Public Meeting: Can Palestinians and Israelis Live in One State?

dublin | anti-war | event notice Wednesday February 03, 2010 15:33 by Kieran O'Sullivan - Irish Anti-War Movement

Start: 20/02/2010 - 14:00 End: 20/02/2010 - 17:00
Gresham Hotel, O’Connell Street, Dublin 1, Sat 20 Feb, 14:00

Israeli historian and author, Illan Pappe, Palestinian novelist Ghada Kharmi and Jewish socialist and author, John Rose, will share their views on an alternative strategy to finally achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians at a public meeting organised by the Irish Anti War Movement in February.

The public meeting at which these three articulate advocates of the “One-State” solution will speak is on Saturday February 20th at 2pm in the Gresham Hotel, O’Connell Street, Dublin

The horrific events in Gaza last year, which saw over 1,400 Palestinians killed, including more than 200 children, in a savage Israeli military assault, rightly shocked the world.

It provided a terrible reminder of the plight of the Palestinian people and the apparently endless conflict between Palestinians and the state of Israel.

A year on, despite a global public outcry, the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has not moved one step closer to a peaceful resolution.

The Israeli siege of Gaza - preventing vital humanitarian and reconstruction aid reaching its suffering population - continues.

The West Bank - where the majority of Palestinians live - remains under Israeli military occupation, surrounded by hundreds of kilometres of an 18-metre concrete wall, in what is effectively a giant open air prison.

Hundreds of thousands of Israeli settlers now occupy Palestinian land within the occupied territories and Palestinians are still regularly expelled from their homes to make way for more settlers.

The ever worsening situation is not simply a terrible humanitarian disaster but it also shows the utter failure of the supposed “peace” strategy pursued by the big western powers over the last 20 years.

Since the first Palestinian uprising (Intifada) in 1987, the US and western powers have championed the idea that peace can only be achieved by dividing Jews and Arabs into “two states”.

This “two-state” solution - formalised in the Oslo Peace accords (1996) - promised a “historic breakthrough” in the conflict.

Since then, despite numerous declarations, conferences and “road-maps”, the situation has not improved, it has worsened in every way: Almost 5000 Palestinians have been killed, including almost 1000 children and 31,000 have been maimed and injured.

Increasingly, Palestinians, Jewish peace activists in Israel, and others around the world are questioning whether, the “two-state” solution might be the problem, rather than the solution.

These voices say that the partition of Jews and Arabs in a “two-state” “peace” strategy, has inflamed religious and ethnic conflict, encouraged ethnic cleansing and guarantees a permanent state of war.

They say, that even in practical terms, with hundreds of thousands of Israelis living on Palestinian land, dividing these peoples into two separate states will be impossible.

A new coalition is emerging of Palestinians, Israelis and peace activists, calling for a “One-state” solution, where Israelis and Palestinians would live in one state, not based on religious or ethnic identity but on equal rights for all and one person one vote.

The Irish Anti-War Movement is privileged to host three of the most vocal and articulate advocates of the “One-State” solution at a public meeting on Saturday February 20th at 2pm in the Gresham Hotel, O’Connell Street Dublin

Israeli historian and author, Illan Pappe, Palestinian novelist Ghada Kharmi and Jewish socialist and author, John Rose, will share their views on an alternative strategy to finally achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians and Zoe Lawlor from the Free Gaza March, will also speak about her experience.

All are welcome to attend this important meeting. (Admission Free – Donations Welcome)