Israel and Palestine: How peace is possible
imaginable permutation of land swaps and security arrangements. All failed. And yet something changed after October 7th.
Israel’s strategy of marginalising the Palestinians and their dreams is broken. Both sides have a chance to find new leaders with a new vision. And after years of neglect, outsiders may be ready to help, crucially including a group of Arab countries.
They must not fall into the trap of thinking that peace requires sweating the detail yet again. Success depends on the two sides wanting peace and—much harder—believing in it. If the fighting is to make any sense it must lead to peace, which means two nations living side by side.
Israel’s bombardment has killed over 16,000 Palestinians, including Hamas fighters. Although some Palestinians have been radicalised by that and the daily humiliations of occupation, many detest Hamas and its unwinnable wars and would live with Israel if they could prosper. So long as the men with guns do not get in their way, those people will seek peace.
Israel, too, needs a new strategy. The old one failed to fulfil the state’s basic promise to create a land safe for Jews; 1,400 people were killed or kidnapped by Hamas, hundreds of thousands more have been evacuated. Peace also requires new leaders, because the present ones are discredited.
In Israel Binyamin Netanyahu is an obstacle to a genuine reconciliation, the sooner he goes the better. America could usefully signal that it expects Israel to hold elections soon. Polls suggest that he will be replaced by Benny Gantz, a former general who understands the toll of war.
Mr Gantz has not endorsed a Palestinian state, but neither has he ruled one out. New Palestinian leadership is needed, too. Hamas is an avowed enemy of peace:
. Read more on livemint.com
