Israel responds to new Palestinian gov. with settlement expansions

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I will again shill my theory that Israel will align itself with Russia in the coming years.

That would surprise me. Putin has his eyes on Tamar and Leviathan, and he doesn't want to buy it. It's in his best interests to help the Arab states and attempt to push the clock towards doomsday, then swoop in and claim the wreckage.

Assuming anyone more favorable to Israel than Obama (and this includes Clinton, Warren, Biden, or most other Democrats) takes office in 2.5 years, the status quo will likely resume.

As for the thread itself, no one here could seriously think that Hamas being legitimized as the Palestinian government wouldn't have massive repercussions. Israel has basically established this as a red line.

What repercussions?  Israel would have been building more settlements regardless of whatever the Palestinians did.  All the new Palestinian government did was give the Zionists yet another excuse for what they wanted to do.  But they would have done it anyway even without any excuse.  That's precisely why the PA has essentially given up on negotiating with Israel, they have absolutely nothing to gain from doing so.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Hypothetically, is it even possible for the area of Israel/Palestine to support two states? I mean, it may be that is is only possible to support one real state and one "Bantustan" and there is no room for compromise.
This is certainly a tough situation; I'm glad I'm not the one who has to make these decisions.

If there ever were a real peace, then certainly there could be two states.  But I don't really see how it could be possible right now.  The current situation is far from ideal, but how to get to a peaceful two-state solution is something I just don't see.  The only thing I see is that building more settlements is certainly not the way there.  I think even the Zionists realize that, but like the Palestinians, they too have essentially given up on the idea that a stable two-state solution is possible.  Peace is something both sides pay lip service to these days without any expectation it is really possible.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Not only that, the last thing the State of Israel is unified Arab identity.  If the Arabs actually were as united as the Zionists feared, Israel would have been snuffed out in 1948.  Israel needs to be able to play divide and conquer in order to make the current status quo sustainable in the long run.