Nigeria’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, says while the creation of separate Israeli and Palestinian states remains the only viable path to lasting peace in the Middle East, the world is unlikely to witness it within his lifetime.
He said this was due to deep-rooted political interests and resistance from major powers, especially the United States.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, Akinyemi said the idea of a two-state solution long backed by the United Nations and much of the international community has been stalled by decades of mistrust, shifting alliances, and Washington’s reluctance to exert pressure on Israel.
“I don’t believe we will see the two-state solution in my lifetime. Progress made in international relations is usually gradual, unless it is a major war that reverses things. I don’t see the United States backing that two-state solution in the next 10 years. But it will come; it is inevitable,” he said.
The former minister noted that change may not come from government institutions but from the growing shift in American public opinion.
He observed that while the US government remains one of Israel’s strongest allies, the sentiments of ordinary citizens are beginning to turn, particularly among younger and more liberal voters who are increasingly critical of Israel’s military actions in Gaza and the West Bank.
“If you look at public opinion polls in the United States, the people, not the government, have gradually turned against Israel. A time is going to come when Israel’s supporters will no longer dictate the outcome of elections in the United States,” Akinyemi said.
Akinyemi, who served as Foreign Affairs Minister between 1985 and 1987 under the military administration of General Ibrahim Babangida, also took aim at former US President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace initiative, calling it a “programme that was not thought through”.
He said Trump ignored established international mechanisms such as the United Nations, which, despite its slow pace, has built extensive experience in mediating and monitoring peace processes.
“The United Nations may be slow in coming to a conclusion, but it plans to make sure there are no loopholes. Trump’s 20-stage programme left many loopholes and could give multinational troops a bad name,” he noted.
He accused Trump of pursuing peace for personal glory rather than genuine diplomacy, noting that the former US president appeared to be “racing to meet the deadline for the Nobel Peace Prize”.
On governance within Palestinian territories, Akinyemi maintained that democratic institutions cannot thrive under occupation.
“You can only democratise if you remove the Israeli boots from the neck of the Palestinians. How could you have elections when they are controlled totally, including the collection of taxes by Israel? It is Israel that dictates governance in the West Bank and Gaza,” he explained.
He warned that any post-war reconstruction plan for Gaza that sidelines Arab countries would be doomed to fail, stressing that nations like Saudi Arabia and Qatar would not invest in rebuilding efforts if Palestinian voices are excluded.
“I don’t think Arab countries will underwrite an Israeli plan or an American peace plan that ignores the Palestinians,” he said.
“If the Palestinians are brought on board, then Saudi Arabia and Qatar may be prepared to put the money down.”
Akinyemi said peace in the Middle East will eventually emerge when global forces align toward fairness and justice but added that such change would take time.
“It will come. It is inevitable, but not in my lifetime,” Akinyemi reiterated.
“When the balance of forces changes and the world begins to demand justice and fairness, then the two-state solution will happen,” he said.
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