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Two-state solution "light-years away" as Norway hosts meeting

It's been over 31 years since the Oslo process was concluded in the Norwegian capital. The ultimate goal of the historic peace effort was a two-state solution: a Palestinian state alongside the Israeli one. When around 80 representatives from different countries and organizations gather in Norway today, the goal seems farther away than ever.

It seems that the idealists are meeting in Oslo and the realists in Doha, says Anders Persson, referring to the parallel talks on a ceasefire in Gaza, which are reportedly nearing a final stage in Qatar's capital.
He is not optimistic about the Norway meeting. The solution advocated by, among others, Norway, the EU, and the Arab League – i.e., a Palestinian state including the entire West Bank and Gaza Strip – is very far away, he says.

Perhaps one could imagine a downscaled, less grandiose variant, such as the plan (Donald) Trump presented in 2020.

Israel dismisses​


According to that plan, Israel would retain most of East Jerusalem, the Jordan Valley, and the Israeli settlements on the West Bank. The Palestinians would gain control over 70 percent of the West Bank, the entire Gaza Strip, and smaller parts of East Jerusalem. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it "the deal of the century"; the Palestinians' President Mahmoud Abbas called it "the slap of the century".

It's possible that Trump will get a flying start if the ceasefire takes hold and he then returns with his own, dusted-off version of a two-state solution. Seen that way, it could be exciting with a second Trump period, says Persson.


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