American Jewish leaders have given up on a two-state solution. Younger Jews are hanging onto the audacity of hope. |
The year 2026 will be a fateful and challenging time for American Jews and for those of us who support Israel and worry about its future as a secure, Jewish and democratic state, especially with elections on the horizon in Israel and here in the United States, where attitudes and policies toward Israel are playing an outsize role.
These thoughts lead me to reflect on a large gathering I attended in November, when, moments after the crowd sang “Shir L’Shalom” (“A Song for Peace”) alongside Yitzhak Rabin’s granddaughter Noa Rothman, the leadership of our Jewish community, including my mentors and friends, voted informally that the two-state solution is unrealistic.
The debate that followed this moving sing-along, organized by the Sapir Institute during the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly, captured a sense of profound despair that has gnawed at me since: a belief that diplomacy is no longer feasible, and that reconciliation with Palestinians is simply a fantasy. The opposition did not propose any alternative vision, but rather the long-touted belief that there is no path to reconciliation. That, regrettably, is the exact “status quo” perspective that led to the Oct. 7 massacre. It is also an idea that alienates the majority of young American Jews who continue to seek reasons to be hopeful about Israel’s future.
Thus, in the same breath that we honored Rabin’s legacy of courage and imagination, many declared the central pillar of his diplomatic vision dead.
This room represented our leadership, but, thankfully, it did not represent the majority of young American Jews. We understand that Israelis and Palestinians are not destined to be trapped in permanent conflict. We see this clearly