Israel Authors

Ghada Karmi

The two-state solution is no longer viable due to the extent of Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank.

A single democratic state for both peoples is the only option that can address core issues like land, refugees, and political equality.

Tony Judt

Israel’s ethno-nationalist character is outdated and incompatible with modern democratic values, leaving it with a stark choice between becoming an apartheid state or embracing a binational democracy.

Continued occupation and demographic shifts make the two-state solution increasingly impossible, forcing a reckoning with Israel’s identity.

Leon Wieseltier

The idea of a binational state may seem morally attractive to some, but in practice it would replace one vulnerable minority—Palestinians—with another—Jews, rendering both groups insecure.

The proposal is less a pathway to justice and more a fantasy that risks the dismantling of Israel itself as a Jewish homeland.

Marc Lynch and Shibley Telhami

Reviving the two-state solution ignores the structural impossibility of such a deal after decades of settlement growth, failed leadership, and deep public disillusionment on both sides.

Rather than promoting a fantasy, U.S. policy should confront the current reality and insist on adherence to international law to prevent entrenching permanent apartheid-like conditions.

Martin Indyk

Despite the October 7 Hamas attack and the worsening situation in Gaza, a two-state solution has been unexpectedly revived as the only plausible peaceful resolution.

However, both Israeli and Palestinian leaderships are deeply divided and ineffective, making progress toward that goal harder than ever​.

Chuck Freilich

The United States has become the single most important factor in Israel’s national security, offering unprecedented levels of military, diplomatic, and financial support.

The US is deeply invested in Israel’s existence and security, and the strategic relationship has become so institutionalised that it would be difficult for the US to simply walk away.

This support, while indispensable, has created a deep dependency that limits Israel’s strategic autonomy and makes a total rupture in the relationship nearly unthinkable

Dennis Ross

Conventional wisdom that distancing from Israel improves U.S. standing with Arab nations is unfounded; in fact, close cooperation with Israel has coincided with expanded U.S. influence in the Arab Gulf.

Arab leaders use the Palestinian issue more as political leverage than as a genuine policy concern, and their relationships with the U.S. are based more on reliability than Israeli policy​.

Jon Hoffman

Unconditional U.S. support for Israel has become a strategic liability, undermining America’s image in the Middle East and enabling Israel to pursue policies that contradict U.S. interests.

The relationship lacks reciprocity, with Washington bearing immense political costs while receiving limited strategic return, particularly during conflicts like the Gaza war.

Steven Simon and Dana Allin

The once-unshakable U.S.–Israel alliance is becoming increasingly unstable as American public opinion shifts toward greater skepticism of Israel, especially among Democrats.

The US is becoming more like Europe insomuch that they are more critical of Israel.

Unlike during past conflicts, Israel can no longer rely on automatic bipartisan support from Washington. As the two countries diverge on core values like democracy and human rights, the alliance is becoming more conditional and strategically fragile​.

Dov Waxman

Debate over Israel has become the most divisive issue in American Jewish life, fracturing communities and turning once-apolitical institutions into sites of fierce ideological confrontation.

The split is not just political but reflects deeper generational, cultural, and religious shifts—particularly among younger Jews who feel less emotionally tied to Israel.

As criticism of Israeli policies becomes more mainstream, especially among progressives, the space for nuanced or middle-ground positions continues to shrink, intensifying polarization.

Alexander Yakobson and Amnon Rubinstein

Israel’s dual identity as a Jewish and democratic state is not unique or illegitimate, as many democracies maintain strong ethno-cultural ties without violating democratic norms.

Privileging Jewish immigration or maintaining cultural connections with Jewish communities abroad does not inherently contradict modern international standards.

Balancing Israel’s Jewish character with equal citizenship rights is challenging but achievable without forcing a choice between democracy and national identity.

Sammy Smooha

Israel exemplifies an “ethnic democracy,” where Arab citizens have civil and political rights but are systematically excluded from full national belonging and power.

The Jewish majority is privileged institutionally, while Arabs are politically marginalized, treated as a minority to be tolerated (always seen as a potential threat) rather than fully embraced.

Although ethnic democracy preserves some democratic processes, it also enshrines deep structural inequalities that limit true civic equality​.

John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt

The U.S.–Israel alliance is driven not by strategic necessity or shared moral values, but largely by the political influence of the pro-Israel lobby in Washington.

This lobby distorts American foreign policy against U.S. national interests by shielding Israel from criticism, promoting expansionist policies, and increasing the terrorist threat against the West.

By stifling open debate and tying U.S. policy to Israel's actions, the lobby has made peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict far more difficult​

Jeffrey Goldberg

Critics of the Israel lobby are accused of promoting a conspiratorial and distorted portrayal of Jewish influence over U.S. foreign policy.

Their depiction of Israel is seen as unrecognizable and unjustifiably villainous, erasing Palestinian agency and responsibility for the conflict.

While not all criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic, framing the relationship in conspiratorial terms veers dangerously close to classic anti-Jewish tropes.

Benny Morris

Selective omission of crucial facts about Israel’s history results in a biased and misleading narrative that ignores Arab aggression and Palestinian rejectionism.

Israel’s military victories were achieved despite disadvantages, and the refugee crisis largely stemmed from wartime conditions rather than a premeditated Zionist plan.

Palestinian leadership's repeated rejection of compromise significantly contributed to the enduring statelessness of their people.

Kenneth Waltz

A nuclear-armed Iran would actually increase stability in the Middle East by restoring a balance of power, much like the mutual deterrence seen among other nuclear states.

Fear of Iranian irrationality is misplaced, as Iran’s leadership has consistently shown rational behavior aimed at regime survival, not suicidal aggression.

Israel’s unchecked regional nuclear monopoly has long fueled instability, and the entrance of Iran into the nuclear club would likely moderate regional behavior rather than spark chaos​.

Professor David

Even if Iranian leaders are rational under normal circumstances, a regime facing collapse might still launch a nuclear strike out of desperation.

Traditional deterrence strategies are weak against leaders who believe they have nothing left to lose and harbor deep hatred toward their enemies.

In moments of extreme internal crisis, rational calculations can break down, making a nuclear-armed, unstable Iran a uniquely dangerous threat​.

Walter Russell Mead

There is not truly a united lobbying interest among Jewish groups to speak of. Different Jewish groups have different views.

The American government's support can simply be explained by the fact that most Americans support the state of Israel. Not some ominous Israel Lobby.

Ruth Margalit and Carmiel Arbit

Israel’s judicial overhaul has sparked the largest protest movement in its history, fueled by fears of executive overreach and erosion of democratic institutions.

The reforms threaten the separation of powers and would weaken protections for minorities and women, who have relied on the Supreme Court to safeguard their rights.

Rising ultra-Orthodox influence could further reshape Israeli society, making the preservation of democracy and civil rights even more urgent.