#threestatesolution

A rough idea I’ve been working on to help imagine a peaceful solution. It’s not set in stone — feedback is appreciated.

For decades, peace in the Middle East has felt out of reach. But what if the answer lies in a bold new vision?

The Two-State Solution has stalled for decades. Illegal settlements continue to grow. Access, sovereignty, and justice remain unresolved.

In 1947, the United Nations voted to partition Palestine—without the consent of the Palestinian people who made up the vast majority of the population. To make way for the new Jewish state, over 700,000 Palestinians were forced from their homes—many at gunpoint. The plan granted 56% of the land to the Jewish minority, much of it already inhabited by Palestinians. Entire villages were destroyed. Families were driven into exile. This is known as the Nakba, or ‘catastrophe.’

Over 400 Palestinian villages were depopulated or destroyed. 700,000+ people became stateless refugees in 1948. The UN made the call. The people living there were never given a vote.

The 1948 Arab-Israeli war changed everything. Israel expanded its borders to 77% of the land, displacing over 700,000 Palestinians. Palestinians were left with the West Bank and Gaza—disconnected and vulnerable.

Palestinian land has been disappearing for over 75 years. More settlements. More walls. Less freedom. Less land.

Today, the West Bank is broken into dozens of fragments—surrounded by Israeli military zones, highways, and illegal settlements. Gaza is blockaded. The West Bank is walled in. There is no real ‘state.’

The Two-State Solution was never built to last. The borders don’t make sense. The geography isn’t viable. The power is unequal. It’s not peace. It’s apartheid.

We’ve tried this map for 75+ years. It’s time to draw a new one.

A new approach: A Three-State Solution.

Palestine in the north.

Israel in the south.

And Jerusalem—shared by all.

At the heart of the land, Jerusalem becomes more than a city—it becomes a buffer zone. A neutral space that separates Israel and Palestine, while connecting them through shared faith and history. Governed by an interfaith council, protected by peacekeepers, and open to all.

An international peacekeeping force—potentially led by the United Nations, the Arab League, or a coalition of neutral countries—would safeguard Jerusalem’s neutral status.

Illegal settlements are dismantled. Land is returned to rightful Palestinian owners. Reconciliation begins with restoration.

Jerusalem is no longer divided, no longer claimed by one side. It is a city of shared faith, protected neutrality, and cooperative leadership. Governed by an interfaith council and safeguarded by peacekeepers, Jerusalem thrives as a city where families from all sides live, learn, and worship together. It is not a battleground. It is a bridge.

Residents of the New Jerusalem Corridor will hold dual citizenship. They’ll retain citizenship with either the State of Palestine or the State of Israel—while also holding official residency in the neutral city of Jerusalem. This guarantees freedom of movement, legal protections, and full civil rights—no matter their faith or nationality. Whether born in East Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Ramallah, or Gaza—families will be able to live, work, and worship in the sacred corridor without fear or division.

This shared model prevents the city from being claimed by one side—and instead makes it a home for all.

Under the new Three-State Plan, all land north of the Jerusalem corridor becomes part of the future State of Palestine, and all land south of it, including Gaza, becomes part of Israel. To ensure a just and peaceful transition, no one will be forcibly removed. Instead, those currently living on the ‘other side’ will have options:

1. Choice of Citizenship

Israeli citizens living in the north may choose to relocate to Israel’s southern territory—or apply to become permanent residents of Palestine. Palestinians in Gaza may move to the new Palestinian territory in the north—or apply for residency in Israel if they choose to remain.

2. Compensation & Support

Relocating families will receive compensation, housing assistance, and full transitional support, provided by international agencies and both governments.

3. International Monitoring

The process will be overseen by UN observers and humanitarian organizations, ensuring dignity, consent, and fairness—with no repeat of 1948.

This time, no one loses their home overnight. This time, the path to peace is paved with justice.

Borders alone don’t build peace. Healing begins with truth.

In order for this to work, Palestine must be recognized as a fully sovereign state and full member of the United Nations — with internationally agreed-upon borders and protection under international law. This would give Palestinians true autonomy, global legitimacy, and access to international courts and aid without being dependent on Israel.

Likewise, New Jerusalem could operate similarly to the Vatican — not as a nation-state, but as a neutral, sacred zone with UN observer status. It would be governed by a rotating, multi-faith council — Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and others — to ensure no one group has control, and all faiths maintain access.

This structure would provide global recognition and protection for both Palestine and New Jerusalem, creating a more balanced and enforceable peace.

To move forward, we must first face the past.

Like South Africa after apartheid, this new chapter begins with a Truth & Reconciliation process—where both Israelis and Palestinians can speak, be heard, and be seen.

1. Storytelling Over Judgment

Victims of war, displacement, and oppression will have space to share their experiences—not for punishment, but for understanding and acknowledgment.

2. Accountability Without Revenge

Those involved in policies of violence or discrimination may come forward in exchange for amnesty, truth-telling, and commitment to peace.

3. Local-Led, Faith-Backed

These reconciliation councils will be guided by local leaders, survivors, educators, and representatives from all three faiths—grounded in the shared values of mercy, justice, and forgiveness.

The process will be supported by international peacebuilders and modeled after successful efforts in South Africa, Rwanda, and Northern Ireland.

We cannot undo the pain—but we can ensure it doesn’t continue. This is how former enemies become neighbors. This is how peace becomes possible.

With the transition complete, peacekeepers remain to ensure security—not to control, but to protect. Their presence creates space for rebuilding, education, and economic recovery. NGOs, global partners, and local leaders work side by side to turn hope into daily life.

This plan will not be easy for everyone.

For many Palestinians, it offers justice they’ve never seen—land returned, rights restored, homes rebuilt.

For many Israelis, it may feel like a loss—especially those who’ve made homes in places that, under international law, were never meant to be part of Israel in the first place.

But this is not about erasing your history. It’s about ending the violence that defines your future.

Judaism teaches tikkun olam—to repair the world.

You were once exiled. You were once hunted. You were once stateless.

Let us not become the very thing we escaped. Let us not justify injustice with survival.

There is a future in which Israelis and Palestinians live side by side, with dignity, security, and a shared sacred city between them.

It is not weakness to give back what was taken. It is strength to build something together.

Because real danger isn’t over there—it’s what we’ve already allowed to happen here.

The truth is, unimaginable damage has already been done.

Over 85,000 tonnes of explosives have fallen on Gaza—nearly six times the power of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

This isn’t just a number. Its homes, families, hospitals, entire neighborhoods turned to ash.

We cannot turn away. But we can turn toward something better.

Borders are just lines. Peace is what we do with them.

We’ve redrawn the map. We’ve listened to the pain.

Now, we begin again—with justice, healing, and hope.

Share this vision.

Join the movement.

Help write a future worth remembering.