FUTURE OF JEWISH
A two-state solution will not solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Vanessa Berg
August 10, 2026

Gaza was the two-state solution. Figuratively, of course. Gaza after Israel’s 2005 disengagement was not an “independent Palestinian state.” But Gaza was something enormously important: a real-world test of the basic theory behind the two-state solution. Israel dismantled every one of its 21 settlements in Gaza, removed more than 8,000 Israelis from their homes, and withdrew its permanent military presence from inside the territory. Here was an opportunity for Palestinians to demonstrate what Palestinian self-government could become when Israelis were no longer living among them: Build institutions, build an economy, build political legitimacy, build infrastructure, build a future. Build something Palestinians could point to and say: This is what we will do with independence. READ MORE