Vision to Reality: The Reut Blog

In an article in Al-Ahram, Georgetown Professor Lama Abu Odeh writes that the ‘Two State Solution’ will only perpetuate the Palestinians’ economic exploitation as a neo-colonial population and thus argues for a ‘one state solution’ which focuses on economy rather than borders.

Abu Odeh’s position infers that a Palestinian state would be unviable even after Israel withdraws from all occupied territories. Yet although the idea of viability in the context of a Palestinian state has become a commonly used concept when discussing Permanent Status, there is no agreed or shared understanding of its meaning.

Moreover, it seems that viability has become a de-facto minimum benchmark for Palestinian accession to statehood despite it having no legal status in international law.

The absence of a clear agreement as to the meaning of this concept may result in some Palestinians never accepting Israel’s terms for the establishment of a Palestinian state and raising further demands – economic or others – that are ‘essential’ for making their state ‘viable’.

Related links:

Israel’s Bargaining Chips for Achieving its Security Demands 

Agenda for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations on Permanent Status