Colin Sheridan: The mythical 'two-state solution' for Israel-Palestine is just that — a myth

The term regularly bandied about by world leaders, including our own Taoiseach, as a totem of how much they care is at best ignorant, at worst contemptuous in its opportunism

Taoiseach Simon Harris, Tánaiste Micheál Martin and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan at the announcement that Ireland will officially recognise the state of Palestine. Picture: Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie

Beware strangers bearing gifts. While the International Criminal Court and the nations of Spain, Norway and Ireland could hardly be accused of deliberately aiming to harm the cause of Palestinian people in their struggle for self-determination, their high-profile, much-lauded interventions this week may not be helping half as much as the headlines would have us think. 

On Wednesday, Taoiseach Simon Harris announced Ireland was formally recognising the state of Palestine. Lest we get carried away with ourselves, it should be noted that before Wednesday, 139 out of 193 United Nation member countries had already chosen to recognise the state.

The announcement that Ireland will officially recognise the state of Palestine will do nothing to stop the bombs falling on Gaza tonight. Picture:

It comes 44 years after Ireland became the first European Union member to endorse the establishment of a Palestinian state, and 30 after the Oslo Accords. We had all that time in between to do it, yet we are only doing it now?

The official press release from the Department of Foreign Affairs hailed Wednesday’s announcement as “a historic moment for Ireland,” which is quite telling in its self-praise. 

While it may well be an historic moment for Ireland, one which will be feted far and wide for as an example of a right-thinking country taking action in a world sadly devoid of reason, the announcement will have done absolutely nothing to stop the bombs falling on Gaza tonight. 

The Irish Government knows this, and cannot be directly blamed for it, but what it can be blamed for is failing to appropriately sanction Israel up to this point. Would this declaration have happened regardless of the October 7 attacks? 

Would it have happened if protests across the country had not demanded some action — any action – as opposed to endless self-serving rhetoric? Would it have happened if there were no local and European elections coming up? Maybe, but even as it is happening, what does it mean?

The central condition of Irish recognition of the state of Palestine is based around this mythical idea of a two state solution, which is the proposed framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by establishing two states for two peoples: Israel for the Jewish people and Palestine for the Palestinian people. 

In 1993, the Israeli government and the Palestine Liberation Organisation agreed on a plan to implement a two-state solution as part of the Oslo Accords, leading to the establishment of the Palestinian Authority.

Since Oslo, countries like Ireland bandy around the term “two state solution” as a totem of how much they care, like parents who tell their misbehaving children they would only love to turn the television back on, if only they could find the remote they themselves have hidden. 

No greater evidence of vacuousness of the phrase is required than hearing President Joe Biden say them, which he did during his recent State of the Union address, declaring “the only real solution is a two-state solution.” 

Everybody says it. Everybody who wants to sound like they give a damn. Everybody, except the people that matter most: the Palestinian people.

On Wednesday, Mr Harris reiterated that Ireland’s statement was one of “unequivocal support for a two-state solution — the only credible path to peace and security for Israel, for Palestine and for their peoples.” 

As we all advocate for Palestinian self-determination, does perpetuating this nonsense not feed the very orientalism that got us all here in the first place, ignoring, as we so easily do, the will of the Palestinian people?

Were any Palestinian actors consulted on this position, I wonder? If any Government official was to attend just one of the many, many lectures and moderated discussion held in public spaces and academic halls these past six months, they’d likely have heard how sick and tired Palestinian people are of hearing the words “two-state solution” weaponised as a placatory totem of concern for their people, especially since Western politicians love to talk about it, but refrain from ever describing what it might realistically look like, and how it would function. 

And, as we all advocate for Palestinian self-determination, does perpetuating this nonsense not feed the very orientalism that got us all here in the first place, ignoring, as we so easily do, the will of the Palestinian people?

Aside from the geographical impossibility of the proposition, the issue of governance has never been adequately addressed by non-Palestinian policy makers, who seem content in assuming out loud that the much-maligned Palestinian Authority will quell the ubiquitous distrust it inspires, seen as they are as an Israeli backed proxy devoid of any real power — or ability — to properly lead or govern their people. 

It’s widely believed the Palestinian Authority has actively helped Israel to keep tight control over the Palestinian population, with many perceiving the body as a tool of the Israeli security apparatus, its US-trained forces not only targeting those suspected of planning attacks on Israelis, but also arresting union figures, journalists, and critics on social media.

Yet, for all of that, the mythical two state solution gets wheeled out by Western governments like our own as if it might just work. While all support for the state of Palestine should be welcomed, the repeating of such fantastical hyperbole is at best ignorant, at worst contemptuous in its opportunism.