About the Project

IPF’s Two-State Security project seeks to engage students, academics, activists, community leaders, and policymakers in a dialogue on how to effectively address Israel’s security needs in the pursuit of a two-state solution in the near and long-terms.

Confidence in the possibility of solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is at an all-time low.  More than twenty years after the Oslo Accords, both sides are deeply disillusioned and trust is non-existent.  After facing rocket attacks following unilateral withdrawals from Gaza and Southern Lebanon, Israelis are wary of leaving the West Bank. In addition, with turmoil and instability across the region, segments of the Israeli public who do support a two-state solution are concluding that for security reasons, now is not the time to try. Concurrently, many Palestinians are concluding that Israel has no intention of ever leaving the West Bank.

When it comes to negotiations, the issue of security has long been viewed as secondary to the so-called “final status issues” – borders, refugees, and Jerusalem – which have always been viewed as more challenging.  And yet, never before has a comprehensive security plan been made public to demonstrate that a two-state solution can be implemented and sustained while providing both Israelis and Palestinians with the security, sovereignty, and dignity they need.

At a time when few believe that peace is possible – we must first ask:  Is security possible? The Israel Policy Forum’s “Two-State Security” project examines this question. The project draws upon two unprecedented studies conducted by Israeli and American security experts:

“A Security System for the Two State Solution,” published by the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), is the most comprehensive report on how a two-state solution could be sustained while providing for Israel’s security needs in the long-term.

“Security First,” published by Commanders for Israel’s Security (CIS), proposes steps that can be taken to improve Israel’s security and international standing right away, even in the absence of political negotiations. CIS is a network of over 270 former Israeli security officials who held top positions in the IDF, Shin Bet, Mossad and police forces.

Two-State Security also features a state-of-the-art online map and database developed by the Economic Cooperation Foundation (ECF), which illustrates multiple layers of information on the history of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations relating to borders, security and more.