Europe’s misguided vision of a two-state solution - If the Jews had lost the 1948 War of Independence, the Arabs states would have divided Palestine among themselves.

November 21, 2025

By: Joseph Puder

France and Germany were historical rivals until the end of World War Two.  In the war’s aftermath and, in recognition of each other’s peoplehood and histories, they joined to work toward peace and prosperity.  In so doing, they conceived what is today known as the European Union. 

The Europeans, however, are wrongfully projecting their European values onto the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, ignoring the fact that concepts of compromise and tolerance do not exist in the Palestinian lexicon.  Neither does democracy.

Arabs armies burst out of the Arabian desert in the 7th century under the flag of Islam, with the aim of bringing the “last and the truest word of God,” which they considered Islam to be, to the entire world.  Any territory conquered by the Muslims was considered the domain of Islam, including Spain and today’s Israel.  Islamic conquest reached as far as Indonesia.  Were it not for Charles Martel, who stopped the Muslim armies at the battle of Tours, France in 732, Europe would pray toward Mecca.

The Muslim Ottoman Turks tried to subjugate Europe in 1683, and once again, Europe was saved — this time by a brave Polish king, John III Sobieski, who stopped the Ottomans at the gates of Vienna.

The intent to conquer Europe for Islam has never abated.  Today, we do not see armies carrying the banners of Islam on the way to conquer Europe, but rather hordes of Muslim immigrants.  Many of these migrants are motivated by the Muslim Brotherhood creed, which seeks to transform Europe.

In appeasing their Muslim communities, the Europeans are ready to sacrifice the Jews of Israel on the altar of the “two-state solution.”  Having betrayed six million Jews during the Holocaust doesn’t seem to be enough for the Europeans; now they are asking the Jews of Israel to commit political, if not actual suicide.  Ironically, the Palestinians do not want a “two state” solution.  They want the Jewish state to disappear.

Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), when hosted by European and American leaders, has declared that his Palestinian people want to live alongside Israel and that the Palestinians recognized Israel as a state and territory in the Oslo Accords.  The Europeans, for their part, are happy to accept these declarations at face value.  Missing in these declarations of “recognition,” however, is the second part of the Oslo declaration — namely, two states “for two nations.” 

The fundamental assumption of the Oslo Accords was that at the core of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, two national movements existed: a Jewish Zionist and an Arab Palestinian, who were fighting over the same territory.  If the territory were to be divided between these two ”nations,” peace would finally reign.  Whereas Israel recognized Palestinian nationhood, the Palestinians never recognized the Jewish people as a nation with the right to self-determination.

Oddly enough, prior to Israel capturing the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) and Gaza during the Six-Day War of 1967, the Palestinians did not proclaim themselves as a separate nation from their Arab brethren, nor did they seek self-determination.  Arab Jordan held the West Bank, and Arab Egypt controlled Gaza, yet Yasser Arafat and his Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) never demanded a Palestinian state.  The PLO was formed in May 1964.  What lands were they demanding be liberated?  

The simple explanation is that the Palestinians never sought a state alongside Israel, but fought bitterly against the Jews having one.  Few peoples have had as many opportunities to establish a state as the Palestinians have had, and they have rejected them all. 

The British Peel Commission in 1936–1937 offered the Arabs 72% of Mandatory Palestine.  The Arabs (Arabs were not yet called Palestinians; only the Jews were known as Palestinians) rejected it because approximately 25% would have been allocated for a Jewish state, while 3% was to be internationalized, including greater Jerusalem.  The Jews accepted the commission’s recommendations despite being offered a tiny territory.  In November 1947, the U.N. voted on the Partition Plan, which again gave the Palestinians an opportunity for a state.  Again they said no, because there was to be a Jewish state.

In more recent times, in July 2000, President Clinton arranged a summit at Camp David with Yasser Arafat and Israel’s P.M., Ehud Barak.  Prodded by Clinton, Barak made painful concessions.  Clinton thought it was an opportunity for the Palestinians to finally end the “occupation” and have a state.  Arafat, however, said no to the deal.  In September 2008, it was Mahmoud Abbas’s turn to say no to even more concessions showered upon him by Israel P.M. Ehud Olmert.  In both cases, Arafat and Abbas refused to commit to “end the conflict” and have their own state alongside Israel.

French president Emmanuel Macron proposed free, open, and democratic elections to be held in the Palestinian areas (West Bank and Gaza).  If conducted, Hamas would win easily.  Abbas is now 90 years old and intensely unpopular among the Palestinians.  Abbas’s reign is marked by corruption and mismanagement.

Abbas shares with Hamas the same strategic goal: Israel’s destruction.  They differ only on tactics.  Abbas has chosen to use diplomacy while encouraging terror against Israel, whereas Hamas is more direct in its uncompromising stance and its use of terror.  Both the Hamas and Fatah charters do not recognize Jews as a nation or their claim to their ancestral home, although the Hamas charter doesn’t mince words regarding its intent to destroy Israel.

To have a Palestinian state nine miles away from Israel’s population centers is sheer suicide for Israel, especially if Hamas is installed in Ramallah.  The October 7 massacre experienced by Israel has created unanimity among Israelis in their opposition to a Palestinian state.

The Europeans are, once again, supporting a situation whose aftermath will result in the shedding of crocodile tears for dead Jews.