Haaretz
Who’s Afraid of a Binational State?
No
more stagnation. No more sitting on the fence. It’s time to roll back
our sleeves and start working, for us and for our children.
Musa Hasdeya 03.12.2015 04:13 Updated: 4:25 AM
For
many years Israeli politics has been struggling, zig-zagging and
fluctuating between two ideas to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
One is to establish a single binational state and the other is to
establish two states for two peoples. Each idea has enthusiastic
supporters and opponents, as well as those who recoil from both in
alarm. But in practice, neither idea is being advanced.
Until
recently I, too, believed in the two-states-for-two-nations solution.
But when I look around me, I see no chance of transition from the idea
stage to the implementation stage. So I want to call for the
binational-state solution, which I think is the most appropriate for the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Instead
of separating the land into two states, one state will be established
between the Jordan River and the sea, encompassing the territories of
Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. All the Arab and Jewish people
living in it will have equal citizenship and equal rights under one
combined entity. Some 6 million Jews and 5.5 million Palestinians live
between the river and the sea and I think they’ve all understood by now
that you cannot really divide the state. Not even Jerusalem/Al-Quds. All
the more so because Benjamin Netanyahu doesn’t really want to give the
Palestinians a state. So if this is the way things are, why not go all
the way?
When
400,000 settlers are setting the tone in the country and their
influence is much greater than their actual number, I realize there is
only one way to go. It won’t be easy, it won’t be acceptable to all and
it certainly won’t be simple, but we can no longer do nothing. The
existing situation is intolerable and the sizzling, raging flames will
burst in our face. So it’s in everyone’s interest – Jews and Arabs,
Israelis and Palestinians – to solve this mess as soon as possible.
One
state, two nations, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River. It
will be called Israel-Palestine. It will have an anthem, a flag and a
new parliament and its people will have equal civil rights, economic
equality and equal opportunity. They will all be able to live anywhere
and the state’s institutions will serve everyone. The prime minister can
be Jewish or Palestinian – it doesn’t matter as long as the system is
egalitarian.
I’m
not deluding myself – even if it works, and even if all the problems on
the way to the binational state are solved, other issues and
controversies will pop up. Israel was never short of divisions and
ruptures. But the important thing is that the state be social
democratic, not just nationalist. Does this sound like a pipe dream?
Maybe. But I believe it’s possible. An independent Palestinian state
doesn’t really have an economic raison d’etre and there’s no need for
one, either. Already most of the construction and industrial workers in
Israel are Palestinian. So let’s take it one step forward and make a
dream come true.
What
will we get out of it? The joint state will fulfill the Jews’ national
aspirations – the Greater Land of Israel and united Jerusalem. It will
also fulfil the Palestinians’ national aspirations – a state in the
whole territory of Palestine and the right of return. In fact, this is
already how things are, except for the fact that the Palestinians are
imprisoned in an apartheid regime. In view of this, the Palestinians too
will agree to a binational state.
It
is necessary to understand that the world won’t allow the existing
situation to last forever. Ultimately both sides will be compelled to
agree to a binational state solution. I want to live in this country and
in such a state. I know that in the past the prevalent opinion was that
the right solution is two states for two nations, but in our days this
solution is no longer on the agenda and is not really possible. In the
territories that Israel occupies many people are not represented and in
Israel itself there’s a growing minority – Israel’s Palestinian citizens
– that will probably support this solution.
Ultimately,
the two nations have a lot in common – religious roots, the Eastern
culture with prominent elements of the Arab world, music, cuisine and
tradition. So no more stagnation. No more sitting on the fence. It’s
time to roll back our sleeves and start working, for us and for our
children.
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