The long-debated Two-State Solution between Israel and Palestine

 Shimba Theological Institute

Theological and Geopolitical Reflections Series
Vol. 7, Issue 4 (October 2025)

---

The Illusion of Peace: A Theological Reflection on the Two-State Solution

By Dr. Maxwell Shimba
Shimba Theological Institute

---

The long-debated Two-State Solution between Israel and Palestine continues to dominate international discourse as the supposed path toward peace in the Middle East. Yet, beneath the veneer of diplomacy lies a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of peace itself—both politically and theologically. The idea of dividing the land of Israel, granting half to a people whose leadership has repeatedly chosen violence over coexistence, reveals not a step toward harmony but a deep moral and spiritual blindness.

To grant political legitimacy to entities that glorify terrorism and reject Israel’s right to exist is tantamount to “inviting a snake to share one’s pillow and then acting shocked when it bites.” The events of October 7th serve as a chilling reminder of this truth. Efforts to negotiate peace with those who harbor ideological hatred only embolden further acts of violence. What the world applauds as “progress” is, in reality, the staging ground for another tragedy—a repetition of bloodshed, grief, and shattered lives.

This global obsession with a superficial “peace” has been prophetically addressed in Scripture. Jeremiah lamented, “They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ When there is no peace.” (Jeremiah 6:14, NKJV). Likewise, the Apostle Paul warned, “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them.” (1 Thessalonians 5:3, NKJV). These verses expose the futility of political solutions that ignore the root cause of human conflict—the unregenerate heart estranged from God.

True peace cannot emerge from diplomatic treaties signed in the absence of spiritual transformation. The heart of the Middle East crisis is not territorial but theological. It is a conflict of worldviews—between the message of Christ, which offers forgiveness and reconciliation, and the ideology of Islam, which perpetuates division and vengeance. Real peace will only come when hearts are changed, not merely when borders are redrawn.

To our Palestinian brothers and sisters, this message is not one of condemnation but of liberation. The world’s political powers and many within the Muslim world have exploited your suffering for their own agendas. While they march in anger and chant slogans, it is often Christian organizations that build hospitals, send aid, and pray for your restoration. Freedom will not come through endless hostility or allegiance to ideologies of hatred, but through the redemptive truth of Jesus Christ—who alone offers peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

Therefore, let it be clearly stated: the solution to the Middle East crisis is not found in the Two-State Solution but in the One Savior Solution. Only through faith in Christ can enmity be transformed into reconciliation, and only through His lordship can nations experience lasting peace. As Scripture declares, “He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation.” (Ephesians 2:14, NKJV).

---

References

• The Holy Bible, New King James Version (NKJV).

• Jeremiah 6:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:3; Ephesians 2:14; Philippians 4:7.

• Shimba, M. (2025). Theology and Conflict: Biblical Insights on Peace in the Middle East. Shimba Theological Institute.

• Lewis, B. (2002). The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror. Random House.

• Pipes, D. (2014). Militant Islam Reaches America. W.W. Norton & Company.

---