel by the Zionist leadership.

What territories did Israel capture during the 1967 Six-Day War?

During the Six-Day War, Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, and the Golan Heights from Syria.

What was the Oslo Process and what did it aim to achieve?

The Oslo Process was a series of agreements in the 1990s aimed at establishing a framework for peace in the Middle East, including the recognition of Israel by the PLO and the creation of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.

What are the structural factors mentioned in the script that make the two-state solution currently unachievable?

The structural factors include the lack of a clearly demarcated border, the status of settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the status of Jerusalem, and the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes.

How many Jewish settlers are currently living in the West Bank and East Jerusalem according to the script?

The script mentions that there are approximately 700,000 Jewish settlers living in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

What was the role of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the Oslo Process?

The PLO, under the leadership of Yasser Arafat, initially demanded the liberation of all of Palestine but later recognized the state of Israel and agreed to the creation of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.

What is the current stance of Israel's right-wing leadership on the two-state solution as described in the script?

The script describes Israel's right-wing leadership as showing no willingness to make concessions to the Palestinians and wanting to maintain the status quo of occupation.

Outlines

00:00

🏛️ The Two-State Solution: Historical Context and Current Challenges

The first paragraph introduces the video series 'Real Politics' by Stanley, focusing on the recent escalation of the Israel-Gaza conflict and its impact on the geopolitical landscape of West Asia. It discusses the two-state solution as a proposed resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, which involves dividing historical Palestine into Arab and Jewish states. The paragraph delves into the historical roots of this solution, starting from the Peel Commission in 1936, through the UN's partition plan in 1947, and the subsequent wars and agreements that have shaped the conflict up to the present day. It highlights the challenges of achieving this solution, including the lack of a Palestinian state, the expansion of Israeli settlements, and the contentious status of Jerusalem.

05:03

📜 The Oslo Process and the Struggle for Palestinian Sovereignty

The second paragraph continues the discussion on the two-state solution, focusing on the Oslo Accords as a significant step towards peace. It outlines the Palestinian National Authority's establishment and the international recognition of the PLO. The paragraph addresses the setbacks to the peace process, including the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, the rise of Hamas, and the structural factors that complicate the two-state solution, such as undefined borders, the status of settlers, Jerusalem's sovereignty, and the right of refugees to return. It emphasizes the current stalemate, with Israel's right-wing leadership showing no willingness to concede to Palestinian demands.

10:03

🕊️ The Persistent Conflict: Status Quo and the Quest for Peace

The final paragraph concludes the video script by summarizing the current state of the Israel-Palestine conflict. It contrasts Israel's desire to maintain the status quo of occupation with the Palestinians' struggle to change it. The paragraph ends with a call to viewers to stay tuned for more episodes of 'Real Politics' that will explore geopolitics and global conflicts, suggesting a continuing series that will delve deeper into these issues.

Keywords

💡Real Politic

Real Politic is presumably the name of the show or series that the transcript is from. It suggests a focus on the practical aspects of politics, particularly international affairs. The video's theme revolves around geopolitical issues, with this episode specifically discussing the Israel-Palestine conflict.

💡Hamas

Hamas is a Palestinian Islamic organization with a political and a military wing. In the context of the video, Hamas is mentioned as having conducted an attack on Israel, highlighting its role as a significant player in the ongoing conflict and its impact on the region's geopolitics.

💡Two-state solution

The two-state solution refers to the concept of dividing historical Palestine into two separate states, one Arab (Palestine) and one Jewish (Israel). The video discusses this as a proposed resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, emphasizing its complexity and the historical efforts to achieve it.

💡Palestine Question

The term 'Palestine Question' encapsulates the ongoing political and territorial dispute over the land of Palestine. The video script brings this question back to the forefront of Middle Eastern geopolitics, indicating its persistence and relevance in global discussions.

💡International Affairs

International Affairs pertains to the field of politics that involves interactions between sovereign states. The video, hosted by an International Affairs editor, delves into the geopolitical implications of the Israel-Palestine conflict, showing how it affects and is affected by the global political landscape.

💡UN Charter

The UN Charter is the foundational treaty of the United Nations, outlining its purpose and principles. In the script, the creation of a sovereign Palestine state that enjoys full rights under the UN Charter is mentioned, indicating the international legal framework that could underpin state recognition and sovereignty.

💡Partition Plan

A partition plan, as discussed in the video, refers to the historical proposals to divide the land of Palestine into separate territories for Jews and Arabs. The script mentions the Peel Commission and the UN's 'Scope' plan, illustrating the historical attempts to resolve the conflict through territorial division.

💡Palestinian National Authority

The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) is an interim self-government body created as part of the Oslo Accords. The video explains its establishment as part of the two-state solution process, highlighting its role in governing certain areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

💡Oslo Accords

The Oslo Accords were agreements between Israel and the PLO, intended to establish a framework for peace and the creation of a Palestinian state. The video script refers to these accords as a significant step towards the two-state solution, despite the challenges and setbacks that followed.

💡1967 War

The 1967 War, also known as the Six-Day War, was a conflict in which Israel captured territories including the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula, and Golan Heights. The video mentions this war as a pivotal event that led to Israel's control over the entire historical Palestine.

💡Settlements

Settlements in the context of the video refer to Israeli communities established in the Palestinian territories occupied since the 1967 War. The script discusses the issue of settlements as a significant obstacle to the two-state solution due to their illegal status under international law and political implications within Israel.

💡Right of Return

The Right of Return is a principle in international law that allows refugees to return to their homes. The video mentions the displacement of Palestinians in 1948 and their right to return, which is a contentious issue in the peace process as it could potentially alter Israel's demographic composition.

💡Status Quo

The term 'status quo' in the script refers to the current situation of Israeli occupation and control over Palestinian territories. The video describes the Israeli right-wing leadership's desire to maintain this situation, which is opposed by Palestinians who seek to change it.

Highlights

Introduction to the first episode of 'Real Politics' by Stanley, discussing the recent events that brought the Palestine question back to the forefront of West Asia's geopolitics.

Hamas's attack on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent war on Gaza, resulting in extensive destruction and the death of 37,000 people.

Increasing global support for a future Palestine State, with recent recognitions by Spain, Ireland, and Norway, and expectations for more countries to follow.

The necessity for resolving the Palestine question for lasting peace in the region, as emphasized by Arab countries including Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

Explanation of the two-state solution as an internationally recognized approach to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Historical background of the two-state solution, dating back to the 1930s during the British rule in Palestine and the Peel Commission.

The Peel Commission's proposal for partitioning Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, and the subsequent Arab rejection.

The UN Special Commission on Palestine's (UNSCOP) partition plan post-World War II, which proposed dividing Palestine into three territories.

Adoption of the partition plan in the UN General Assembly Resolution 181 and the subsequent Arab rejection.

The unilateral declaration of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948, and the outbreak of the first Arab-Israeli war.

The 1967 Six-Day War and Israel's capture of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula, and Golan Heights.

The emergence of Palestinian nationalism in the 1960s under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Yasser Arafat.

The shift in PLO's stance from demanding the liberation of all Palestine to recognizing Israel and agreeing to a state within the 1967 borders.

The Camp David Accords and the framework for peace in the Middle East, including the establishment of an autonomous Palestinian territory.

The Oslo Accords of 1993 and 1995, formalizing the two-state solution and the creation of the Palestinian National Authority.

Challenges to the Oslo process, including the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin and the rise of Hamas, which opposed the Accords.

Structural factors making the two-state solution currently unachievable, such as undefined borders, the status of settlers, Jerusalem, and the right of refugees to return.

Current Israeli right-wing leadership's unwillingness to make concessions and the desire to maintain the status quo of occupation.

The Palestinians' desire to break the status quo and the ongoing struggle for an independent, sovereign state.

Transcripts

[Music]

hello everyone welcome to the first

episode of real politic this is Stanley

Johnny the Hindus International Affairs

editor hamas's October 7 2023 attack in

Israel and Israel's continuing war on

Gaza have brought the Palestine question

back to the four of west Asia's

geopolitics as the war has destroyed

much of Gaza and killed 37,000 of its

people the world has also seen more and

more countries voicing strong support

for a future Palestine State recently

three European countries Spain Ireland

and Norway recognized the Palestine

State more are expected to follow Arab

countries including Saudi Arabia and

Jordan say there wouldn't be lasting

peace in the region unless the Palestine

question is resolved an internationally

recognized solution to the Israel

Palestine conflict is what is called the

two-state solution what is the two-state

solution the short answer is simple

divide historical Palestine into an Arab

State and a Jewish state to find lasting

peace but the long answer is complicated

Israel the Jewish state was created in

Palestine in

1948 but a Palestine state is not yet a

reality so at two-state solution today

means the creation of a legitimate

Sovereign Palestine state that enjoys

the full rights like any other nation

state under the UN Charter let's take a

look at history the roots of the two

State solution go back to the 1930s of

the British rule Palestine in 1936 the

British government appointed a

commission headed by Lord William Robert

Peele known as the Peele commission to

investigate the causes of Arab Jewish

clashes in Palestine a year later the

appeal commission stated that the

Mandate had become unworkable and

proposed a partition of Palestine into a

Jewish and Arab State at that time Jews

accounted for some 28% of palestine's

population according to the peel

commission proposal the West Bank Gaza

and neave desert should make up the Arab

state while much of palestine's cost and

fertile galili region should be part of

the Jewish State Arabs rejected the

proposal after the second world war the

UN special Commission on Palestine un

scop put forward another partition plan

after Britain expressed its interest in

vacating the

Mandate un scope proposed that Palestine

be divided into three territories a

Jewish State an Arab State and an

international Terr Tory which is

Jerusalem Jews made up roughly 32% of

palestine's population at this time

according to the 's scope plan the

Jewish state was to have 56% of

historical Palestine land and the rest

for the Arabs the partition plan was

adopted in the UN General Assembly

resolution 181 but it never made it to

the UN Security Council Arabs rejected

the plan while the Zionist leadership of

Israel's settler community in Palestine

accepted it as there was no un Security

Council decision on the partition plan

zus unilaterally declared the state of

Israel on May 14th

1948 at day ahead of the expiration of

the British mandate this triggered the

first Arab Israel war and by the time as

cire was achieved in

1949 Israel had captured some 20 2% more

territories including West Jerusalem

than what the UN plan had originally

proposed Jordan seized to the West Bank

and E Jerusalem including the old city

while Egypt took the Gaza Strip another

pivotal event in the conflict was the

1967 6-day war during the war Israel

captured the West Bank and East

Jerusalem from Jordan the Gaza Strip and

the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt

and the Goan hates from Syria so the

whole of historical Palestine has been

under Israel's control since

1967 Palestine nationalism emerged

stronger in the 1960s under the

leadership of the Palestine Liberation

Organization or PLO and its chairman

yaser Arafat the PLO initially demanded

The Liberation cot unquote of the whole

of Palestine but during the osw process

of the 1990s it recognized the state of

Israel and agreed to the creation of a

state of Palestine within the 1967

border which made up roughly 22% land of

historical Palestine Israel initially

rejected any Palestinian claim to land

and continued to term the PLO a

terrorist organization but in the cam

David agreement which followed the 1973

yam kipu War

in which Egypt and Syria surprised the

Israelis with an attack Israel agreed to

the framework for peace in the Middle

East agreement as part of the framework

agreement Israel agreed to establish an

autonomous self-governing Palestinian

territory in the West Bank and Gaza

Strip and implement the UN resolution

242 which demanded Israel pull back from

all the territories it captured in the

1967 War the framework agreement laid

the foundation for the lawy CTS which

signed in 1993 and 1995 formalized the

two-state solution as part of the oso

process the Palestinian National

Authority a self-governing body was

created in the West Bank and Gaza the

PLO was internationally recognized as

the legitimate representative body of

the

Palestinians the West Bank was divided

into area a b and c while the

Palestinian Authority was to have

limited powers in areas A and B areas C

remained under Israel's total control

but the promise of Oso was the creation

of an independent Sovereign Palestinian

state which would live next to the

Israeli state in peace This Promise has

never been materialized

why

so the first setback for the Oslo

process was the assassination of yag

grain the Prime Minister who signed the

Accords in November 1995 by a Jewish

extremist Robin's labor party was

defeated in the subsequent elections and

the right-wing liot under Benjamin

netanyahu's leadership came to power the

rise of Hamas the islamist militant

group that that opposed Oslo saying that

the PLO had made huge concessions to the

Israelis also contributed to the

derailment of the peace process there

are specific structural factors that

make the two-state solution unachievable

at least for now let's take a look at

them one is

boundary Israel doesn't have a clearly

demarcated Border in 1948 it captured

more territories than it was Pro

promised by the UN in 1967 it expanded

further by taking the whole of

historical Palestine under its control

from the

1970s Israel has been building illegal

Jewish settlements in Palestinian

territories Palestinians say their

future State should be based on the 1967

border but Israel is not willing to make

any such commitments today two the

status of settlers roughly 700,000

Jewish settlers are now living in the

West Bank and East Jerusalem if Israel

is to withdraw to the 1967 border they

will have to pull back these settlers

the settlers are now a very powerful

Block in Israel society and no prime

minister can afford to pull them back

without facing political consequences

three the status of Jerusalem

Palestinians say is Jerusalem which H

alaka Islam's thirdd holiest mosque

should be the capital of their future

State while Israel says the Hall of

Jerusalem which HS the Western Wall the

holiest place in Judaism is Israel's

Eternal Capital cot un cot four the

right of refugees to return to their

homes some 700,000 Palestinians were

displaced from their homes in

1948 when the state of Israel was

declared according to international law

they have a right to return to their

homes today Israel proper Israel says it

won't allow the Palestinian refugees to

return because if it does that would

change Israel's

demographics while these are the

structural factors that make the two

State solution complicated on the ground

Israel's rightwing leadership show no

willingness to make any concession to

the Palestinians for Israel even the

recognition of the State of Palestine by

European countries was a reward for

terrorism Israel wants to continue the

status quo the status quo of

occupation and the Palestinians want to

break that status quo thank you very

much for more such videos on geopolitics

and Global conflicts please watch out

for the upcoming episodes of real

politic