Mick Hartley

Yes. Israelis remember what happened to the Iraqi army, which the US invested so much money and training into, when it was challenge; it just went home.

As did the Afghan army, when the Taliban showed up.

A Palestinian state requires a Palestinian national movement that can…

— David Hirsh (@DavidHirsh) January 23, 2024

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Yes. Israelis remember what happened to the Iraqi army, which the US invested so much money and training into, when it was challenge; it just went home.

As did the Afghan army, when the Taliban showed up.

A Palestinian state requires a Palestinian national movement that can deliver on an agreement, and at the moment, there isn't one.

It can't be built by the Americans or the Brits or the Israelis or the Saudis or the Emiratis.

People can say they're in favour of a 2 state solution as much as they like, but it can't happen until there is a Palestinian authority that wants a state and is capable of asserting sovereignty over the Palestinians.

It is not within the gift of the Israelis to deliver a Palestinian state.

Yes, Israel could withdraw its civilian settlers and leave behind a military occupation. But how can you build a majority for that in Israel, while there is zero prospect of a Palestinian state – only a Palestinian antisemitic movement that would move into the vacuum?

But for so long as people say that "ending the occupation" is within Israel's gift, then they will think that all violence is an Israeli choice. And it's not.

I think it would be easy to win a majority in Israel to a 2 state solution, if Israelis were convinced that a Palestinian state could be built that would live alongside it in peace. What's the problem with that?

The problem is that there is no Palestinian national movement that can make that happen. At the moment, there is not even a possibility that people could hang their hopes on.