The idea is not at all unreasonable or unworkable, and was in fact what most of us two-state solution people would have envisioned, at least something very close. And it might have been back at the turn of th century, had Yasir Arafat and his lieutenants not turned it down, proving right yet again the late Israeli diplomat Abba Eban's observation that "The Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity."

Right now, I wouldn't go so far as to say two states is only a "dream," but let's be blunt: it's at least a generation away. The necessary component of a dedicated passage across Israel is a non-starter for at least that long. It's entirely possible to form a state in the West Bank much sooner, to be joined with Gaza several decades down the road, as that's how long it will take to develop a fully functioning and normal civil society in Gaza, and to persuade Israelis to allow free passage across their country. October 7 had many consequences, so did the rants and raves of Iran's useful idiots. Changing the two state solution from an immediate imperative to a long-term aspiration is one of those consequences.