Open To Debate Podcast Latest Episode: Is The Two-State Solution Still Viable?

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The nonpartisan debate series and podcast Open to Debate released the episode, "“Is the Two-State Solution Still Viable?," today.

Unusually for such discussions, the debaters include leaders from all sides of the current conflict. The debate was recorded July 16th in NYC, in partnership with the Council on Foreign Relations.

Arguing YES are Ambassador Dennis Ross, who for more than twelve years played a leading role in shaping U.S. involvement in the Middle East peace process, dealing directly with the parties as the U.S. point man on the peace process in both the George H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations, and Palestinian peace activist Mohammed Dajani Daoudi, founder of the Wasatia movement, which seeks to promote tolerance, interfaith dialogue, and peaceful coexistence.

Arguing NO are former Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, who has been serving as Israel's special envoy for innovation since September 2023 and is the first woman to be appointed as Secretary General for Kol Israel, the ideological successor to the General Zionist Party in the World Zionist Congress, and CFR Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies Elliott Abrams, who served as deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor in the administration of President George W. Bush, where he supervised U.S. policy in the Middle East for the White House.

The wide-ranging debate covered how we could potentially get back on track towards a Two-State Solution and reform the Palestinian Authority, more novel solutions such as regional splits or granting the Palestinian people an autonomous territory (i.e. Puerto Rico, Gibraltar) rather than full statehood, and more.

Here's a clip of Ambassador Ross at the beginning of the debate: 

"Let me start off by saying, if the question of there was, is a two-state solution still viable today, meaning now, my answer would be no. I would say no because the Palestinians are split. They have an ideological gap between Hamas, uh, and Fatah and the PA. Hamas is an Islamist organization. It is an ideological movement that rejects the idea of Israel, that is driven by an ideology of resistance, armed resistance, uh, and that rejects the very idea of a two-state outcome. The Palestinian Authority and Fatah accept the principle of
two states, but you never hear them talking or educating about the issue and promoting coexistence. The governance of the Palestinian
Authority is basically bad, and it's fully corrupt.

"On the Israeli side, you have a government that does not accept the two-state outcome. It has some ministers who are working very practically on the ground to try to prevent it."

Ross continues: "But what's the alternative to two states? The alternative is one state. And one state, I can tell you, will never be viable, and for a very simple reason. There are two national movements competing for the same space. These are two national movements with distinct national identities. Those national identities are rooted in the land. They're driven emotionally, historically, psychologically, and culturally. They will not coexist in the same place. They will not disappear."

Open to Debate is a reminder: To solve our greatest problems, we must operate in a contempt-free zone. We need to be able to sit in the same room and exchange ideas with people we disagree with. Being open to debate is a gesture of respect for the good faith arguments of those we disagree with, for the intelligence and integrity of those who watch or listen, and for the value of debate done right.

Open to Debate is a duty: The future of American Democracy depends on the strength of communities to work together and overcome our differences. “Us vs. Them” thinking is destructive to our social fabric, and we need a national model to guide debates to a healthy and free exchange of ideas.

Why settle for intellectually dishonest and deceptive soundbites? Why listen to entertainers masquerading as journalists who sell one-sided and ultimately unworkable solutions? Why watch a "news" network where hate and grievance masquerade as debate points?

 Check out the Open To Debate episode, "“Is the Two-State Solution Still Viable?"