ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the ways in which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acted to prevent a Palestinian State from coming into being. It outlines the extensive Jewish settlement program on the West Bank that Netanyahu has fostered. It also blames the Palestinian leadership of Mahmoud Abbas for its lack of legitimacy and corruption and notes the rightward shift in Israeli politics and US President Donald Trump’s favoritism to Israel as further causes for the weakening of chances for a two-state solution. The chapter also argues that the tactical (at best) alliance between Israel and Saudi Arabia and the UAE against Iran will not succeed in pressuring the Palestinians into an agreement they oppose. On a more positive note the chapter points to the growing vibrancy of political life in Palestinian municipalities.
