Part 3/10:
Downer was blunt in his assessment that continued attempts at creating a two-state solution have historically been rejected by the Palestinians themselves, rather than Israel. The core obstacle, he suggests, lies in the Palestinians’ reluctance to accept borders that would entail peaceful coexistence with Israel. Instead, their rejectionist stance has perpetuated the cycle of conflict, with some Western policymakers engaging in what Downer describes as “weak virtue signaling” rather than genuine diplomatic efforts.