February 2020
In Search of a Viable Option
Evaluating Outcomes to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
About the Study
The two-state solution has been widely criticized from the right and the left as an idea whose time has passed and been overtaken by facts on the ground. As a result, many other models for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been advanced, from one-state formulas to confederation outcomes to maintaining the status quo indefinitely. How do these proposals for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — including the recently released Trump plan — measure up against key criteria, like keeping Israel Jewish and democratic, providing security, and ensuring feasibility? Is there a model that fits the needs of both parties while being realistic in practice? This comprehensive study of potential outcomes for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict assesses the strengths and weaknesses of different plans, and trains a critical eye on whether a two-state solution is still possible, concluding that despite the heavy lift it will take to implement, a two-state outcome is not only possible but the only implementable plan that maintains Israel as Jewish and democratic.
Is the two-state solution still possible?
Are other frameworks better or more feasible than two states? This study seeks to answer these questions through a candid and rigorous analysis.
Is there another viable outcome?
While the two-state model deserves to be debated on its merits, and certainly on its viability, pronouncements of this formula’s death raise the question: if not two states, then what?
Study Authors
Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Director of Policy Research
Evan Gottesman
Foreword By
Evaluating Outcomes
The evaluation tool is a two-dimensional color-coded scorecard depicting the relative performance of an approach in relation to each criterion. The colors range from red, representing poor performance, to green, representing strong performance close to the stated goal. The tool assists in characterizing how well an approach performs across each of the criteria. For comparison purposes, the scorecard aligns the performance judgments for each criterion and each approach.
