Sidelining the Hardliners: A 2 + 1 Solution for I srael‐ P alestine

This article presents a modified two‐state solution to the I sraeli‐ P alestinian conflict. A “2 + 1 solution” would see the establishment of a S tate of P alestine in the W est B ank whose constitution proscribes the participation in government of any party whose platform calls for the elimination of I srael; G aza would accede upon the reform or demise of H amas. Achieving a state in the W est B ank should be the proximate, urgent goal of the P alestinian people. Ideologically motivated I sraeli settlement of the W est B ank continues apace and threatens the viability of a two‐state solution. Meanwhile, religiously motivated policies of colonization hide behind a security narrative conflating H amas with F atah and suggesting that the P alestinians pose an existential threat. The 2 + 1 solution, by excluding H amas from a S tate of P alestine, directly addresses I srael's legitimate security concerns and thus carries the potential to lay bare the extent to which ideology informs I sraeli policy. The approach also gives moderate P alestinians the opportunity to define the civic values and attributes of P alestinian national identity in a way that supports a lasting two‐state peace.