Divorce Without Separation? Reimagining the Two-State Solution

Abstract

This essay begins by discussing the separation paradigm that has dominated thinking about the two-state solution during the Oslo process and the challenges to its implementation. The author then turns to describing and evaluating the Two States in One Space (2S1S) and Parallel States project (PSP) initiatives. The author argues that, while both initiatives offer integrative solutions to some of the most divisive issues on the table, they face formidable challenges to their feasibility. The author concludes that, of the two, 2S1S offers a more promising foundation for further work than PSP. Although the territorial sovereignty of states has been greatly circumscribed over the last half century, it serves functions too valuable to be abandoned entirely.