Avi Benlolo: Biden's foolhardy plan for a two-state solution

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TEL AVIV — If there was ever a great example of “chutzpah,” it would be the recent American proposal to declare a Palestinian state in the middle of Israel’s ongoing battle to defend its very existence against Hamas. The fact of the matter is that even if Israel is successful in its campaign, it would leave the Palestinian Authority (PA) in power, and it is not all that much better than Hamas.

It’s true that the PA is not Hamas, but it’s damn close. To this day, the PA still hasn’t condemned Hamas’s massacre of 1,200 innocents on Oct. 7, 2023. The Ramallah-based “authority” also hasn’t demanded the return of the remaining hostages held by Hamas — even though Hamas also killed and kidnapped Bedouin Muslims.

Now, the United States — along with Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Qatar — is aiming to both recognize and declare a Palestinian state. Siding with monarchies that seek to quell anger over the Palestinian issue within their own populations, Israel’s greatest ally is working on a pipe dream to calm the waters.

There are six critical factors that negate the possibility of a so-called two-state solution at this time.

First and foremost, undertaking such an initiative just over four months after the biggest massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust disregards the pain and suffering experienced by Israelis. They are traumatized, and talk of peace, especially with the Palestinians, demonstrates insensitivity and will be met with resistance.

Second, Israel will not accept anything less than the complete and utter elimination of Hamas as a governing power or military threat in Gaza. U.S. President Joe Biden’s peace plan will reportedly seek an immediate, six-week ceasefire, which would allow Hamas to regroup. At the same time, he is discouraging Israel from entering Rafah, which is necessary in order to wipe out Hamas.

Third, Israelis are unified behind not only the elimination of Hamas, but also the return of the hostages and the bodies of those who have been murdered. Thousands of Israelis live in towns and small villages on the outskirts of Gaza. Having met with many of them, I can tell you that few will return home if their safety and security cannot be assured.

Fourth, the PA represents a significant threat to Israel. It knows how to play the diplomatic game, but its hatred of Israel runs deep. It spends over $300 million per year incentivizing its population to commit terror attacks against Israel. And the PA’s policy of compensating terrorists is only the tip of the iceberg.

Fifth, the Fatah-run pseudo-government is one of the most antisemitic on earth. Its curriculum is riddled with antisemitic tropes and teaches Palestinian youngsters that Jews are colonizers — when, in fact, they are indigenous to the Land of Israel.

And the biggest antisemite of all is PA President Mahmoud Abbas, who peddles in Holocaust distortion. A few weeks before the Hamas massacre, Abbas was criticized for saying, “They say that Hitler killed the Jews for being Jews, and that Europe hated the Jews because they were Jews. No. It was clearly explained that they fought them because of their social role and not their religion.”

Sixth, before working to establish a Palestinian state, the international community must dismantle corrupt aid agencies like the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Some UNRWA staff were found to have participated in the Oct. 7 massacre.

And in Gaza this week, the Israel Defence Forces discovered a Hamas data centre operating under UNRWA’s headquarters and feeding off its electricity supply. One can only imagine what’s taking place at UNRWA facilities in the PA-run West Bank.

As someone who has advocated for a two-state solution since Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin signed the Oslo Accords on the White House lawn, it’s clear to me that the creation of a Palestinian state at this time would be an existential threat to the Jewish state. Israel is currently operating in the West Bank to protect its civilians and prevent terror attacks. Palestinian independence would prevent Israel’s defensive measures.

America is Israel’s greatest friend and ally. Moving its Embassy to Jerusalem and brokering the Abraham Accords were some of its greatest accomplishments in recent years. Its continued military support for Israel during this war with Hamas has been an incredible show of friendship.

But this administration’s political pressures should not cloud its judgment vis-a-vis the Palestinians. They have proved they are simply not ready for statehood.

National Post

Avi Benlolo is the founder and CEO of the Abraham Global Peace Initiative.