One Democratic State in Israel/Palestine

international | anti-war / imperialism | opinion/analysis

Saturday November 13, 2004 18:19

by Zeev bin Natan

There is need now to build a mass non-violent movement toward a single democratic non-national state, a “politics from below” for a sustainable just future for Israelis and Palestinians, forging bonds of ta'ayush (togetherness) in common struggle, the return of refugees in massive numbers – and inside Israel moving beyond apartheid ethnocracy and its oligarchy.

With the passing of Abu Ammar, heavy pressure will be brought to bear by the Israeli political and economic oligarchy, Washington and the EU to impose a bourgeois leadership on the Palestinians that can be 'controlled' by Israel and the Euro-Atlantic power axis. And for those installed ‘compliant’ leaders to agree to some kind of Israel-dominated Palestinian Bantustan, a hodgepodge of enclaves, behind a Great Wall and a high Gaza fence: the 0.5-state solution.The Palestinian refugees will continue to rot in their camps, half a nation in limbo with nowhere to go. Israel itself, through settlement policy, has destroyed the geographic basis for any viable two-state solution.

Some of us in the Association for One Democratic State in Palestine/Israel are pressing for a mass non-violent movement toward a single democratic state, a “politics from below” for a sustainable just future for Israelis and Palestinians, forging bonds of ta’ayush (togetherness) in common struggle, the return of refugees in massive numbers – and inside Israel moving beyond apartheid ethnocracy and its oligarchy. The Association has a growing membership of Arabs, Palestinians, Israeli Jews, Americans, Canadians, Europeans. Antiauthoritarians, Greens and progressives of all persuasions should get behind this as a longer-term radical democratic goal. We welcome input from Ireland. Join the Association. See Sami Aldeeb’s statement below.

Nonetheless, over the shorter term I would argue pragmatism, or a kind of utopian realism: press now for the ‘best deal’ option for a Palestinian statelet, even with rigged elections under Occupation and a puppet comprador leadership -- recognizing that such a Palestinian 0.5-state engineered by Israeli nationalists, international Capital and its oligarchies is a short-term compromise and not a lasting solution. Yet a desperately needed space for Palestinians in which to breathe from the Ihtilal (the Suffocation, the Palestinian term for the Occupation) and its orchestrated nightmare.

The primary aim over the longer haul is to build a popular non-violent movement in the puppet enclaves of Palestine and inside Israel, developing direct action to regain the commons (see http://www.onestruggle.org ) and activate the populace, Palestinian and Israeli, for a totally transformed radically democratic, non-national and secular single state to come.

If we want to grow grassroots direct democracy, that path cannot run through conventional ballot-box electoralism. It will spring from mass and massive unity of purpose and action. Working in stages over say 15 years: from two (or 1.5) states to one state and on to 'no state' - - forward to a Cooperative Socialist Commonwealth of Canaan in federation with a radically democratized Jordan.

++++++++++++

Association for One Democratic State in Palestine/Israel 12 November 2004

While the Palestinians mourn their leader Yasser Arafat, our Association invites all of you to work for peace and to end the sufferings in Palestine/Israel.

The only way to reach peace is to establish justice, for all, regardless of their religion. 2700 years ago, Prophet Isaiah said: "Peace will be the fruit of justice" (32:17).

The creation of two states in Palestine/Israel as proposed today means the negation of the right of the Palestinian refugees to return home. Besides the fact that such a negation is a violation of human rights, the proposed solution will never achieve peace. It will only encourage fundamentalism, provoke permanent conflict between the two peoples, and perpetuate sufferings.

Our Association is convinced that the only way to reach peace is to create One Democratic State in Palestine/Israel, with equal rights and duties for all the inhabitants of this region, including the Palestinian refugees who must have the right to return home. Our solution helps to resolve not only the refugees' problem, but also the Jewish settlements, as the Jews inside the proposed State will be able to live wherever they like.

Therefore, we invite you to bury once and for all the plans aiming to create two states, including the Geneva Initiative, the Road Map and the Oslo Accords, and to work for the creation of one democratic state in Palestine/Israel.

Sami Aldeeb
Chairman
Association for One Democratic State in Palestine/Israel
http://www.one-democratic-state.org

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Comments (9 of 9)

hmmmm?

by TheTroll

Sun Nov 21, 2004 04:26

How can Palestine be liberated if the Zionist crusaders do not get out? Zionists and thier enablers promote Vichi Palestine, not peace. And why do so many people say that the liberation of palestine would be bad because the murderous thieving ZIonist crusaders would have to leave?

Tell us why the Zionist crusaders have a right to stay.

barak bollocks

by kintama

Sat Nov 20, 2004 23:28

I dont want to bore everyone with the wealth of evidence that what has been suggested by RP is exactly not what was 'promised' by Barak .
RP could nt give a shit about a viable Palestinian state as his/her ignorant support for a wall which deliberately violates the territory of such a state clearly demonstrates
the wall like the occupation is illegal and it is the contemptuous disregard by the US of international law which has stopped the creation of a two state solution accepted by Arafat

What "one state solution" actually means

by righteous pragmatist

Sat Nov 20, 2004 19:19

When Palestinians mean by the "destruction of the State of Israel" they mean just that
- they want all the six million plus Israelis to get out and the return of millions of their own people to take their place.

I support the existence of a Palestinian state comprising of Gaza and the West Bank with Jerusalem shared between Israelis and the Palestinians and dismantlement of the Jewish settlements - that is exactly what Ehud Barak promised in 2000 before Yasser Arafat rejected this plan sparking the current intifada.

Now Ariel Sharon has recognised the wisdom of this plan- he has pushed for the end of the Jewish settlements the withdrawl from the West Bank and Gaza and the erection of the security wall to defend the state of Israel from destruction.

While the Palestinians continue to use terror and advocate the end of Israel - no peace can exist.

Hopefully the new leaders of the PA will change their approach and wrestle control away from the Islamic extremeists by what ever means necessary

What Palestinians need is democracy and freedom before they can begin the revival of their economy- this is impossible while their country is in the grip of Islamic extremism and terrorists.

I hope one day the states of Israel and Palestine can live side by side in peace.

But this can not come about while other states such as Syria and Saudi Arabia continue to fund terrorist organisations and Iran's mullahs threaten to attack with nuclear weapons.

The single state solution is a delusion.

enablers suck

Mon Nov 15, 2004 16:15

I do not hate Jews. I hate murderous thieves. I hate institutional injustices.

If you hate nazis because they are German, then you are prejudiced. Hating Nazis because the Nazis were also murderous thieves is not prejudiced, but an informed position to take.

If you hate Zionist crusaders because they are Jews, then you are prejudiced. But, in addition to ZIonist crusaders being Jews, Zionist crusaders are 4 generations of murderous thieves, who have never stopped stealing palestinian lands and who have never hesitated to MURDER the Palestinians who resist (or are just in the wrong place, as defined by the murderouas thieving Zionist crusaders). If you do not hate the murderous thieving ZIonist crusaders just because they are Jews, and compleatly ignore that they are also murderous thieves, then the prejudice is on your side of the table.

But as long as you enabler types keep pushing the Zionist's alleged "birthright" of murderous theft, and scapegoating the Palestinian victims of the ZIonist's continuing, never ending offenses, then ZIonists are not going to think twice about gunning down more little Palestinian kids. ZIonists do NOT have ANY "birthright" of murderous theft of ANY portion of the Palestinian's homeland. If they did have such a "birthright" we would have heard it by now.

But you keep scapegoating others as you keep pushing your idea that Zionists being Jews gives them a "birthright" of murderous theft. I'm sure that there are people who will buy into your delusions.

you got nothing but your own prejudices

Mon Nov 15, 2004 07:53

It is always someone else's prejudices, isn't it. Is it never your's?

Always attacking the messanger, rather than the message. But that is understandable. You CAN"T attack the message. ZIonists have NO "birthright" of murderous theft of Palestinian lands. if they did, you would have told it to us by now. But you run away from the real world issues, and retreat into demensia. pathetic. Oh well, at lest you showcased how little you have to say. Thanks for making your rant so prejudiced and vacant of substance. It makes this so easy.

what's wrong, troll?

by eastern eye

Sun Nov 14, 2004 18:03

some jewish boy pushed u at school when u were little?
ur teacher forced u to study about the holocaust instead of playing football?
ur mother didn't like u enough?
ur jewish brother in law is an ars-hole?
what?
split it up, troll.
tell us about ur problems, what makes u hate so much.

Zionism is still murdrous theft

Sun Nov 14, 2004 16:57

Or, the Zionists can end thier bloodsoaked crusade, get out of all of Palestine, and never torment the Palestinians again. And if the Palestinians want to form a democracy to govern thier homeland after thier homeland is liberated from the murderous thieving ZIonist crusaders, then that is thier business, and nobody elses.

"former enemies"??? got your blinders on, do you? ZIonists are still 4 generations of murderous thieves who are still occupying the Palestinian's homeland and still stealing more and more Palestinian lands and do not hesitate to MURDER the Palestinians who resist. That makes the Zionist crusaders curent enemies of the Palestinians. Just as Nazis occupying thier enighbor's homelands made them enemies of thier neighbors.

And interloaper appeasment and support of the ZIonist's bloodsoaked crusade by western power brokers doesn't change a damned thing. ZIonism is murderous theft, with appeasment. The murderous thieving ZIonist crusaders have no business being in Palestine at all. Even if you are so prejudiced as to think ZIonists do have a "birthright" of murderous theft of Palestinian lands.

why not one democratic state of greek and turky?

Sun Nov 14, 2004 15:34

Surely the former enemies will be able to live together.
Come on, people!
There couldn't be one state for 2 nations. Not under democrathy. Under totalitrism - yes. See former Yoguslavia. how well they handled together under communism, and how bad they dealed as soon as it ended.
See former Czechoslovakia. they splited very fast (in a peacful way) as soon as communism was over.
see Lebanon. is that what u want?
No one wants one state for all. not Israelis nor Palestinians.

One demopcratic state for England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales

by Mike

Sat Nov 13, 2004 22:04

What IS this idea they should be separate countries except outmoded anti-democratic nationalism. On person one vote is the way to go. Why should the people of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales have a more valuable vote than the people of metropolitan London.
I am joking of course, but seriuous in wishing you to realize that such "solutions" such as the one proposed above always look more appealing when applied to people other than oneself.

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One Democratic State in Israel/Palestine

Comments (9 of 9)