Intriguing

Palestine's Deadly Catch-22

Why an Israeli victory may the best hope for statehood.

An interesting column from Michael Oren and Yossi Klein Halevi in today's Wall Street Journal argues that an Israeli victory may be the best hope for Palestinian statehood. The reluctance of the international community to support Israel's deterrence power only diminishes the prospects of a Palestinian state, the authors write. Israel will be especially reluctant to hand over the West Bank, which is within rocket range of its population and industrial centers if it is not guaranteed the right to self-protection. "Without the assurance that they will be allowed to protect their homes and families following withdrawal, Israelis will rightly perceive a two-state solution as an existential threat. They will continue to share the left-wing vision of coexistence with a peaceful Palestinian neighbor in theory, but in reality will heed the right's warnings of Jewish powerlessness."