The Two State Dilemma: A Game Theory Perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Dan, a senior fellow at York University’s Glendon School of Public and International Affairs, debuts with a stimulating exploration of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the perspective of game theory. He concisely summarizes a century of clashes between Jews seeking to establish a Jewish state and the Arabs living there, making the history accessible even for readers not familiar with the details. Dan examines the past and potential future using questions game theory poses—notably “Who are the players? What game(s) are they playing? And what does co-operation or winning look like?”—and explains proposals for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a Prisoner’s Dilemma. The potential outcomes are outlined as “a one-state solution, two-state solution, a Zionist state, and an Arab state.” Dan then questions the viability of a Jewish state given demographic realities—such as the birthrate of Palestinians living on the West Bank—and concludes that there are only two likely outcome: “either an Arab state, or a state where Jews and Palestinians learn to set aside their differences and pursue a program of reconciliation and rational co-operation,” which may seem impossible or unwelcome to many. Nonetheless, Dan’s logical assessment makes a strong argument against the feasibility of two-state solutions. (Self-published)