Alerts

The Two States in the West Bank and Gaza Annul the Two-State Solution

Peace initiatives have not solved the Palestinian rift
Share this
Hamas leader Ismail Haniya and PA President Mahmoud Abbas
Hamas leader Ismail Haniya and PA President Mahmoud Abbas

Table of Contents

The Palestinian Authority, which calls itself “the state of Palestine under occupation,” is pushing for international recognition of the state of Palestine along the 1967 lines or, in other words, in Judea, Samaria, Jerusalem (pre-Six-Day War), and Gaza.

The French initiative for an international peace conference has won the support of the Palestinian Authority, which also wants to prod the permanent members of the Security Council to approve a proposed binding resolution for a full Israeli withdrawal from territories captured in 1967. The resolution would also stipulate providing the Palestinian people with protection against Israel and paving the way for official recognition of the state of Palestine.

The Palestinian foreign ministry (March 1, 2016) has again accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “continuing the campaign of fraud, deception, and incitement against the Palestinian people in an attempt to wriggle out of pursuing peace and putting an end to the occupation of the land of the state of Palestine.”1

The Palestinian foreign ministry also asserted that: “The lack of determined international activity to bring an end to the occupation and settlement, and the lack of deterrent international responses to the Israeli positions, policy, and measures, enables the Netanyahu government to complete its plans and measures of Judaizing al-Quds [Jerusalem] and Area C [West Bank territories that are under Israeli security and civilian control] and thwarting all international efforts to salvage the peace process in keeping with the two-state solution.”

In addition, the Palestinian foreign ministry called on the international community “to take responsibility and convene an international peace conference that will bring an end to the Israeli occupation and the removal of the historical injustice that has been the lot of the Palestinian people.”

The Two Palestinian States

The Palestinian Authority favors the “two-state solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Yet the most fundamental obstacle to achieving that solution is precisely the existence of “two (Palestinian) states.” One is led by Fatah, the PLO, the Palestinian Authority, and the president of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), and the other by the Hamas movement, which is led in Gaza by Ismail Haniyeh, the deputy of Hamas chief Khaled Mashal.

Gaza’s subordination to PA rule exists only on paper. In actuality, two separate political authorities exist, which not only operate independently but see each other as bitter enemies and aspire to conquer each other’s territory.

Because of the basic animosity between the two leading organizations in the Palestinian arena, the series of “reconciliation” agreements signed by Fatah and Hamas have come nowhere near the implementation stage; each side suspects the other of working to gain exclusive control of the representative institutions of the Palestinian people.

The Fatah-Hamas rivalry has escalated anew in recent months, with Hamas accusing the Palestinian Authority of “treason” against the Palestinian people because of its ongoing security cooperation with Israel and assistance to Israel in maintaining the blockade on Gaza.

Fatah Opposes a Hamas Seaport

Senior Fatah officials, for their part, have accused Hamas of aiming to cut off Gaza from the West Bank. Fatah spokesman Osama Kawasmeh said (March 1, 2016) that Hamas’ agreement to establish a seaport under Israel’s full supervision and opposition to transferring the Rafah crossing to PA control, constitute clear proof of Hamas’ intentions to sever Gaza from “the homeland.”2

Kawasmeh averred that “no party has the right to negotiate in the name of our Palestinian people…our Palestinian people has a main address and it is the PLO, the legitimate and sole representative of our people. We will not allow this to be breached and everyone must honor it.” 

Fahmi al-Zarir, deputy-secretary of the Fatah Revolutionary Council, declared (March 1, 2016) that “the Hamas movement is not interested in giving up the Gaza Strip and constantly strives to gain control of the West Bank.”3

In his view, “no reconciliation [with Hamas] is possible unless Hamas recognizes that it made a mistake when it carried out the takeover [of Gaza], and it must apologize for the takeover and genuinely and honestly promise that it will not repeat these actions in the foreseeable future. I do not think Hamas is prepared for that.”

The Palestinian people are like a person with two heads that uncompromisingly fight each other over the birthright. The Palestinian Authority controls the Palestinian territories in Judea and Samaria and enforces its rule there. Yet it has no effective control over Gaza, which is under the untrammeled dominion of Hamas and its military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades.

The international initiatives aimed at recognizing the “state of Palestine” in the pre-1967 territories ignore the Palestinian rift that paralyzes and nullifies a Palestinian leadership that could take binding decisions in the name of the Palestinian people, let alone decisions on a historic compromise with Israel that would make a sustainable diplomatic solution possible.

* * *

Notes

Lt. Col. (ret.) Jonathan D. Halevi

Lt. Col. (ret.) Jonathan D. Halevi is a senior researcher of the Middle East and radical Islam at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs. He is a co-founder of the Orient Research Group Ltd.
Share this

Invest in JCFA

Subscribe to Daily Alert

The Daily Alert – Israel news digest appears every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

Related Items

Stay Informed, Always

Get the latest news, insights, and updates directly in your inbox—be the first to know!

Subscribe to Jerusalem Issue Briefs
The Daily Alert – Israel news digest appears every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

Notifications

The Jerusalem Center
The Gaza Flotilla Is a Fraud

Far from a humanitarian mission, the latest 70-vessel spectacle on its way to Gaza from Italy is a costly act of political theater @FiammaNirenste1 @JNS_org

11:28am
The Jerusalem Center
The Assassination of Abu Obeida – Why Is Hamas Remaining Silent?

Senior Israeli security officials note that such silence is not new; Hamas often delays its statements following targeted Israeli assassinations, raising questions whether this stems from attempts to verify the information or from a deliberate strategy of ambiguity https://x.com/jerusalemcenter

11:25am
The Jerusalem Center
The Impact of Radical Legal Ideology: From the Classroom to the International Forum

Massive funding of Critical Legal Studies-style academic and extracurricular programs promotes anti-Western ideas and undermines international community institutions and legal conventions https://x.com/jerusalemcenter

11:23am
The Jerusalem Center
Western Countries Focus on Iran Technicalities, Ignore Ideological Bent

The West must look beyond nuclear “offsides” and confront the core issue: a regime in decline, anchored to a dying leader, ruling over a weary population hungry for change x.com/jerusalemcenter

11:19am
The Jerusalem Center
Israel, Gaza, and the Race Against Time

The Trump proposal to create a 10-year trusteeship levels the playing field and provides an opportunity for the Egyptians to open its border with Gaza @Dan_Diker

11:15am
The Jerusalem Center
Canada investigating Israeli-Canadian IDF soldiers?
JCFA senior researcher, Amb. Alan Baker slams the probe as a “political PR stunt with no legal basis.” “This isn’t justice—it’s a betrayal. Canada is siding with PLO propaganda over facts.”
11:29am
The Jerusalem Center
What makes a child believe killing a #Jew is justified?

In PA textbooks, Jews are called liars and frauds; their fate: elimination. This is #indoctrination—not #education. But change is happening. On East to West, @IMPACT_SE CEO Marcus Sheff exposes how #UNRWA-funded schools are fueling extremism—and what real reform looks like.  Listen now on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/2JHqh973U  Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/8OkJTGNfVUc

11:43am
The Jerusalem Center
Highlights from the @Jerusalem_Post Annual Conference in NYC:

Dr. @Dan_Diker, President of the JCFA: “October 7 wasn’t just an attack on Israel — it was a blow to the U.S. on Israeli soil. It demands moral clarity and a united front between Israel and the U.S. to defeat jihadist terror.”

2:20pm
The Jerusalem Center
@XAVIAERD says it like it is

Well, @XAVIAERD says it like it is: If you’re part of “#Queers for #Palestine,” he’ll pay for your flight to #Gaza. Go see for yourself how they treat LGBTQ+ people over there. Don’t miss this bold take on the Israel-Hamas war and the woke right.

2:32pm
The Jerusalem Center
“This isn’t Israel vs. Hamas — it’s the frontline of the free world.”

“This isn’t Israel vs. Hamas — it’s the frontline of the free world.” On Our Middle East by @JNS_org, @Dan_Diker@KhaledAbuToameh (JCFA/@GatestoneInst) break it down: If Hamas isn’t crushed, Iran wins. The jihadis—from #Gaza to your campus—get the green light. Diker: “This war is for the West.” No fluff. No filters. Just raw insight from two insiders who actually know what’s going on.  Watch: youtu.be/4Aq_zcbb4Yo

2:15pm
The Jerusalem Center
5/5 Lt. Col. Kalo on East to West with @smartinezamir:

“This operation showcases Israel’s strategic intelligence superiority both regionally and globally. It demonstrates the moral commitment to recovered soldiers and also strengthens Israel’s position with allies.” youtube.com/watch?v=nIvNNi

2:07pm
The Jerusalem Center
4/5 The operation built on intelligence gathered during the 2019 #Baumel recovery

#Mossad agents operated under cover in #Syria for years, visiting a graveyard multiple times under fire to collect remains for DNA matching. The intelligence community’s evolution combines technology, big data analysis, and human intelligence capabilities.

2:02pm

Close