The Israeli Perspective on the Two-State Solution

The paper argues that since 2000, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has shifted from a border struggle back to an ethnic conflict, characterized by a 'status quo' regime of Israeli control. This regime utilizes settlement expansion, the Separation Barrier, and the strategic division of Palestinians to maintain Jewish ethnic superiority. The author contends that the two-state solution is currently unachievable due to deep-seated religious radicalization within the settler movement and the IDF, as well as a US policy focused on process over structural change. The document concludes that Israel will only move toward a two-state accommodation when the international costs of maintaining the current regime outweigh the domestic costs of dismantling it.

• Since 2000, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has reverted from a territorial border struggle to an ethnic conflict, with Israel establishing a regime of control over divided Palestinian territories.
• Israel employs a 'divide and control' strategy that fragments Palestinians into five distinct legal and territorial groups to maintain dominance and minimize international criticism.
• The Separation Barrier is used as a tool for de facto annexation and control rather than as a defined border, as evidenced by the placement of settlers and soldiers on both sides.
• Settlement expansion has increased significantly since 1992, with the settler population growing from 222,000 to 489,000 by 2010, supported by substantial government funding.
• A generational shift within the national religious settler community has led to increased radicalization, with younger settlers often viewing the Israeli state as part of the problem and showing a willingness to use violence.
• The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have seen a significant increase in religious officers, with religious cadets rising from 2% in 1990 to 30% by 2007, leading to instances where officers aid settlers in confrontations with Palestinians.
• The Palestinian Authority (PA) is kept in a state of total financial and security dependence on Israel and external donors, which the author argues helps Israel maintain the status quo.
• US policy under both George W. Bush and Barack Obama is characterized as a 'conflict-management strategy' that prioritizes diplomatic process over the structural changes necessary to end the occupation.
• The author argues that Israel will only pursue a two-state solution when the external economic, diplomatic, and military costs of the current regime exceed the internal costs of a peace agreement.

APA

Klein, M. (2011). The Israeli Perspective on the Two-State Solution. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/844e9a42-eceb-4634-bfe9-04f509637f3e/Israeli-Pespective-on-Two-State-Solution-PRIO-Paper-2011.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Klein, Menachem. The Israeli Perspective on the Two-State Solution. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2011. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/844e9a42-eceb-4634-bfe9-04f509637f3e/Israeli-Pespective-on-Two-State-Solution-PRIO-Paper-2011.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Klein |first1=Menachem |title=The Israeli Perspective on the Two-State Solution |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2011 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/844e9a42-eceb-4634-bfe9-04f509637f3e/Israeli-Pespective-on-Two-State-Solution-PRIO-Paper-2011.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{klein2011israeli, author = {Klein, Menachem}, title = {{The Israeli Perspective on the Two-State Solution}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2011}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/844e9a42-eceb-4634-bfe9-04f509637f3e/Israeli-Pespective-on-Two-State-Solution-PRIO-Paper-2011.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }