Books
One-State Solution for Mideast Peace
It’s the only path to a safe, secure Israel, Ambassador David Friedman writes in his new bestseller.
One Jewish State: The Last, Best Hope to Resolve the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict By David Friedman Humanix Books, 256 pages, $29.99
A BY MARISA HERMAN
mbassador david fried- man always knew he wanted to share the stories behind the historic dip-
lomatic achievements that occurred while he was U.S. ambassador to Israel during the Trump administration. But his timeline was fast-tracked
by Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack on the Jewish State. After Friedman heard President
Joe Biden’s “tone deaf and insulting” reaction to the massacre of Israelis, he knew he had to respond to what he considered to be “exactly the wrong message.” “The idea that you’re going to
take a population that has essentially become radicalized and is excited and enthusiastic about murdering Jews and give them territory and boundar- ies, and a state and military, and a platform to destroy Israel, it just made no sense to me,” he said. As the Biden administration repeat-
edly promoted a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, Friedman got to work writing his new book: One Jewish State: The Last, Best Hope to
Resolve the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. The architect behind the historic
Abraham Accords, which normal- ized relations between the Arab Gulf States and Israel, began detailing why a two-state solution that has failed for decades continues to be the wrong answer. If a two-state solution isn’t viable,
he’d find an alternative that could work. Friedman isn’t afraid to tackle
seemingly impossible issues. He helped overhaul U.S. policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while serving as ambassador. He was responsible for helping
move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. As Friedman outlines his plan for
solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he asks readers to keep an open mind. While people may consider the promotion of one Jewish State as a “radical view by a far-right author who wants to expand the land of Israel at the expense of Palestinians,” Fried- man said that is not the case. Rather, he called his blueprint a
“smart approach” that can appeal to deeply religious Jews who believe Isra- el is a “central tenet of our faith,” athe- ists who just want to see Israelis and Palestinians live in peace, or people in the middle who care about national security of the region or the economic implications.
As Friedman outlines his plan for solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he asks readers to keep an open mind.
58 NEWSMAX | OCTOBER 2024
“It’s not a real estate deal,” he said. Under Friedman’s model, Israel
takes control of the West Bank — also known as Judea and Samaria — and provides the Palestinians who live there with similar benefits and oppor- tunities that the nation provides to the 2 million Arab-Israeli citizens. While the Palestinians would be empowered and afforded educational opportunities, access to healthcare, and a slew of other benefits, Fried- man’s plan stops short of totally absorbing the Palestinian population into the land of Israel. He argues that doing so risks the
entire existence of a Jewish State, con- sidering many of the 2.5 million Pal- estinians are “extremely hostile to the State of Israel” and would ultimately “deprive Israel of its Jewish status.” He noted that after the Oct. 7 ter-
ror attack, polling indicated that more than 80% of Palestinians supported Hamas’ stunning massacre. Under Friedman’s concept, Pales-
tinians would have control over some local affairs, but they would not be permitted to vote in national elections.
DEBBIE HILL/POOL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
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