Much reflection is taking place these days at the US State Department and the UN Security Council on a concrete policy move by the Obama administration regarding the Israeli-Palestinian two-state solution. The aim of the administration is not only to inject hope into the current situation of despair, but also to leave a policy platform to the next administration on future Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
The administration is now challenged by the Palestinian move at the United Nations to advance a statehood resolution. Such a resolution, probably submitted to the Security Council by France and Egypt, will condemn Israeli West Bank settlements as illegal and propose a two-state solution based on the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative with a border along the 1967 lines and a one-year timeline leading to Palestinian statehood.