Security & Diplomacy
A Palestinian state
Israel should accept a Palestinian state as part of a regional peace deal.
In July 2024 the Knesset voted 68 to 9 against recognising a Palestinian state. Several Western governments have recognised one since.
What is at stake
The Oslo Accords of the 1990s gave the Palestinian Authority parts of the West Bank, but borders and statehood were left for later. After October 7 several Western governments recognised a Palestinian state. The Knesset voted 68 to 9 against one. The next government faces the question head-on.
The case for
- Ruling millions of Palestinians with no end date means either granting them citizenship or governing people who cannot vote.
- Saudi Arabia has named its price for full normalisation: a negotiated, demilitarised Palestinian state.
- Western support underwrites Israel's security and its economy. Keeping it requires a political horizon, not an open-ended occupation.
The case against
- Israel left Gaza in 2005. Hamas took it over and used it to launch October 7.
- The West Bank hills overlook Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion airport. A state there would be indefensible.
- Statehood granted after the deadliest massacre in Israel's history reads as a reward for it.
Both sides get the same number of points at comparable length. That is a rule of this site, not a coincidence.
What the next Knesset could decide
The next Knesset could require a special majority or a referendum before any transfer of territory or recognition of statehood. A coalition agreement can also commit the government for or against negotiations.