Has Hamas ended the prospects for a two state solution?

Various points Alan,

Firstly, although I'm not trying to encourage nor condone Palestinian civilian deaths, their civilians are not quite as innocent as would appear.
Firstly, they elected Hamas in the first place & they should have known what they were getting; if they weren't happy with them, it's for the civilians to go back to the ballot box. Anyway, civilians interviewed on that side of the border appear to give Hamas their backing......

Secondly, as Mark Steyn points out, everywhere in the M.E, the borders are changing: Iraq changes, Syria changes, Libya changes and probably Lebanon & even Jordan with its vast influx of refugees.

In which case, it's about time the Jews evolved a plan & got this agreed with the US to supply money. This would involve a) a closure of UNWRA (save a lot of money), the resettlement of its clients throughout the M.E. and b) the voluntary resettlement of all the Arabs in Yehuda & Shomron c) option for Gaza Arab of resettlement or life under Israel military rule. It's certainly about time the Jews took a positive initiative about this and dictated terms.

Israel has ended the two state solution by being a defacto apartheid state, and allowing Jewish settlers to take Palestinian land. There is only one solution now, and that is to create one state with two founding peoples (like Canada) whose rights and freedoms are enshrined in constitution. Yes, the Jewish population will become a minority, but so be it. Historically, they were always a minority in the Middle East anyway, but now have the opportunity to create a just state that provides safe harbour for both Jews and Palestinians. These are not mutually incompatible goals.

There is really only one issue these days: Does Israel earnestly seek the creation of a Palestinian state? If it does not, then it does not in fact support a 2 state solution. If it did really support a 2 state solution, there would be a Palestine now. Netanyahu has stated that he accepts a 2 state solution. But, in truth, he does everything in his power to prevent the creation of Palestine, indeed, to make it impossible. If Netanyahu, and his government, wanted a Palestinian state, there would be a Palestinian state. I will not tell every action, great and small, that Israel has taken to make it impossible for the Palestinians to have their own state alongside Israel, because even the most obtuse supporter of Israeli policy regarding the Palestinians would agree in private that the last thing in this world that Netanyahu and his coalition government wants is a Palestinian state with sovereign rights to self defense, secure borders and unfettered communication, trade and development. This is really the only issue regarding Palestine. Until the USA explicitly acknowledges this truth on the world stage, and confronts the Netanyahu government with the truth, there will be no progress in "resolving" the plight of the Palestinians and the Israeli occupation of Palestine. When Reagan confronted the USSR by correctly labeling it an "evil empire", that empire dissolved. Israel is not an evil empire, but it has become an evil occupier. It is very painful for me as an American Jew who grew up attending a Hebrew Yeshiva, and who faithfully dropped coins in the Israeli Tzeddaka tin every week; who fervently believed in Israel as the last, best hope for Jews after the Holocaust and the indifference of the rest of the world to the extermination of Europe's Jews, to say that Israel has betrayed its ideals with a never-ending, brutal occupation...but it has, and for our sake as Jews, and for Israel's sake as a Jewish state, it has to turn around and support either a Palestinian state, or one secular, state. It's one or the other. Time is up.

"It may still be possible to create a two-state solution...". I had to laugh and then scroll to see the writer's name. Of course, Alan Dershowitz.

And after continuing to vie for the "2-State Solution for the Destruction of Israel" he ends with:

"Israel is fighting for the entire civilized world against those who would shoot down civilian airliners. The world should support Israel in this noble fight."

AND... Let's keep truckin' for the "2-State.... ARGH!!

As usual, Alan Dershowitz gets right to the heart of the matter in a clear and straightforward manner. Thank goodness for his honesty and intelligence.

"It was precisely one of the goals of the Hamas rocket and tunnel assaults to scuttle any two-state agreement between the Palestinian Authority and Israel."

Yeah, Alan, let's not fall into that trap, especially with peace just around the corner!

The "Palestinians" already have a state, since 1922 in fact - Jordan.

It consists of ~78% of the British Mandate of Palestine (formerly a part of the Ottoman Empire before its defeat in WWI).

Israel should take back Gaza and annex it as part of Israel and offer the Palestinians a "Peace for Peace" solution. Israel shouldn't be concerned about world opinion anymore. Hamas and the Palestinians should have thought about these consequences before they started shooting their rockets and kidnapping young boys and killing them. The Jews are the only people on earth whereby God gave them a "FREE TITLE DEED" to their land and they still don't have full position of all the land God gave to them, but they soon will have.

I have always thought a two-state solution would never work. Israel doesn't need one or two more Islamic states on their borders whose aim--just like most other Islamic states--is the destruction of Israel and the Jews.

Currently there are 28 Muslim countries, 22 of which are officially declared Islamic states. Nobody seems bothered by their religious declarations, yet an officially declared Jewish state is offensive. With the current "Kill the Jews" demonstrations in so many non-Arab countries, Israel is needed more than ever.

Despite what is currently happening or what has occurred in the past, the entire international community, including Israel and the United States, should recognise that Palestine is a state as it currently exists, with its current borders and its current problems. It is a state in trouble and in need of international help in order to rid itself of the terrorists within its borders. this is what the international community should be focused on, not on a truce between Israel and the terrorists, but helping Israel and Palestine rid itself of the cancer within and keeping it out.

I have strong suspicion that FAA was influenced by Obama administration trying to force Israel into an unacceptable ceasefire agreement

Is not the FAA's closing of Israel's airport to international travel an attempt to force Israel to end its defensive war?

Hear! Hear! As usual, AD is able to pin point the problem and it's potential solution.
Unfortunately the modern day world won't allow this to happen due to the World's 25% anti Israel and Zionism bias.
If Israel leaves Gaza without totally destroying Hamas and it's tunnel system, plus strict surrender terms at the end off the conflict, decisively defeating Hamas, the problem will remain. After all, look what Hamas did in building their defenses up to the level we find them at now in a short period of two years-cement and all!
Nothing less than total surrender of Hamas will do, knowing the cost in human lives on both sides, except, that the Israelis love life and Hamas and their ilk would like to die in the process. Perhaps they will get their wish.

There can be no two-state solution until Hamas gives up the "two-gods-dueling" theology. As long as Hamas (and others using the same, illogical theology) think the whole purpose of human existence is to get back to "Eden", or, heaven; and that there is a devil trying to stop humans from doing that, Hamas will never be able to understand that their theology is what is causing their suffering, not Israel, the USA, or "The West." How, logically, could there be an "all-powerful" god, and at the same time be a rival to this supposedly all-powerful god (Satan means "rival" in Hebrew)? One hesitates to make life seem too simple, but the simple truth is that this illogical theology is the cause of all the suffering and death in the Middle East, and especially in Hamas-controlled Gaza. Hamas thinks their god will punish them if they allow "non-believers" to live in the "Holy Land" (never mind it was Judaism and Christianity who named the area thus, and long before Islam was invented); that is the reason Hamas cannot be reasoned with, even by other Muslims. Meanwhile, their primitive superstitions are causing the punishment on their people; there is no god involved. If they could only see the pattern: they rocket Israel; Israel rains death on Hamas, and civilians get in the way. No god involved. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over...and expecting a different result.

Bibi was right when he spoke to Ban-Ki-Moon yesterday. Hamas are only one of a huge group of terrorist organisations whose ideology is to terrorise the world and to make people feel insecure. Why they are so difficult to defeat is because they really believe that their "god" has given them the mandate to kill all non-Muslims plus moderate Muslims who don't share their Jihadist views and they seem to have a love affair with death. The problem is a world wide one and sooner or later the free world will wake up to this fact, hopefully before it is too late. It seems that David Cameron of Britain has now got the picture, thank G-d for him. May the G-d of Israel protect us all.

The two phony wars going on right now in the world (Russia invading Ukraine and Hamas attacks Israel) both have attacked international aviation and why is the world not condemning this?

Terrorist groups are just beginning to fathom the kinds of chaos they can commit even without nuclear weapons and dirty bombs. Don't give them too much time to think about it. Hit hard and stop playing softball these groups which are 99% Islamic. More is sure to follow shortly.

Pretty good comments for a leftie. But seriously, who in their right mind who knows the reality of the situation actually believes the Palestinians could have run a state for themselves? Does Mr. Dershowitz understand the parties? Does he understand the history of the place? Is it just a liberal utopian fantasy on his part? I don't understand how such an otherwise accomplished man could have thought two states side by side would have worked.

Under Hamas's control Palestinians have languished in an economic, social and political limbo. Apart from encouraging reproduction of children for the Islamist or shahid market, Hamas has done nothing to improve the economic lives of ordinary people. There has been no significant economic development in Palestinian-controlled territory. Is it Islamic fatalism or an ingrained victim mentality that prevents Palestinians from wanting to improve their standard of living? As an occupier, Israel could not sustain the burden of simply being a controlling and policing entity. It would have no choice but to develop these areas and make them as economically productive as Israel proper. Palestinians would reap the benefits of economic growth even under Israeli occupation, and with prosperity, and education, there would be a very real opportunity for some kind of future political autonomy. Is self-annihilation really preferable to a good life?

Exactly true that "Were Israel to end its military occupation of the West Bank—as distinguished from its civilian settlements deep in the West Bank—it would risk the possibility of a Hamas takeover. That is precisely what happened when Israel removed both its civilian settlements and its military presence in Gaza. "

Tell Alan Dershowitz.

Alan M. Dershowitz got this one right. The law of averages favored this one.

If an airport is closed to protect from terrorists, every effort must be made to eradicate the threatening terrorists. Human shields notwithstanding, this is the agony of Hamas. However, the people of Gaza can learn that their inaction has consequence.

There are many Americans that believe Arabs are not citizens of Israel. They do not know that one man, one vote is the way in Israel. No other mideast nation is democratic. No other has one man, one vote. Some do not permit women to drive. The primitives rule in many places.

Israel is the envy of all nations. Under great pressure, she has risen to help others. But Tel Aviv must remain safe and open. It's time to engage the enemy and end its existence.

The force of Hamas must be extinguished, now.

Sandy Lewis
Essex, New York

The decision of the FAA to ban US owned airlines from flying to Ben Gurion followed by other airlines following suit because a rocket landed somewhere near the airport brought home to Israel just how easy it would be for a Palestinian terror group to close the airport anytime it wanted to from the West Bank if they controlled that territory.

With the polls showing that most Palestinians oppose Israel's existence Israelis must now be more aware than ever of the dangers inherent in such an agreement.

Unfortunately Israel is up against Hamas: a monster with no heart for anything or anybody.

The only way to end this endless violence, is to kill this monster as quickly as possible. In doing so, many lives will be lost but in not doing so will continue the killings on both sides.

In the long run this will demonstrate to the world of the justice of this type of retribution.

Lasting peace is a valuable goal. This is for everybody.

I have no problem with Alan Dershowitz's stance in this article. I do however take issue with Dershowitz's constant writings in defense of Jewish and Israeli causes after defending the killer of a Jewish man, Ron Goldman, in the OJ case.

I have no problem with someone taking a moral stance, but if one does so, a little consistency would be nice. I can't imagine that the family of Ron Goldman sees Dershowitz as a champion for Jewish causes.

Dershowitz is certainly smart enough to know he was defending a murderer, as lawyers often do, and that is his right....but please don't moralize to me.

Middle East fanatics claim they believe in freedom ---but only for himself. What thinking Muslims, Jews and Christians, etc. are fighting are people that can't abide tolerance for others. They are drunk with hatred, crazies who try to dominate through fear and terror. Their absolutist, irrational attempt to control has been the source of misery and bloodshed of their own Arab /Palestine people.The Nazis were not vanquished with the ending of WW2. It is alive and well in the heart and mind of Arab-Muslim fanatics such as Hamas, Hezbollah, Muslim Brotherhood, and many of the people living in the Middle East whom they have convinced thru their propaganda that has turned truth and history upside down.

The audaucity of those Jews. How dare they put an airport so close to the west bank! Mr. Dershowitz, being one of the smartest legal minds alive, has hit the nail on the head. Hamas is accomplishing their goal and that is to negate any truce or peace process possible.

"It may still be possible to create a two-state solution whereby Israel withdraws its civilian settlers from most of the West Bank and agrees to land swaps"

He's almost got it, but Dershowitz just can't let go of this proven failed policy.

I have just watched CNN analysis of the air-flight ban to Tel Aviv. And do you know what? Not one word of condemnation for rocket attacks on Ben Gurion airport but portrayed as a great victory to Hamas for making this ban happen. And this is typical of the gross and wicked politically correct moral equivalence that has consumed news channels like CNN/BBC/SKY. In fact there is not even any equivalence. Lip service is given to Israel's right of self-defense; Hamas crimes against humanity of human shields and deliberate blackmail strategy of civilian casualties is barely fleetingly acknowledged. But we can be sure of wall to wall coverage of the crying Gazans who overwhelmingly support Hamas policy against Israel without concern for the tragic consequence to their own children. But hey, infantalizing the Palestinians is where the NEWS is people - so what if we the media have bought into their blackmail and become useful idiots to terror. Terror knows it will not be interrogated or censured for holding sovereign states to ransom and blackmail because it has CNN etc. at its back.

Hamas has now shut down Ben Gurion Airport. This was always considered a likely possibility by realist analysts, but ignored by shallow thinkers like Kerry with their concept that there is a two-state solution(?) ready to be signed for agreement.

Hamas has sealed its own death warrant by violating near every international agreement. They no longer have a right to complain by their own actions of hiding armaments behind their women and children. This is beyond evil!
Israel has every right to defend itself against the attacks of an uncivilized enemy.

My prediction is this: the country which is quickest to recognize the One State Solution communicated by Caroline Glick in "The Israeli Solution", this country will be taking the lead in being treated more seriously.

So, the clock is ticking, and we will see what we will see.

One more thing, the only two state solution that is now possible is the Gaza Strip being run by anyone other than Hamas, and Israel.

The blatant attack by Hamas on Ben Gurion airport effectively terminates all attempts to cauterize Israel's attempts to defend itself against terrorist the strategy of utilizing its civilian death statistics as strategy.

Dershowitz FINALLY notes "The new reality caused by Hamas' shutting down of international air travel to and from Israel would plainly justify an Israeli demand that it maintain military control over the West Bank in any two-state deal."

This is hardly a "new" anything, but it's wonderful to recognize that he has seen-the-light; I rebuked him a few months ago when he spoke @ the U of Pennsylvania [in defense of Obama], provoking him to attack [in a broad-brush fashion] Republicans who can't stomach a guy who would endorse BHO's desire to extend the Judenrein status of Gaza throughout Judea/Samaria.

Indeed, although he was there to join in the attack on JStreet, he exclaimed he was closer to JStreet than to the GOP with regard to BHO's Middle East policy, due in no small measure to his feelings regarding the Social Issues; although this created a stir, the organizers of this event lamented the fact that he had been provoked [by myself] to have strayed from the subject-at-hand.

THEREFORE, Dershowitz is cordially invited to compose a follow-up piece that depicts BHO's reaction to his posture, inclusive of whether he has been able to convince him of the strident conclusions he [justifiably] drew in this op-ed. Simply put, he can't have it both ways; either he maintains the proper level of reality-testing [recognizing the dangers of Islamism] or he continues to compromise his credibility [by hiding behind the claim that "some Zionists have to be Dems, lest polarization occur" ... despite the fact that he can hardly claim he follows the Scoop Jackson mold].

For some eighty years a two state solution has been propagated by the international community. Perhaps the time has come to consider a one state solution. I suggest everyone read The Israeli Solution by Caroline Glick for a new approach.

Alan, with all huge respect for you, how could you not see and understand that before? Out of all people, how could you believe that those who call themselves 'palestinians' want Peace with Israel? If they wanted peace, they would get it LONG TIME AGO, like Egypt did.

I humbly ask you to wake up to use your position and status to stand by Israel unequivocally, every step of the way. Israel needs your support and your ability to argue and make cases. It should be much easier for you to strongly defend Israel because the truth and all indisputable evidence is on Israel's side!

I urge anyone who really wants a solution in the Middle East should read Caroline Glick's book, "The Israeli Solution". Israel has historic and cultural ties to the West Bank and should never give up that region despite what the Left-wing apologists in the international community demands. The TSS advocates are delusional since the Muslims will never stop until Israel is destroyed. The single state solution is the best answer other than for the world to recognize that Islam is a totalitarian supremacist political ideology cloaked as a religion that needs to be defeated much like Nazism and communism.

Dershowitz hit the proverbial nail on the head. The putative TSS, never a realistic alternative from the inception, is now a dead issue. Hamas, in its attempt to obliterate the Jewish State, has consigned the TSS to the dustbin of history. Israel can never permit the situation which exists in Gaza to be recreated in the WB. And as Dershowitz said, any limitation to protect Israel will not be found suitable by Abbas. Thus the TSS is dead, as a doornail !

Because Israel is a free country, it has a moral right to survive and flourish.

But it cannot do so if it has the murdering little tyrants of Hamas launching rockets into Israel from its front door step. Until Hamas is obliterated, casualties will mount on both sides.

Israel should retake and keep Gaza and wipe out Hamas in the process. While doing so, it should ignore the vapid screeching of the world wide Left.

Israel was cut off from the world today when the world's airlines hearkened to Washington and took steps to "eliminate terrorism". he stopped all flights in to Israel! Wow!

I wonder when Israel's airports will be operating again!

Coming on the heels of the staged event in Ukraine, our world is paralyzed but Islam is not! Yoiks!

There is something very mysterious going on here. Perhaps God is turning against the People of the Book, jews and christians both. Islam rejoices as we wonder. Allah Akbar! That phrase heard recently in the Bergdahl celebration in the White House via national PR for Obama, was prophetic in more ways than one!

Continue with your agonizing. Islam is marching and none of you have the slightest idea how to stop it!

Funny thing, Europe repelled Islam three times and was successful. In each of these victories, it was not the English speaking people who were the heroes. It was just two nations...Russia and Poland. Does anyone ever read history these days!

Oh well, history is for the birds...everyone today knows that and besides the Brits and the USA did not fare well in the annals of the last Turkish conflict....I think that was WWI when the Ottoman Empire officially ended with the defeat of the Turks. If I remember correctly, the English speakers alibied that "allied victory" and even denied the first great modern holocaust... that of the Armenians by the Turks.

George Santayana, a great Sephardi scholar, said it better than anyone when he declared that those who ignore history will relive it....or something to that effect.

Totally agree the west is its own worst enemy, but this could work in Israel's favour - why? Because me being a westerner (British) when you start messing with people's holidays you really get to the bones. And knowing the British that will cause an earthquake far worse than poor Lee Rigby, so this may be the tsunami that changes the world

You would think that after a decade of deceit and war crimes by HAMAS, that the Israelis would no longer pretend to consider the so-called 2 state solution proffered by morons like the American liberal/progressives. All along, HAMAS has been openly telling the Israelis that they have absolutely no intention of ever signing on to that kind of settlement, and everyone knows they have been telling everyone else that they have no intention of making peace with Israel.

The crime here is that some folks actually believe that HAMAS can, or will change it's evil black mind given the proper circumstances. They won't.

Therefore, in light of this blatant fact, it appears to be senseless to continue to hope for a settlement, and instead, some permanent solution must be employed to stop the criminal behavior of the arabs as they beat themselves to death pursuing their hopeless evil dream of driving every last Israeli into the sea - there to drown or otherwise die.

I must correct Professor Dershowitz's use of the term Palestinians when referring to the residents of Gaza. They are Gazansm not Palestinans. Palestinians are the former residents of the British Mandate of Palestine, of which few are still alive today living in Gaza.

It is becoming very evident whenever a government functions in a passive manner, the evil will attempt to take over. The world including the United States and other countries in Europe, including Britain, have a day coming when they will have to make hard and difficult choices concerning the evil doers of the world.

Israel has proved they have the courage to make those choices and follow through.

Yes, the case of Israel is the case of the whole world. Those supporting the Hamas attacks on non-military Israeli sites make a mockery of international agreements forbidding such aggression.

As always, this report from Gatestone sums up perfectly the situation this world is heading for. The old adage "the first casualty of war is the truth", is never more true than today. With the world Media complicit in the deceptions being worked on the minds of populations in every country by their respective governments we should all be grateful for the work of analysts in organisations like Gatestone.

May The Lord empower all its staff doing this work.

Grateful thanks.

Rob Nelson
New Zealand