Two-state solution losing grounds in Israel and Palestine even before terror attacks, surveys show

Public sentiment among members of the public in both Israel and Palestinian-controlled areas was moving away from the idea of creating a two-state solution for the region, even before Hamas launched terror attacks last weekend. 

Public surveys carried out in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank have revealed that only one in three people now see the feasibility of a political resolution to the issue.

People were asked if a way could be found for resolution by forming an independent Palestinian state and whether it could co-exist peacefully with Israel. 

According to the Pew Research Center's survey, a growing number of Israelis are beginning to doubt the feasibility of a two-state solution, with only 35% of respondents believing that a peaceful coexistence between Israel and Palestine can be achieved.

This marks a 15 percentage point decrease from a decade ago, and the lowest figures to date. 

Notably, the sentiment against a two-state solution has significantly shifted among the Arab Israelis compared to the Jewish Israelis.

Arab Israelis are now 33% less likely to believe in this approach compared to 2013. Their Jewish counterparts are 14% less likely to see this possibility in the same time period.

The survey was, however, conducted in April and published in September, before the Israel-Hamas war erupted following an unprecedented attack on October 7.

Data available on the Palestinian side is more nuanced.

Nearly one-third of the Palestinians now express support for the two-state solution, according to a survey conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in September.

While there has been a slight increase in support for a two-state solution, a majority of Palestinians still believe it is not the way forward.

S