In recent weeks, four of Israel's Western allies—France, Australia, the UK, and Canada—have moved toward recognizing a Palestinian state. France and Australia have declared they will recognize "Palestine" outright; the latter two have threatened to follow unless certain conditions are met, including Israel's halting its military operation in Gaza and increasing the flow of humanitarian aid to the Strip. This push coincides with a familiar diplomatic narrative: if it doesn't agree to a Palestinian state, Israel risks a "diplomatic tsunami" and "international isolation"—despite having offered such a state many times in the last several decades.
Yet, as Rafi DeMogge argued earlier this year, the opposite is true: Israel giving up territory and recognizing a Palestinian state would likely cause the very isolation its advocates claim it would prevent. This free e-book brings that essay together with responses from leading analysts, who probe the real consequences of a two-state solution for Israel, the Palestinian people, Diaspora Jewry, and the Middle East.