It may be convenient for Israel's "friends" to blame Netanyahu for being opposed to a Palestinian state, but in truth no Israeli political leader, from right to left, is currently proposing such a state.
Maybe it's because of the past;
* When the Arabs were offered a state in 1948, but chose to launch a war against Israel instead,
* Or when Palestinians were offered a path to a state at Oslo in 1992, but their leadership chose terrorism instead.
* Or when in 2000 Palestinians were offered a state in all of Gaza and 97 percent of the West Bank but their leadership chose terrorism instead.
* Or when it 2005 Israel withdrew every soldier and civilian from Gaza, enabling it to become a flourishing state, but instead it became a launchpad for rockets and terror.
* Or when in 2008, Palestinians rejected an offer of the entire West Bank and a partitioned Jerusalem.
Maybe it's because of the present:
* Because the PA has never recognised the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state, and maintains the "right of return" which means that the "two-state solution" would be two Palestinian states.
* Or because Hamas has made repeatedly clear, by word and by deed, that it is violently opposed to a Jewish state existing anywhere in Israel.
* Or because, right now, Israelis are bleeding and grieving, and do not understand why it is the victims of the October 7 atrocities who must make concessions, including putting their security at risk.
Maybe it's because of the future:
* Because if there ever will be a Palestinian state, Israel must be sure that it will not send an army of terrorists across the border to massacre, mutilate and take hostages.
* And because if that were to happen, Israel would have to know that the world would defend Israel's right to self-defence, and not march for "the river to the sea".
* And Israel would have to know that if it had to act in self-defence, it would have the support of the United Nations, and not be subject to knee-jerk anti-Israel censure or show trials at the ICJ.
* And Israel would have to know that if the UN actually passed a resolution ensuring Israel's security, it would not be ignored like 1701 has been ignored, leaving Israel's north subject to daily barrages of rockets from Hizbullah.
Maybe it's all of the above.
Until the Palestinian leadership and their supporters are truly committed to accepting the presence of a Jewish state, then no Israeli leader, just like no leader anywhere in the world, will risk their citizens being massacred once again.
The impediment to a Palestinian state is not Netanyahu. It's not Israel. Those foreign leaders who are pushing for a two-state solution are doing so at the wrong address.
