The two-state solution topped the agenda at Israel's Herzilya Conference, Joel Rubin (Dep. Director, National Security Network) reports to the Washington Note.  Opposition leader Tzipi Livni, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, and Dep. Prime Minister Dan Meridor all advocated a pragmatic approach to the Palestinian-Israeli problem in the form on a two-state answer. 

The US showing at Herzilya was split on this front: Elliott Abrams pushed that Palestinians should focus on engaging Israel in peace negotiations to create "the trappings of a state now, and wait for a political deal for an actual state later."  Fellow American Dan Kurtzer disagreed, insisting that 20 years of peace negotiations have failed to create an independent Palestinian state, leaving no reason to think this year will be any different. 

Herzilya covered several other issues - global economy, the looming Iran Threat, climate change - and was perhaps overly congratulatory about the status of US-Israel relations, but according to Rubin the striking takeaway was Israel's determination that the two-state solution is "the only way forward."

Excerpt:

So overall, the strategic clarity expressed by the Israelis about the need for a Palestinian state -- none of whom declared this for sentimental reasons -- was striking.

Approaches on how to get there differed widely. The rationale was often based on cold calculation related to consolidating relations with the Arabs against Iran. No one seemed particularly optimistic about the prospects of this goal even being achieved. But it was clear that this was a message that met the audience head-on, knocking them off balance.

There may not yet either be peace, or even a clear way to get there, but this day may well have granted Obama a subtle victory, as the broad political recognition in Israel of the importance of a two-state solution was made urgently clear.

I can't wait to hear Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak discuss this issue together tomorrow night.

Click here to read the article.

Photo Credit :(thewashingtonnote.com)

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