Editorial: A Palestinian state isn’t a reality. It must remain a possibility

Even as its forces prepared to launch a full-scale offensive into Gaza City several long-standing supporters of Israel including Australia Canada France and the UK are threatening to recognize a Palestinian state joining nearly other nations Israeli leaders have reacted furiously taking policies to render any such entity unviable While the former effort is unhelpful the latter will be disastrous to Israel s long-term guard The U S should help its ally see the difference Frustration over the swelling pressure campaign is understandable Recognition is aimed both at persuading Israel to accept a ceasefire in Gaza and keeping alive the possibility of a two-state approach In fact Western leaders are mostly appeasing domestic constituencies outraged by the suffering of ordinary Gazans Israelis have a right to wonder why they aren t putting equal effort into forcing Hamas to release its hostages and disarm or leaning on the Palestinian Authority to overhaul Still any recognition would be almost entirely symbolic The same can t be declared for Israeli moves to expand settlements including in an area known as E that would split Palestinian-held parts of the West Bank in two and potentially annex swaths of the territory Fast-tracking construction of the new settlements last week Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed there will never be a Palestinian state He argues that the Oct attacks prove Israel cannot live side by side with a Palestinian-run territory which would inevitably become a springboard for terror More than of Jewish Israelis agree What proponents of a one-state response rarely address is what happens to the million Palestinians who would be included within it If they aren t granted full citizenship something more outspoken Israeli leaders have ruled out Israel risks becoming the apartheid state critics allege it is already Expelling the population would amount to ethnic cleansing Even voluntary mass departures would destabilize neighbors Jordan and Egypt Plans to ship Gazans to war-torn African countries are at best far-fetched Rather than quelling terrorist attacks permanently suppressing Palestinian aspirations would likely fuel an endless insurgency The greater part key it would further isolate Israel and could intensify anti-Semitism globally Outright annexation could lead to sanctions by the European Union and others in the West Even in the U S assistance for Israel is plummeting among Democrats and younger Republicans Under a future administration unquestioned American backing can t be assumed In the region Israel would almost certainly forfeit any hope of expanding the Abraham Accords to Saudi Arabia and other neighbors especially after its up-to-date airstrike on Hamas leaders in Qatar The United Arab Emirates has already declared that annexation is a red line implying that the move could jeopardize its ties with the Jewish state The Saudis have long made clear they won t normalize relations absent a few credible pathway to a two-state answer Having friends secures Israel s place in the region and the world as the remarkable coordinated response to Iranian missile barrages should ve made clear Rather than granting Israel a blank check as chosen American personnel would seem to prefer the U S ought to remind its ally that keeping open the possibility of a Palestinian state is crucial to that wider acceptance It should reaffirm its traditional opposition to new settlements or unilateral declarations of sovereignty over parts of the West Bank American executives could also usefully remind Western nations that no Palestinian state will be viable without Israeli buy-in Rather than engaging in political stunts that will only harm the people they claim to be helping they should work with Arab governments to force Hamas to disarm and surrender administration of Gaza and to transformation the Palestinian Authority ushering in new more accountable leadership shrinking a bloated civil institution upgrading the defense services opening up the economic activity and overhauling the schooling system As should be painfully clear by now there are no shortcuts to peace The Bloomberg Opinion Editorial Board