{"id":424609,"date":"2026-09-15T13:56:54","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T17:56:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?p=424609"},"modified":"2026-09-16T12:44:18","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T16:44:18","slug":"many-israelis-and-palestinians-say-they-cannot-coexist-peacefully-and-explain-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/global\/2026\/09\/15\/many-israelis-and-palestinians-say-they-cannot-coexist-peacefully-and-explain-why\/","title":{"rendered":"Many Israelis and Palestinians Say They Cannot Coexist Peacefully \u2013 and Explain Why"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Israelis and Palestinians reflect on the viability of a two-state solution, in their own words<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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An Orthodox Jewish man and a Muslim woman ride the light rail in Jerusalem on March 13, 2024. (Alexi Rosenfeld\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
About this research<\/summary>\n

This Pew Research Center report explores Israeli and Palestinian views on whether peaceful coexistence between Israel and an independent Palestinian state would be possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why did we do this?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Pew Research Center does research to help the public, media and decision-makers understand important topics. We wanted to better understand attitudes among Israelis and Palestinians (in the West Bank and East Jerusalem) toward a so-called \u201ctwo-state solution\u201d to the long-running conflict between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the latest in a series of surveys conducted as part of our long-standing research on Israeli public attitudes around domestic issues, as well as regional and international affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is the first time in several years that Pew Research Center has polled the Palestinian public in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. We have previously surveyed in the Palestinian territories but could not conduct fieldwork in the West Bank or Gaza in recent years due to security concerns. We are still unable to survey in Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about Pew Research Center<\/a> and our international surveys<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did we do this?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

For this report, we surveyed 1,001 people in Israel and 1,038 people in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Interviews were conducted from March 30 to May 6, 2026, in Hebrew and Arabic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We asked random samples of both populations whether they think \u201ca way can be found for Israel and an independent Palestinian state to coexist peacefully.\u201d We then asked them to explain their answers in their own words, which we recorded verbatim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In both places, the survey was administered during the Iran war. Fieldwork began while hostilities were ongoing and continued after the declaration of an initial ceasefire on April 7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We designed the surveys to capture the views of the adult population in each country. Here are the survey questions used<\/a> for this report, along with responses, the survey methodology<\/a> and the coding methodology<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Almost three years after the start of the Israel-Hamas war, Israelis and Palestinians are pessimistic about the prospect of peaceful coexistence between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In a Pew Research Center survey conducted this spring, we asked Israelis and Palestinians in Israel and the West Bank and East Jerusalem, respectively, whether a way can be found for Israel and an independent Palestinian state to coexist peacefully with each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only about one-in-five Israelis (17%) and Palestinians (21%) say Israel and a Palestinian state could exist together in peace.<\/strong> Majorities in both places \u2013 56% in Israel and 68% in the West Bank and East Jerusalem \u2013 don\u2019t<\/em> think a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more about how views of the two-state solution have changed over time<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We then asked them to explain, in their own words, why they answered the way they did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the relatively few Israelis and Palestinians who said peaceful coexistence is possible:<\/p>\n\n\n\n