For decades, the discourse surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been anchored by the hope of coexistence—whether through the partition of land into two sovereign states or the idealistic vision of a binational society. However, the catastrophic scale of the current war in Gaza has led many scholars and witnesses to conclude that these frameworks are no longer viable. The devastation has not only claimed tens of thousands of lives but has, according to some, dismantled the psychological and political foundation required for any shared future.
Dr. Ghada Karmi, a physician and author whose life has been defined by the cycle of displacement, argues that the current violence is not merely a new chapter of conflict, but a definitive breaking point. Born in Jerusalem and forced from her home during the 1948 Nakba, Karmi has spent her professional life navigating the intersection of medicine, academia, and activism. Her perspective is shaped by the duality of being a refugee and a scholar, providing a lens that views current events not as isolated incidents, but as the culmination of a settler-colonial process.
As the international community grapples with the humanitarian collapse in the Gaza Strip, the debate has shifted from “how to achieve peace” to “whether the current structure of the state of Israel can ever permit it.” For Karmi, the war in Gaza has shattered the myth of Palestinian-Israeli coexistence, exposing a depth of animosity and a systemic commitment to dispossession that renders traditional diplomatic solutions obsolete.
The Shadow of the Nakba: From 1948 to the Present
To understand the current despair, Karmi points to the Nakba, or “catastrophe,” of 1948. During the creation of the state of Israel, an estimated 700,000 to 800,000 Palestinians were displaced from their homes, becoming refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, and neighboring Arab countries (UNRWA). For Karmi, who experienced this eviction as a child, the current events in Gaza represent a “second Nakba,” though she suggests the current scale of destruction may be even more profound.
The parallel is not merely in the displacement of people, but in the erasure of the land itself. The systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza—including hospitals, universities, and residential blocks—mirrors the early dispossession of 1948 but on a technological and industrial scale. This erasure, Karmi argues, is designed to make the return of Palestinians a physical impossibility, thereby attempting to settle the “question of return” through force rather than diplomacy.
The trauma of 1948 remains a living memory for millions. The right of return for Palestinian refugees is a central tenet of their national identity and a primary sticking point in all historical negotiations. By intensifying the conditions of exile today, the current conflict has effectively hardened the resolve of those who believe that only a total restructuring of the region can bring a lasting end to the violence.
The Collapse of the Coexistence Narrative
For years, various peace movements advocated for a “binational state” or a “two-state solution” based on mutual recognition, and coexistence. However, Karmi contends that these models failed because they ignored the fundamental nature of the conflict: the clash between an indigenous population and a settler-colonial project.
Karmi has long advocated for a “one democratic state” solution. Unlike a binational state, which might preserve separate national identities within one border, a single democratic state would operate on the principle of equal citizenship for all residents, regardless of ethnicity or religion. In this framework, the priority would be the right of return for Palestinians and their descendants, with the settler community invited to remain as equal citizens provided they accept a democratic, non-ethnocentric governance structure.
The current war has made this vision feel increasingly distant. Karmi points to opinion polls and the rhetoric of the current Israeli government as evidence that a majority of the Israeli Jewish population now supports measures that are fundamentally incompatible with the survival of the Palestinian people. When the “victimizer” and the “victim” are placed in a framework of “coexistence” without first addressing the systemic inequality and the history of dispossession, the result is often a superficial peace that masks ongoing oppression.
Psychological Mechanisms of Oppression
One of the most complex aspects of the conflict is the historical trauma experienced by both peoples. Karmi offers a psychological analysis of how a population that has suffered extreme persecution—most notably during the Holocaust, which claimed six million Jewish lives (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)—can later engage in oppressive behavior.
She suggests that a common defense mechanism for persecuted groups is the creation of a narrative of superiority. By believing they are “special” or “superior” to those who attack them, a traumatized population can shield itself from the pain of persecution. When this mentality is transplanted into a political project like Zionism, it can evolve into a supremacist worldview where the indigenous population is viewed as “lesser” or “subhuman.”
This psychological shift allows for the dehumanization of the “other,” making the mass killing of civilians and the destruction of entire cities feel justified or even necessary for survival. In Karmi’s view, the current violence in Gaza is the logical conclusion of a mindset that prioritizes the security of the settler over the existence of the indigenous.
Geopolitical Risks and the “Cocktail of Disaster”
The stability of the region now rests on a precarious set of geopolitical variables. Karmi describes the current situation as a “cocktail of impending disasters” that could lead to a total regional collapse. Several key factors contribute to this volatility:
- The Iran-Hezbollah Axis: Escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, along with frequent clashes with Hezbollah in Lebanon, threaten to expand the conflict into a full-scale regional war.
- U.S. Dependency: The state of Israel remains heavily dependent on U.S. Military and diplomatic shielding. Any significant shift in U.S. Policy—whether due to domestic political pressure or a change in administration—could leave Israel vulnerable and accelerate its internal instability.
- Internal Societal Fractures: Israeli society is deeply divided between secular liberals, right-wing nationalists, and the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) population. Disputes over military conscription and the role of religion in government have created internal frictions that weaken the state’s cohesion.
- The Nuclear Option: The existence of Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal remains a catastrophic risk. Karmi expresses fear that a government feeling its existence is threatened might resort to “Samson Option” tactics—a scorched-earth policy where the state destroys its enemies even at the cost of its own survival.
These factors combined suggest that the current trajectory is unsustainable. A state that cannot survive without perpetual war and external funding is, in Karmi’s analysis, a state without a long-term future.
The Only Path to Peace: The Right of Return
When asked what a real solution looks like, Karmi rejects the “sentimentality” and “obfuscation” that often cloud diplomatic talks. She argues that peace cannot be achieved through land swaps, security fences, or economic incentives. Instead, peace requires a fundamental admission of the original crime: the dispossession of the Palestinian people.
The only peace Karmi envisages is one based on the Right of Return. This means allowing Palestinian refugees and their descendants to return to the homes and lands from which they were evicted in 1948 and subsequent conflicts. This is not merely a logistical challenge but a moral imperative. Without the restoration of these rights, any “peace treaty” is simply a formalization of ethnic cleansing.
Implementing the Right of Return would fundamentally change the demographic and political structure of the region, effectively ending the project of a Jewish ethno-state and replacing it with a democratic entity. While this is viewed as an existential threat by the Israeli right, Karmi argues it is the only way to break the cycle of violence. True peace requires the victimizer to acknowledge the humanity of the victim and to relinquish the privileges gained through dispossession.
Key Takeaways on the Current Crisis
- The End of Coexistence: The scale of destruction in Gaza has rendered the “two-state” and “binational” narratives obsolete for many.
- The Settler-Colonial Lens: Viewing the conflict as a clash between indigenous people and settlers changes the solution from “border disputes” to “rights restoration.”
- Psychological Trauma: Historical persecution can lead to a superiority complex that justifies current oppression.
- One Democratic State: The proposed alternative is a single state with equal rights and citizenship for all, predicated on the Right of Return.
- Regional Instability: Internal Israeli fractures and external threats from Iran and Hezbollah create a high risk of total regional collapse.
The current casualty figures in Gaza continue to rise, with the Gaza Health Ministry reporting over 40,000 deaths, including thousands of children (World Health Organization). As the humanitarian crisis deepens, the international community faces a choice: continue to support a failing status quo or engage with the radical restructuring of the region’s political identity.
The next critical checkpoint for the region will be the outcome of ongoing ceasefire negotiations and the potential for a broader regional escalation involving Iran. As the world watches, the “myth of coexistence” continues to fade, replaced by a stark demand for justice and the recognition of indigenous rights.
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