The Two-State Solution
How a 1947 partition concept became the universal framework for Israeli-Palestinian peace — traced through 77 years of UN General Assembly speeches.
Key Statistics
Rise of the "Two-State Solution" Phrase
Number of UN speeches explicitly mentioning "two-state solution" per year (2001-2024)
Evolution by Decade
Historical Timeline
The UN proposes dividing Mandatory Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states. Arab nations denounce it as a violation of self-determination principles.
"Partition of Palestine into two separate States, granting the lion's share to the Jews and depriving the rightful owners of the country of their homeland... We cannot give weight to such recommendations; they violate one of the fundamental principles of the Charter — namely, the right of self-determination of peoples."
Syria articulates the foundational Arab opposition to partition, framing it as a colonial imposition rather than a just solution.
View Full Speech →The Six-Day War transforms the discourse. 'Palestinian people' becomes standard terminology, and the PLO gains UN recognition as their sole representative.
1967→1979
"Palestine Liberation Organization [PLO] to be its sole legitimate representative. We are convinced that at this session appropriate decisions will be adopted in this direction and that the Palestinian representatives will be granted equal participation in all efforts to overcome the Middle East crisis."
Yugoslavia, representing the Non-Aligned Movement, calls for PLO participation in peace efforts — a position that would become international consensus.
View Full Speech →Calls for an independent Palestinian state intensify. The 1988 Palestinian Declaration of Independence triggers a global surge in statehood discourse.
1988→1989
"Palestinian State on the soil of the Palestinian homeland. At the same time, we resolutely assert that Jordan will continue to perform its national role as a major party to the Arab-Israeli conflict... Palestinian identity has at no time been in conflict with or opposition to Jordanian identity."
Jordan acknowledges the separate Palestinian identity while maintaining its special relationship — a nuanced position reflecting the complexity of the era.
View Full Speech →Mutual recognition replaces confrontation. The Oslo Accords are celebrated as a 'triumph of reason' opening possibilities for coexistence.
"Historic breakthrough represented by mutual recognition and the declaration of principles signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Palestinian self-rule in Gaza and the city of Jericho. Despite their long enmity, the leaders of the State of Israel and the PLO summoned the political courage to embrace peace."
Namibia, itself newly independent after a long struggle, celebrates the breakthrough while acknowledging this is only 'a first step'.
View Full Speech →The explicit phrase 'two-state solution' enters UN diplomatic vocabulary. Yasser Arafat uses it to frame Palestinian aspirations in terms the international community will adopt as standard.
2000→2024
"Two-State solution — Israel and Palestine — and with regard to expeditiously resuming the peace process. For our part, we will exert every possible effort to achieve those objectives."
This is the FIRST explicit use of 'two-state solution' in the UN speeches database — a term that would become the universal framework for peace negotiations.
View Full Speech →Israel officially embraces the two-state framework, though with conditions. The concept achieves near-universal acceptance as the basis for negotiations.
"Two-State vision. It requires each people to accept that their rights are realized through the establishment of their own homeland, not in the homeland of others. The second principle for peace is drawn from the concept of living in peace and security... the State of Palestine that emerges next to Israel cannot be a terror State."
Israel's Foreign Minister formally endorses two states while establishing security conditions — marking a significant shift in official Israeli UN rhetoric.
View Full Speech →Palestine seeks full UN membership, generating the highest-ever mentions of 'Palestinian state' (67 speeches). The bid transforms the two-state solution from aspiration to diplomatic demand.
"Two-State solution that ends the conflict by meeting the needs of both sides is, and can be, the only secure and lasting peace. A solution comprised of two States — a sovereign, independent and viable Palestine and Israel, accepted and secure — is the core of all major international proposals, including the Arab Peace Initiative."
King Abdullah frames two states as the consensus position of all major peace initiatives, from the Quartet to the Arab Peace Initiative.
View Full Speech →The two-state solution reaches its highest-ever mention count (62 speeches) amid calls for a 'Global Alliance' to implement it. The ICJ advisory opinion adds legal weight to the framework.
"Two days ago, almost a hundred Member states took part in a meeting called by Saudi Arabia, the EU and Norway, launching a Global Alliance to implement the two state solution. Three decades after the Oslo Accords, more and more states are realizing that endlessly waiting for the right moment to negotiate will not work."
Norway, architect of the original Oslo process, calls for moving beyond negotiation toward implementation — reflecting frustration with 30 years of stalled progress.
View Full Speech →"Two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalized relations with all its neighbors, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own."
President Biden reaffirms US commitment to two states while linking it to regional normalization — the Abraham Accords framework.
View Full Speech →The 54-Year Gap
The concept of two states in Palestine dates to 1947, but the specific phrase "two-state solution" only entered UN diplomatic vocabulary in 2001 — a 54-year gap between concept and standardized terminology.
As Uruguay noted in 2011: "two-State solution, which Uruguay has supported since 1947" — acknowledging that the framework predates the phrase by more than half a century.
Research Methodology
This analysis draws from 10,952 UN General Assembly speeches (1946-2024). We tracked the evolution of key terminology through exact-phrase matching and contextual analysis.
-- Track "two-state solution"
SELECT year, COUNT(*) as mentions
FROM speeches
WHERE text LIKE '%two-state solution%'
GROUP BY year ORDER BY year;
-- Compare with "Palestinian state"
SELECT year, COUNT(*) as mentions
FROM speeches
WHERE text LIKE '%Palestinian state%'
GROUP BY year ORDER BY year;