Lapid: No Two-State Solution In The Next Decade After October 7

At the MEAD conference in Washington on Wednesday, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said the prospect of a two-state arrangement is off the table for at least the next decade in the aftermath of the October 7 massacre. He stressed that the responsibility now lies with the Palestinians to show that their aim is not Israel’s destruction.

During a live conversation with New York Times columnist Bret Stephens, Lapid cautioned that Israel’s diplomatic influence takes a hit whenever it is perceived as being out of step with Washington. “Some of Israel’s strength comes from the fact that we are fully coordinated with the president, the administration, and the United States,” he said. “When they see that we are not, it harms our power and influence in the region.”

Turning to global criticism directed at Israel, Lapid said that genuine allies may at times raise objections, but charged that much of the world has embraced “a terror organization’s narrative.” He pointed out that Jews make up only a fraction of the global population, yet Israel is disproportionately singled out. “There were half a million people killed in Syria, in Sudan, in Myanmar,” he said. “Why? There is only one possible answer: it is because of the Jews.”

Lapid called on detractors to focus on facts, acknowledging the humanitarian problems in Gaza but putting blame squarely on Hamas. He mentioned the “700–800 trucks” lined up at Kerem Shalom waiting to deliver aid and asked why international outrage consistently overlooks other humanitarian disasters. “When you talk about this, it is worth talking about who is responsible,” he said.

Discussing long-term outcomes, Lapid argued that the October 7 attacks deeply altered the way Israelis view the conflict. “There will not be a two-state solution in the next decade because of what happened after October 7, including celebrations in Ramallah on the morning of the massacre,” he said. “The burden of proof moved from us to the Palestinians. Right now, what we learned on October 7 is that we must defend ourselves from people who want to kill us, and they must prove to us they do not, before we start talking about more optimistic versions of the future.”

Now in its third year, the MEAD Summit convened this week in Washington with high-level participants from the U.S., Israel, and moderate Arab nations. Discussions centered on issues such as security, intelligence, finance, energy, technology, and governance, all aimed at reinforcing America’s role in the region and encouraging greater regional cooperation.

{Matzav.com}