During a recent meeting at the White House, a reporter asked President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu “Do you think there can be a two-state solution that creates an independent Palestinian state?” The question surprised me, since from Israel’s point of view the two-state solution is a dead letter.

There was a time when many, perhaps even a majority, of Israelis believed a two-state solution with the Palestinians was possible. This was the position of every Israeli government for the past 30 years, including Netanyahu’s previous administration.  Support in Israel for a two-state solution began dissipating when Arafat launched the first intifada just three months after signing the Oslo Peace Accords. In the decades of relentless Palestinian terror that followed a Palestinian state seemed less and less like a good idea to Israelis and more like national suicide.

The Collapse of Israeli Trust

Yet, even after decades of terrorism, wars, and failed peace talks, a sizable segment of Israeli society still held out hope that separation from the Palestinians could at least bring security and normalcy. That hope was based on the premise that most Palestinians sought a state beside Israel, not instead of it. But that optimistic vision ended on October 7, 2023. Hamas’ brutal assault into southern Israel, killing over 1,200 civilians and taking hundreds hostage, not only triggered a war; it shattered the foundational assumptions underlying the two-state solution. The events of that day buried the two-state solution under the rubble of Israelis’ kibbutzim, their burned-out homes, and their murdered friends and family.

Gaza Proved the Failure of Land-for-Peace

October 7th also marked the final chapter in Israel’s Gaza disengagement experiment. In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza, removing 10,000 Jewish residents along with all military presence. The goal was to reduce friction and perhaps set the stage for Palestinian autonomy. What followed was the takeover of........

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