Nobody to Talk to: The Persistence of the “No Partner” Mantra in Israeli Discourse

This article argues that the widespread notion that Israel lacks a Palestinian negotiating partner has endured in Israeli society despite the security community’s unease with this narrative. Many of Israel’s former generals and spymasters, some of whom were interviewed for this article, have argued that the “no partner” mantra runs counter to Israeli interests and that there are steps the government of Benjamin Netanyahu has avoided taking that would keep prospects for a two-state solution alive.