Alaa Abu-Rukun, a visiting professor with the Haifa University and the former military secretary to the Israeli president attends the 12th Beijing Xiangshan Forum. Photo: Wang Qi/GT

The two-state solution is the only viable option for the future of the region, Alaa Abu-Rukun, former military secretary to the Israeli president, told the Global Times on Friday.

Abu-Rukun, who also served as Israeli defense attache to China previously and is now a visiting professor with the Haifa University, made the remarks in an interview on the sidelines of the 12th Beijing Xiangshan Forum which runs from Wednesday to Friday.

"It's very hard to talk about it [two-state solution] right now for reasons, because we Israelis lost trust in the Palestinians after October 7th [2023]. Meanwhile, the Palestinians have their own feelings after 2 years of war in Gaza. This is understood," he said.  

"But still, looking on the reality, I don't think there's other possibility [to solve the conflict]. And we should start talking about that [the two-state solution] again, renew the dialogue, renew the vision of living together side by side," Abu-Rukun remarked. "I think the two-state solution is definitely achievable if we have strong and courageous leaders, and also, if we understand both sides that we must make compromise and sometimes tough compromises."

Abu-Rukun said he has attended two sessions on regional conflict resolution during the Beijing Xiangshan Forum. One of them attracted extensive attentions as Chinese professor Yan Xuetong from Tsinghua University criticized Israeli troops for killing civilians in Gaza, urging Israel to accept two-state solution to establish a Palestinian state during a heated exchange with Elad Shoshan, the military attaché with the Israeli Embassy in Beijing.

Meanwhile, the US on Thursday singlehandedly vetoed a UN Security Council draft resolution that would have demanded Israel immediately lift all restrictions on humanitarian access and delivery in Gaza. China's permanent representative to the UN Fu Cong said that the Chinese side is very disappointed with the vote. 

A UN commission on Tuesday concluded that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, urging Israel to immediately cease its atrocities in the Palestinian enclave, according to Xinhua. 

When asked about his personal perspective on whether Israel is ready to talk with both Hamas and the Palestinian authorities in the West Bank, Abu-Rukun said, "We are ready to talk. We are ready to find the solutions and we are ready to compromise." He continued, "but we need one thing to feel secure, to feel that there's someone who we can trust. And if we feel that we have partners, the way and the path for peace will be very easy."

The 12th Beijing Xiangshan Forum. Photo: Wang Qi/GT

As the 12th Beijing Xiangshan Forum entered its final day, Abu Rokun spoke highly about the forum, saying that "there's big wisdom here." 

"When you come to such a gathering, you meet people from different parts of the world. Each one has his own insight about what's going on also in our region. I was surprised how much people are involved and worried about the situation in the region. Each one has his own wisdom, and I think I'm more knowledgeable after being here those few days," Abu Rokun said. 

"And actually, we are here to promote peace and to bring back home ideas of how we can put hands together in order to make a better future for our kids," he said.