Former Israeli and Palestinian Leaders Promote Two-State Solution

During an online conversation hosted Oct. 27 by the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, a former prime minister of Israel and a former minister of foreign affairs of the Palestinian Authority agreed that a two-state solution is the only feasible option for a peaceful future in the region.

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Poster for the SPIA livestream event featuring Ehud Olmert and Nasser al-Kidwa. 

Princeton School of Public and International Affairs

Ehud Olmert, who was prime minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009 and previously served as mayor of Jerusalem, and Nasser al-Kidwa, former minister of foreign affairs of the Palestinian Authority from 2005 to 2006 and U.N. ambassador from 1991 to 2005, acknowledged they don’t agree on everything, but they were both surprised to find how similar their views were when they met during a joint interview.

This fall, the pair has been speaking at universities to discuss their one-and-a-half-page joint proposal for Israel and Palestine that they authored last year. It outlines recommendations for lasting peace, including recognition of the state of Palestine based on 1967 borders.

Al-Kidwa said he believes a rejection of the two-state solution is “a recipe for endless bloodshed and agony,” and described the war as a possible blessing in disguise, because people in the region now know that extreme positions have “led to nothing.”

Olmert emphasized that a two-state solution would be good for Israelis, as it is “the only possible guarantee for the future existence of the state of Israel as a Jewish state and as a democratic and liberal state, and this is why I’m fighting for it,” he said.

A two-state solution is “not a punishment” for Israel, “it’s a solution,” according to Olmert.

Olmert praised U.S. President Donald Trump for his role in bringing together representatives of Hamas and Israel to agree on a ceasefire in Gaza, but he cautioned that Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan does not concretely address the future of the region.

“We need to have a new body” governing Gaza and the West Bank, al-Kidwa said, as existing leaders are entrenched in their positions. He hopes a new group of Palestinians that is “organically linked” to the Palestinian Authority forms and takes charge, and he envisions a security force in which Palestinians cooperate with international bodies.

Both men advocated for Hamas to be disarmed. “Hamas has to accept that it’s a new era,” al-Kidwa said.

Olmert said he hopes “there will be a new government soon in the state of Israel” that can rise to the challenge, as he said he doesn’t trust Benjamin Netanyahu, the current prime minister.

The conversation was moderated by Amaney Jamal, dean of SPIA, who thanked the two politicians for modeling constructive dialogue. “You two have managed to keep the conversation going,” she said.

The talk was originally scheduled to be held in person on campus; however, registered attendees were notified on Oct. 15 via email that the conversation had been moved to Zoom. No reason was given for the change, but The Hoya reported that al-Kidwa said at an Oct. 16 event at Georgetown University — where he appeared virtually — that his visa had been denied.

According to David Mayorga, associate dean for public affairs and communications at SPIA, about 175 people livestreamed the event, which was open to the public, though registration was required. The Mamdouha S. Bobst Center for Peace and Justice co-hosted.