Is a Two-State Solution Good for Israel?

The Knesset - Israel's Parliament
The Knesset

Earlier today, Israel’s governing body, the Knesset voted 99-11 against any unilateral recognition of a Palestinian State. Here’s the text of the statement approved by the Knesset:

1. Israel utterly rejects international diktats regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians. A settlement, if it is to be reached, will come about solely through direct negotiations between the parties, without preconditions.

2. Israel will continue to oppose unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. Such recognition in the wake of the October 7th massacre would be a massive and unprecedented reward to terrorism and would prevent any future peace settlement. (Jewish News Syndicate)

Prior to today’s vote in the Knesset, Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, made it clear that he strongly opposed any unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state when he said, “In the last few days we are witnessing a new type of pressure: An attempt to unilaterally impose upon us the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger the existence of Israel. We reject it outright. My position was and remains clear, and only got stronger after the terrible massacre of October 7th.” (Jewish News Syndicate)

What was the source of this “new type of pressure” that Netanyahu was referring to?

Last week, the Jewish News Syndicate reported that the Biden administration and “its Arab partners are ‘rushing’ to finalize the plan to establish a Palestinian state – a plan that could be announced in the next few weeks with hopes that a deal to release the remaining 134 hostages held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza in exchange for a six-week pause in fighting takes effect before Ramadan,” which begins on or around March 10th.

The Biden administration believes that a unilateral recognition of a Palestinian State may pave the way for normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia and other Arab states. At the same time, the White House is confident that a demilitarized Gaza can be achieved and maintained so that Israel’s security will never be threatened.

What precipitated the Knesset’s vote was the fact that the U.S. has not included Israel in its dialogue with other Arab nations. And the Knesset’s vote reflects the vast majority of Israeli Jews who are opposed to a Palestinian state after Israel was attacked by Hamas on October 7th.

During an interview this week on the Caroline Glick Show, Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs, Amichai Chikli said that “92% of Israeli Jews” are opposed to the establishment of a Palestinian state because they do not believe that Israel state can peacefully co-exist with a Palestinian state as its neighbor.

Question: What do Netanyahu, the Knesset, and the Israeli Jewish population recognize about the Palestinian problem that the Biden administration and the rest of the western world refuse to acknowledge?

Answer: The Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank do not want to peacefully co-exist with Israel because they are committed to a One-State Solution; a.k.a., Hitler’s “Final Solution” for the Jews, meaning the annihilation of the Jews.

During an interview earlier this month, Hamas Leader Khaled Mashal confirmed that Hamas and the majority of Palestinians reject any Two-State Solution when he said,

“I would like to say two things about the two-state solution. First, we have nothing to do with the two-state solution. We reject this notion, because it means you would get a promise for a state, yet you are required to recognize the legitimacy of the other state, which is the Zionist entity. This is unacceptable. We demand to be liberated, to get rid of the occupation, and to have our independence, and our state. . . I believe that October 7 has enhanced this conviction, has narrowed the disagreements, and has turned the idea of liberating Palestine from the River to the Sea into a realistic idea that has already begun. It is not something to be expected or hoped for. It is part of the plan, part of the agenda, and we are standing on its threshold, Allah willing” (MEMRI).

Netanyahu, the Knesset, and Israeli Jews get it. They understand that Israel will never have peace if terrorism is rewarded.

But let’s be clear, even if the U.S. were to officially recognize a new Palestinian state or refuses to veto its full membership by the U.N., do you honestly believe the likes of Iran or Hezbollah will quietly stand down and welcome the establishment of a Two-State Solution?

And if a new Palestinian state is demilitarized, do you honestly believe it will stay that way for very long? Who will keep the weapons out Gaza and make sure it stays that way? The United Nations? Hasn’t this been tried before in places like Iran? How well did is that working when it comes to monitoring Iran’s nuclear program?

Please join me in praying for the peace of Israel and the leaders of the United States.

by Dr. Matthew Dodd | February 21, 2024

What Are Israel’s Future Borders?

Yesterday, the Jewish News Syndicate reported that Saudi Arabia “clarified that it will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel until there is a Palestinian state, an end to the war against Hamas and a complete military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.”

The Saudi’s response was a direct counter to comments made on Tuesday by White House National Security Council spokesman, John Kirby.

During his daily briefing, Kirby struck an optimistic tone regarding normalization talks between Israel and the Saudis.

Kirby said, “We certainly received positive feedback from both sides that they’re willing to continue to have those discussions.”

The Saudi foreign ministry promptly issued the following statement clarifying its position regarding any future normalization talks with Israel:

“The Kingdom has communicated its firm position to the U.S. administration that there will be no diplomatic relations with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is recognized on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and that the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip stops and all Israeli occupation forces withdraw from the Gaza Strip.”

The Saudi’s stance not only stalls the Biden administration’s efforts to establish peace between its two Middle Eastern allies, it also signals that the Saudis have aligned themselves with China and Iran against Israel and the U.S.

If Israel were to agree to Saudi Arabia’s demands it would signal the beginning of the end of the state of Israel as we now know it.

First, Israel would have to return the land it won during the Six-Day War in 1967 when it was attacked by Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. At that time, Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria, Jordan’s West Bank (i.e., Judea and Samaria) which included East Jerusalem, and Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip. Israel later withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula in 1982 and then from Gaza in 2005. Such a withdrawal would open the floodgates for the likes of Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Palestinian Authority, which are Iranian proxies, to mount an endless barrage of attacks against Israel.

Second, East Jerusalem, which includes Israel’s sacred Western Wall, would be handed over to the Palestinians and made the capital of the new Palestinian state.

Third, Israel would have to end its war against Hamas and remove its forces from Gaza. Once this happened, Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists would regroup and attempt to finish what it started on October 7, 2023, meaning from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, Palestine will be free of the Jews.

While the demands by Saudi Arabia are troubling at best and the likelihood of Israel signing off is nil, let’s be clear, the Bible declares that one day, Israel’s borders will go well beyond the Jordan River. In fact, Israel’s border will extend to another river, the Euphrates River.

In Genesis 15, God established a Grant Covenant with Abram which means God bound Himself by an unconditional, unilateral oath to give the Promised Land to Abram and his descendants forever.

In verse 18, God declared what the borders of the Promised Land would be: “On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.”

God later confirmed the Promised Land borders to Moses in Deuteronomy 1:6-8 and then to Joshua in Joshua 1:4.

Let’s identify the borders that God promised to Israel through His covenant with Abram.

  • The western boundary is the “Great Sea” which is the Mediterranean Sea (Joshua 1:4).
  • The southern border is the Nile River in Egypt.
  • The eastern border is the Euphrates River.
  • The northern border is Lebanon.

In today’s context, what countries would be included in the borders listed in Genesis 15?

  • First, the territory currently occupied by the Palestinians, the West Bank and Gaza, is included.
  • Second, a portion of Egypt to the south.
  • Third, some of Saudi Arabia to the southeast.
  • Fourth, all of Jordan to the east.
  • Fifth, a portion of Iraq to the east.
  • Sixth, some of Syria to the north.
  • Lebanon to the north.
  • And possibly the southeastern portion of Turkey as you follow the Euphrates River north by northwest.

Question: Has Israel ever fully occupied these boundaries?

Answer: No. Some of the regions were controlled by King David and King Solomon but they were never fully possessed or occupied by Israel.

Question: Why didn’t Israel fully occupy the Promised Land according to the borders of Genesis 15?

Answer:  Because Israel failed to obey God’s command and allowed their enemies to remain in the Land which ultimately tempted them to sin against God by worshipping idols.

Question: Will Israel’s borders ever extend to what God promised Abram in Genesis 15?

Answer: Yes. Please remember that since God bound Himself by an oath, His promise to Abram must be fulfilled and it will be fulfilled when Jesus Christ returns to establish His Millennial Kingdom. During Christ’s 1,000-year reign, the Promised Land will experience peace, tranquility, and blessings as Jesus reigns on the throne of David from the capital city, Jerusalem.

What a glorious day that will be.

Will you please join me in praying for the return of Jesus Christ, the peace of Israel, and for the leaders of the United States?

by Dr. Matthew Dodd | February 8, 2024

Palestine vs. Israel
Palestine vs. Israel

Axios reported yesterday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken asked the State Department to conduct a review and present policy options on possible U.S. and international recognition of a Palestinian state after the war in Gaza according two U.S. officials briefed on the issue.

While the U.S. officials were quick to add that there has not been an official policy change, this maneuver by the State Department to consider recognizing a Palestinian state signals a shift, one that will have great ramifications both domestically and internationally.

For decades, the U.S. has been opposed to the unilateral recognition of Palestine as a state and has pushed for the recognition of a new Palestinian state through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Why the sudden shift? Because President Biden believes Israel’s war with Hamas is taking too long and he is being pressured by his Pro-Palestinian staff and voting base to end the war.

So, the Biden administration is attempting to link normalization with Saudi Arabia to an “irrevocable” pathway to a Two-State Solution. But, in order to remove the Palestinian state obstacle from the negotiation table, the State Department is now considering the possibility of making the recognition of the state of Palestine the first step in the normalization process between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

How could the U.S. make a recognized Palestinian state a reality on the world stage?

First, the U.S. could bilaterally recognize the state of Palestine. Second, the U.S. could allow the United Nations Security Council to grant the state of Palestine full membership to the U.N. and not use its veto power to block it. Third, the U.S. could encourage other nations to recognize Palestine.

And as if on cue, the United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, said on Monday, “We should be starting to set out what a Palestinian state would look like — what it would comprise, how it would work. As that happens, we, with allies, will look at the issue of recognizing a Palestinian state, including at the United Nations. This could be one of the things that helps to make this process irreversible” (Al Arabiya News).

The British government insisted yesterday that its stance on the Middle East peace process remained unchanged after Cameron suggested the UK could soon recognize a Palestinian state (Al Arabiya News). Nevertheless, the seed has been planted.

This is not the first time that there have been attempts to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. In fact, it was attempted in 2002, 2007, and 2017. But each time negotiations were terminated due to a terrorist attack against Israel.

On March 27, 2002, Arab leaders traveled to Beirut and offered to Israel to, “consider the Arab-Israeli conflict over, sign a peace agreement with Israel, and achieve peace for all states in the region” (Asia Times). But negotiations ended later that same day after a Hamas terrorist detonated a bomb in a hotel in Netanya which killed 30 Israelis who were observing a Passover dinner.

Another angle the U.S. State Department is considering is a demilitarized Palestinian state so that Israel will never have to fear an invasion by land, sea, or air ever again. Netanyahu proposed this idea in 2009 and 2015, yet without success.

But what all of these options fail to admit is that there is a historical pattern when it comes to peace agreements between Israel and her Muslim neighbors and this historical pattern brings to light a glaring problem with the Palestinian state and the proposed peace negotiations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Question: What is the glaring problem?

Answer: The Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank do not want to peacefully co-exist with Israel because they are committed to a One-State Solution ( a.k.a., Hitler’s “Final Solution” for the Jews), meaning the annihilation of the Jews.

During an interview earlier this month, Hamas Leader Khaled Mashal confirmed that Hamas and the majority of Palestinians reject any Two-State Solution when he said,

“I would like to say two things about the two-state solution. First, we have nothing to do with the two-state solution. We reject this notion, because it means you would get a promise for a state, yet you are required to recognize the legitimacy of the other state, which is the Zionist entity. This is unacceptable. We demand to be liberated, to get rid of the occupation, and to have our independence, and our state. . . I believe that October 7 has enhanced this conviction, has narrowed the disagreements, and has turned the idea of liberating Palestine from the River to the Sea into a realistic idea that has already begun. It is not something to be expected or hoped for. It is part of the plan, part of the agenda, and we are standing on its threshold, Allah willing” (MEMRI).

Netanyahu understood this was true when he cautioned the U.N. against appeasing the Palestinians by giving them veto power over peace last year.

But let’s be clear, even if the U.S. were to officially recognize a new Palestinian state or refuses to veto its full membership by the U.N., do you honestly believe the likes of Iran or Hezbollah will quietly stand down and welcome the establishment of a Two-State Solution?

And if a new Palestinian state is declawed and defanged, do you honestly believe it will stay that way? How will the United Nations keep the weapons out? And who will monitor it to ensure it stays that way? Hasn’t this been tried before in places like Iran? By the way, how well did that work when it came to monitoring Iran’s nuclear program?

Again, Nasrallah’s threat to Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Arab world five days prior to October 7th is the resounding answer to these questions.

Please join me in praying for the peace of Israel and the leaders of the U.S.

by Dr. Matthew Dodd | February 1, 2024

Flags of Israel and Saudi Arabia

Prior to October 7, 2023, there were rumblings of a historic peace agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Before that horrific day in October when Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists murdered 1,200 Israelis, raped women and young girls, and took approximately 240 people hostage, the Biden administration had been pushing Israel and the Saudis towards a peace agreement which included “upgrading U.S.-Saudi relations with a defense treaty. . . and an agreement on a civil nuclear energy program on Saudi soil” (Axios).

The Saudis also conditioned any peace agreement with Israel upon the establishment of a Palestinian state. During an interview with Fox News on September 20, 2023, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman noted that any normalization with Israel would require a plan for the Palestinians, “Every day we get closer, it seems it’s for the first time real one serious. . . .  If we have a breakthrough of reaching a deal that give the Palestinians their needs and make the region calm, we’re going to work with whoever is there” (Israel National News).

Two days later, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed normalization progress with Saudi Arabia during his address to the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Netanyahu shared his optimism for an agreement, stating, “I believe that we are at the cusp of a historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Such a peace will go a long way to ending the Arab Israeli conflict” (Israel National News).

Part of Netanyahu’s optimism was based on what a peace agreement would mean for Israel and the entire region because it would include “a planned corridor connecting the Arabian peninsula, Israel, and Europe, to allow for travel, shipping, and energy pipelines between all of the countries involved” (Israel National News).

But Netanyahu also added this cautionary note about any peace agreement with Saudi Arabia when he said, “Many decades of efforts to make peace with Arab Nations have failed because they were based on one false assumption – that the Palestinians must be appeased as a precondition to peace. The Palestinians have much to gain from new peace agreements. They should be part of these agreements, but they should not have a veto on peace” (Israel National News).

The potential for peace between Israel and the Arab nations was not welcomed by all in the Middle East. On October 2, 2023, during a speech marking the birthday of Islam’s Prophet Mohammed, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah warned Saudi Arabia and other nations that might follow the Saudis lead, “Any country that might sign a normalization agreement should be condemned and held accountable for its actions” (Israel National News).

Five days later, not only did the peace negotiations between Israel and Saudi Arabia come to a screeching halt, the Middle East and the rest of the world were set on edge as well, fearing any regional escalation could lead to World War III.

Four months post October 7th and with a presidential election less than a year away, the Biden administration is aggressively looking for a way to motivate Israel to end its war against Hamas. One way the White House has sought to bring Israel back to the negotiation table is by dangling a peace agreement with the Saudis.

Recent reports have revealed that the Saudis are open to resuming talks with Israel as long as certain conditions are met. On January 18, 2024, the Saudi ambassador to the U.S. told members of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, that Saudi Arabia welcomes dialogue with Israel but that any peace agreement must include a ceasefire in Gaza and the establishment of an “irrevocable” path to a Palestinian state (Axios).

Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud said that the Saudis have extended an olive branch to Israel but that the Saudi kingdom also has a responsibility for the Palestinian people, “The Palestinian people deserve a state…they deserve a pathway that is irrevocable… We recognize the need for Israel to feel safe but it can’t be at the expense of the Palestinian people” (Axios).

It is important to keep in mind that this is not the first time that Israel and Saudi Arabia have engaged in normalization talks. The Saudis took the lead in similar negotiations in 2002, 2007, and 2017. Each time, Saudi Arabia offered an olive branch to Israel in exchange for the return of territories occupied by Israel after it won the Six-Day War in 1967 (i.e., the Gaza Strip, West Bank, and the Golan Heights). But each time negotiations were terminated due to a terrorist attack against Israel.

For example, on March 27, 2002, Arab leaders traveled to Beirut and offered to Israel to, “consider the Arab-Israeli conflict over, sign a peace agreement with Israel, and achieve peace for all states in the region” (Asia Times). But negotiations ended later that same day after a Hamas terrorist detonated a bomb in a hotel in Netanya which killed 30 Israelis who were observing a Passover dinner.

There is a historical pattern when it comes to peace agreements between Israel and her Arab neighbors and this historical pattern brings to light a glaring problem with the proposed peace negotiations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Question: What is the glaring problem with any peace agreement between Israel and the Arab nations?

Answer: The Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank do not want to peacefully co-exist with Israel because they are committed to a One-State Solution (a.k.a., Hitler’s “Final Solution” for the Jews).

During an interview earlier this month, Hamas Leader Khaled Mashal confirmed that Hamas and the majority of Palestinians reject any Two-State Solution when he said, “People are saying now that the October 7 war has opened a new horizon for a vision of a political settlement. Here, they pull out their old ‘merchandise’ of the two-state solution. I would like to say two things about the two-state solution. First, we have nothing to do with the two-state solution. We reject this notion, because it means you would get a promise for a [Palestinian] state, yet you are required to recognize the legitimacy of the other state, which is the Zionist entity. This is unacceptable. We demand to be liberated, to get rid of the occupation, and to have our independence, and our state. [Israel] is my enemy. It is not my concern. . . Obviously, the position of Hamas, and the position of the vast majority of the Palestinian people, especially following October 7, I believe that the dream and the hope for Palestine from the River to the Sea, and from the north to the south has been renewed. . . the Palestinian consensus – or almost a consensus – is that we will not give up on our right to Palestine in its entirety. . . I believe that October 7 has enhanced this conviction, has narrowed the disagreements, and has turned the idea of liberating Palestine from the River to the Sea into a realistic idea that has already begun. It is not something [merely] to be expected or hoped for. It is part of the plan, part of the agenda, and we are standing on its threshold, Allah willing” (MEMRI).

Netanyahu understood this was so when he cautioned the U.N. against appeasing the Palestinians and giving them veto power over peace.

But let’s be clear, even if the Palestinians are not appeased or given power to veto peace, will Iran or Hezbollah quietly stand down and welcome the establishment of a Two-State Solution? Again, Nasrallah’s threat to Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Arab world five days prior to October 7th is the resounding answer to that question.

In fact, Nasrallah’s answer was recently confirmed by Former Iranian Foreign Minister, Ali-Akbar Salehi during an interview with Russia Today TV on January 22, 2024. When asked about the possibility for an end to the current tensions between Tehran and Tel Aviv, Salehi said, “As long as the [Israeli] entity exists and is active in our region, the crisis will remain between Iran and the regime that is occupying Jerusalem, even if a Palestinian state is established. I am referring to the proposed two-state solution. We can never recognize the plundering Zionist entity. So this confrontation will continue until the Zionist entity ceases to exist. I do not see the end of this confrontation on the horizon” (MEMRI).

To make matters worse, it appears that the Iranian regime’s commitment to the complete annihilation of Israel will be getting a boost. On March 1, Iran will be holding “parliamentary elections as well as elections for the 88-member, eight-year term Assembly of Experts. This round of the Assembly of Experts is expected to select the next Supreme Leader given that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni is nearly 85 and has been sick repeatedly” (Jerusalem Post).

In order to maintain their ideological grip on the Iranian people, Iran’s Guardian Council has disqualified virtually all moderates and “pragmatists” from running for public office, including former president Hassan Rouhani. Rouhani criticized his disqualification, stating, “the minority that rules officially and publicly wants to reduce people’s participation in elections” (Associated Press).

This new development led one commentator to conclude that the Guardian Council’s decision “makes ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran’s proxies a virtual certainty, and war more likely than ever” (Jerusalem Post).

Please join me in praying for our leaders and for the peace of Israel.

by Dr. Matthew Dodd | January 26, 2024