A Two-State Solution Has Never Been More Vital

Israel’s friends and allies must demand E1’s cancellation—not just postponement or freezing, but definitively ruling it out as a threat to the two-state solution which is necessary for both Israel and Palestine to have peace and security. 

Many Israelis recognize this threat and oppose the growing extremism and intolerance in their politics and society at large. For instance, we met with President Isaac Herzog on our visit, who condemned settler violence. We also acknowledge the deep trauma Israel’s people suffered after the Hamas terror attacks of October 7, which included the detention of hostages contrary to all international law. 

We take inspiration from the brave Israeli and Palestinian civil society activists we met. They remain determined to combat impunity for abuses and injustice, and to strive for a future for both peoples based on equality and respect for international law.

Yet this vision is far from the reality we saw on our visit. We saw how ongoing settlement of the West Bank and the sustained violence against and displacement of Palestinians threatens ethnic cleansing and annexation. Combined with the occupation of Gaza, including renewed calls by Israeli ministers for new settlements in the Strip, we are convinced that what is underway is the conquest and erasure of one state by another.