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Embracing the one-state solution – By Khalid Amayreh | |
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Editor's Note:
Ultimately, there is really only one solution to the
conflict between Israelis and Palestinians; One State.
The common sense nature of this is overwhelming. It is
not a novel idea that every person be allowed to vote.
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Embracing the one-state solution – By Khalid Amayreh
As an arrogant Israel continues to destroy the "two-state
solution" through unrelenting settlement expansion in the
West Bank, especially East Jerusalem, a growing number of
Palestinians, including intellectuals, academics as well as
ordinary citizens, are abandoning the goal of "Palestinian
statehood". Their new strategy is the creation of a
democratic, unitary and secular state in all of Palestine-
Israel, in which Jews and Arabs would live in peace and
equality.
Advocates of the one-state solution argue that the two-
state solution is already dead and that any Palestinian
state that might come out of the present peace process
would be deformed and unviable and perpetuate conflict
and violence in the region. "Such a state would be a sure
prescription for future wars, instability and turbulence,"
one advocate argued during a recent symposium on the
subject in Ramallah.
To be sure, advocacy for the one-state solution is not
new among Palestinians. For many years, the Palestine
Liberation Organisation called for the creation of a
secular, non-sectarian state in all of mandatory Palestine,
where Jews, Muslims and Christians would be granted equal
rights. Voices favouring a common Jewish-Arab homeland in
Palestine were heard among Palestinians -- especially
within leftist and communist circles -- even before the
creation of Israel in 1948.
Recent developments, however, including the apparent
failure of recent high- profile peace efforts, such as
the Annapolis Conference, coupled with Israel's adamant
refusal to stop its settlement building activities and
US inability and/or unwillingness to pressure Israel to
halt its colonial expansion, are convincing an important
sector of Palestinian elites that the two-state solution
strategy is futile, unrealistic and detrimental to
Palestinian national interests.
This week, a prominent Fatah leader in the West Bank, Ziad
Abu Ein, called for abandoning efforts to establish a
Palestinian state in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the
Gaza Strip, arguing that it is probably too late for the
Palestinians to reach this goal, given existing demographic
and political realities. "Our people would be willing to
live in peace with Jews in the absence of fanaticism and
intolerance, and based on the principles of equality, live
and let live, and mutual respect," wrote Abu Ein in an
article published Saturday on a website he created
specifically for these ideas.
Abu Ein called on "the nations of the world", the UN, as
well as Israeli Jews to support and welcome the "desire
of their Palestinian brothers and sisters to live in peace"
in a unitary state extending from the Mediterranean to the
River Jordan. Such a state, argued Abu Ein, would be free
from violence, racism and efforts by one side to negate or
undermine the interests of the other.
It is uncertain if Abu Ein's ideas were coordinated with
the senior leadership of Fatah in Ramallah. However, it
is interesting that these ideas come amidst growing dis-
illusionment among many Palestinians with peace talks
with Israel, which have so far yielded no tangible results.
Indeed, frustration is conspicuous at all levels within
Fatah. This week, pro-Fatah media quoted "sources close
to Mahmoud Abbas" as saying that Abbas was already
convinced of the futility of peace talks with Israel and
that he was contemplating seeking an alternative to the
failed talks.
There was no detail given as to the nature of the
"alternatives" sought, but well-informed Palestinians
predict that options might include a decision by Abbas
to resign and declare the peace process dead, dismantling
the Palestinian Authority, or abandoning the two-state
solution strategy and adopting a South-African style
struggle for racial and religious equality in a democratic
state based on the "one man, one vote" formula.
Abbas, conscious of negative repercussions on his relations
with the Bush administration, hastened to deny the report,
saying he was still committed to the peace process and the
two-state solution.
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Nonetheless, it is clear that an increasing number of
Palestinians are no longer giving the two-state strategy
the benefit of the doubt. It is estimated that between
25-35 per cent of Palestinians back the one-state
solution. This percentage, however, is likely to increase
dramatically if current peace talks between Israel and
Abbas remain deadlocked.
This week, an opinion survey conducted by the reliable
Ramallah-based Centre for Policy and Survey Research
showed that if new presidential elections were held now,
Hamas's Ismail Haniyeh would receive 47 per cent of the
vote compared with 46 per cent for Abbas. The figures
represented a sharp rise in Haniyeh's popularity. A
previous poll conducted by the same pollster in December
gave Haniyeh only 37 per cent compared to 56 per cent
for Abbas.
The poll indicates that Hamas's steadfastness in the face
of a harsh Israeli blockade, as well as the continued
failure of the Israel-Abbas peace process, has led more
Palestinians to give their support to Hamas. By nature
this is bad news for proponents of a two- state solution.
Earlier this month, a symposium was held in Ramallah in
which several advocates of the one-state solution presented
their views. They argued convincingly that in light of the
ideological and political orientations permeating Israeli
Jewish society, the chances of Israel withdrawing to the
pre-1967 borders, and giving up East Jerusalem and
dismantling major Jewish colonies in the West Bank, are
very slim. Participants argued that Israel was even less
likely to allow a significant number of Palestinian
refugees to return to their original homes and villages
in what is now called Israel as part of a two-state
solution deal.
Al-Ahram Weekly spoke with Hazem Al-Kawsmi, one of the main
organisers of the symposium. He pointed out that the two-
state solution was not going to work, neither now nor in
the future.
"It is not going to work because Zionism doesn't want any
kind of solution with the Palestinians. They want the whole
land of Palestine. They want to keep controlling the lives
of the Palestinians in every metre of historic Palestine.
They want to control the oxygen Palestinians breathe, the
water they drink, and the food they eat. They want to
control borders, and retain the huge number of checkpoints,
and they want to keep us living within walls, electric wire
fences, and under total imprisonment."
Kawsmi said he realised that the one-state solution concept
was "anathema" to Israel and Zionism.
"Today, Israel will not accept any solution, neither the
two-state nor the one-state solution. Zionists are simply
not ready for any solution that will bring peace for the
region. They want peace only for Israelis, and to hell
with others. They want to impose a situation that will
take care of Zionist interests only, and they don't care
about others who are involved in the conflict and live in
the region.
"So, since the Zionists will not accept any solution today,
except for continuing their colonial designs, why should we
care about what they would accept or reject? Palestinians,
together with freedom supporters in the world, should
initiate a strategy based on a one-state solution, and go
confidently for this scenario.
"Zionism is going to end, and this region will witness a
new era where human rights are respected and justice is
accomplished. The alternative to the one-state solution,
which is a win-win situation for Israelis and Palestinians
alike, would be open war forever based on a win-lose
situation."
Some Palestinian intellectuals believe that Israel, if and
when forced to choose between the lesser of two evils,
will choose the two-state solution, since the one-state
solution would end Zionism and eventually reduce Jews in
Israel-Palestine to a numerical minority. The issue comes
down to these two solution, if Israel wants any solution,
except a military one in which it erases the Palestinian
national cause.
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