Israel-Gaza War: The two-state solution as a “moment of truth”?

Who still believes in the possibility of an autonomous Palestinian state in February 2024?

After the Hamas massacres and Israel's retaliation?

After all efforts to bring peace to the Middle East conflict in recent decades failed? Peacemakers like Anwar Sadat and Yitzhak Rabin were murdered by fanatics of their own people? And the Palestinian Authority has long since ceased to represent hope for the residents of the West Bank?

Well, perhaps David Cameron, now Foreign Secretary of Great Britain. And certainly Salam Fayyad.

At the end of October 2023, Fayyad caused a global stir with his essay “A Peace Plan for Gaza”. During his term as Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, the renowned economist proved that a successful Palestinian government is possible. In an interview with SPIEGEL correspondent Bernhard Zand, he explained his idea of ​​the measures necessary to create a Palestinian state. And the despair over the lack of recognition of his people was put into words.

»Bernard! We're not a people, you know? We are just “the others” who are being canceled. We don't exist. This is the depth of our problem with Israel. And that's not Bezalel Smotrich. Not Netanyahu. This is not Itamar Ben-Gvir. From the beginning, we are the others, defined by what we are not. We are Palestinians, but we are not a people. If you are not a people, then you have no right to self-determination.

At the end of January 2024, Foreign Secretary David Cameron announced the prospect of British recognition of a Palestinian state. That, according to Cameron, could make the process “irreversible.”

Shortly afterwards, US President Joe Biden sanctioned Israeli settlers in the West Bank. Commentators in the American press are talking about US politics heading toward a “moment of truth.” And Saudi Arabia wants stability in the region. How could it be possible to create peace and a future for both peoples, Israelis and Palestinians? Bernhard Zand talks about this in this episode of the SPIEGEL foreign podcast Eight Billion.

Listen to this episode here: