The case for an Israeli-Palestinian Confederation: a two-state solution in a one-state reality with Professor Yossi Mekelberg
About this episode
The episode discusses the potential for an Israeli-Palestinian confederation as a solution to the ongoing conflict.
After decades of failed negotiations and a rapidly shifting reality on the ground, is it time to rethink the framework for peace? In this episode, we’re joined by Professor Yossi Mekelberg (Chatham House, University of Roehampton) to explore the idea of an Israeli–Palestinian confederation — a model that seeks to reconcile the increasingly entrenched one-state reality with the enduring need for two states. Drawing on decades of research and policy engagement, Yossi examines why past peace efforts have stalled, what has changed since Oslo, and whether a new political structure could offer a more realistic path forward. In this episode, we explore: Why the traditional two-state model is becoming harder to implement The “one-state reality” on the ground — and what it means in practice What an Israeli–Palestinian confederation could look like How shared governance, open borders and joint institutions might function The role of settlements, refugees, and Jerusalem in any future agreement Why trust, reconciliation and public buy-in are essential to any solution Whether political leadership — on either side — is capable of delivering change Key takeaways The status quo is unsustainable…
People in this episode
Host: Diana Safieh
Guest: Professor Yossi Mekelberg
Topics covered
- Israeli-Palestinian conflict
- confederation
- two-state solution
- peace negotiations
- settlements
- shared governance
Keywords
- Israeli-Palestinian confederation
- peace framework
- one-state reality
- Oslo Accords
- political leadership
- trust and reconciliation
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Chatham House, University of Roehampton
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