'Just World News' with Helena Cobban: IPS analysis on re-emergence of one-state idea

'Just World News' with Helena Cobban Info, analysis, discussion-- to build a more just world
« Laila el-Haddad's Palestinian Passover story \| JWN front page \| Why A Military? » IPS analysis on re-emergence of one-state idea Posted by Helena Cobban April 11, 2009 5:07 AM EST \| Link Filed in Palestine 2009 , Writing and publishing ... It came out yesterday here. Also archived here. My own main position on one state vs. two states is one of agnosticism. Not least because I'm not a direct stakeholder. Direct stakeholders are around six million Jewish Israelis and more than 10 million ethnic Palestinians-- 1.2 million in Israel, four million in the occupied territories, and more than five million in the ghurba (exile/diaspora.) No democrat can sustain the position that the "vote" of a Jewish Israeli in this central matter ought to count more than that of a Palestinian. The next political challenge for Palestinians, as I see it, is really to get the diaspora Palestinians (re-) organized and mobilized politically in pursuit of their rights. Starting with, fundamentally, their right to have a say on their nation's future, after many years of success in the project to disenfranchise them completely. (As I've argued for some years now.) Oslo was a deep stab in the back for them. « Laila el-Haddad's Palestinian Passover story \| JWN front page \| Why A Military? » Comments Comment from... IrishQuaker, at April 11, 2009 10:05 AM: Sadly, unless the US can persuade (by financial and military support means) Israel to give up most of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, a one state solution is the best long term hope, albeit a terrible situation for those that wish to see a democratic majority Jewish state remain. The current speeding up of the E1 plan in East Jerusalem and increase in house demolitions does not bode well for a two state solution. And please contributors, no repeat of the fables of Barak's "generous offer" which left Palestinians with no security and no control of their air space or border with Jordan. Today, I read of a number of Irish aid consignments which Egypt is not allowing into Gaza. Egypt it seems has to ask Israel permission to allow them into Gaza through Rafah. Good luck to the FreeGaza flotilla next month. Comment from... JamesL, at April 11, 2009 10:48 AM: 1) Eight Minnesota protestors to the RNC are being charged as terrorists. 2) Organizations of Palestinian will tend to be seen (publically or secretly) by US "authorities" as having terrorist ties, and therefore as terrorist in nature. Helen, I would guess that any American citizen assisting the organizing of the Palestinian diaspora will be definitely judged guilty until proven bankrupt and broken. Your suggestion that the Palestinian diaspora organize is a practical, human, rational, democratic idea. It is also counter to US policy, and now US law, which is vague in its jurisdictional limitations, authoritarian, anti-democratic, and militaristic. I would like to believe that more and more Americans are realizing that we must make some significant changes in national policy and our personal decisions to responsibly enter the future. But the fact that US gun purchases are up 25% informs me that the US is more likely to enter the future seeing red and charging blindly ahead with a full clip and a "Yeehaw!", with nary a "thee" or a "thou" in sight. Comment from... Don Bacon, at April 11, 2009 11:45 AM: The latest news is that the MN terrorism charges will be dropped. http://minnesotaindependent.com/31596/breaking-terrorism-charges-against-rnc-eight-will-be-dropped Comment from... bb, at April 11, 2009 09:21 PM: I sympathise with the point you are making about the diaspora Palestinians Helena - I always found Said very persuasive on the issue in the 90s - but I wonder how many of the Palestinian disapora really care? They don't seem to have any spokespeople demanding they be taken into account? Nor does Hamas ever invoke them that much, and Abbas and the PA don't? Their situation only ever seems to come up when the issue of "right of return" is raised. But it seems increasingly evident that that issue is just used by all sides to delay a final status settlement that none of them want yet? The diaspora being what it always has been - an empty political football? Comment from... Jack, at April 12, 2009 01:26 AM: I believe that Israel has spoken in the last election and chosen a single state solution - the apartheid state. Netanyahu's talk about "economic progress"is simply a code for no political rights, civil rights or even human rights for Palestinians now or ever. The Palestinian diaspora is simply irrelevant. Netanyahu and Lieberman offer the Palestinians the opportunity for an economic life marinally better than that available in other Arab countries in exchange for submission to the Jewish state with no political rights for Palestinians. At least until they can provoke an outburst of rebellion which they hope will get the international community to go along with the final solution of "transfer." I think they are whistling in the dark, but on the other hand, this zioinist plan has been very successful so far. Comment from... Salah, at April 13, 2009 06:01 AM: Day in the Southern West Bank Intern in Israel has made a trip to the West Bank: “ what shocked me most was how heavy the Israeli military influence was inside of the West Bank and how large some of the Jewish settlements are. The areas where Palestinians actually have “full” control are very small.” Comment: Let see Hasbarah what they think here!!! Comment from... Salah, at April 13, 2009 06:14 AM: Day in West Bank Comment from... vadim, at April 13, 2009 12:03 PM: Day in the Southern West Bank Thank you Salah I don't trust Israeli sources or references. Comment from... bb, at April 15, 2009 06:11 AM: I note that nobody has come up with a link to show ONE Palestinian diaspora leader who cares to speak for them? Why is this so? Is Helena their only spokesperson? If so, why?	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IPS analysis on re-emergence of one-state idea

Posted by Helena Cobban
April 11, 2009 5:07 AM EST | Link
Filed in Palestine 2009 , Writing and publishing

... It came out yesterday here. Also archived here.

My own main position on one state vs. two states is one of agnosticism. Not least because I'm not a direct stakeholder. Direct stakeholders are around six million Jewish Israelis and more than 10 million ethnic Palestinians-- 1.2 million in Israel, four million in the occupied territories, and more than five million in the ghurba (exile/diaspora.)

No democrat can sustain the position that the "vote" of a Jewish Israeli in this central matter ought to count more than that of a Palestinian.

The next political challenge for Palestinians, as I see it, is really to get the diaspora Palestinians (re-) organized and mobilized politically in pursuit of their rights. Starting with, fundamentally, their right to have a say on their nation's future, after many years of success in the project to disenfranchise them completely. (As I've argued for some years now.)

Oslo was a deep stab in the back for them.

Comments

Comment from... IrishQuaker, at April 11, 2009 10:05 AM:

Sadly, unless the US can persuade (by financial and military support means) Israel to give up most of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, a one state solution is the best long term hope, albeit a terrible situation for those that wish to see a democratic majority Jewish state remain.

The current speeding up of the E1 plan in East Jerusalem and increase in house demolitions does not bode well for a two state solution.

And please contributors, no repeat of the fables of Barak's "generous offer" which left Palestinians with no security and no control of their air space or border with Jordan.

Today, I read of a number of Irish aid consignments which Egypt is not allowing into Gaza.
Egypt it seems has to ask Israel permission to allow them into Gaza through Rafah. Good luck to the FreeGaza flotilla next month.

Comment from... JamesL, at April 11, 2009 10:48 AM:

1) Eight Minnesota protestors to the RNC are being charged as terrorists. 2) Organizations of Palestinian will tend to be seen (publically or secretly) by US "authorities" as having terrorist ties, and therefore as terrorist in nature. Helen, I would guess that any American citizen assisting the organizing of the Palestinian diaspora will be definitely judged guilty until proven bankrupt and broken. Your suggestion that the Palestinian diaspora organize is a practical, human, rational, democratic idea. It is also counter to US policy, and now US law, which is vague in its jurisdictional limitations, authoritarian, anti-democratic, and militaristic. I would like to believe that more and more Americans are realizing that we must make some significant changes in national policy and our personal decisions to responsibly enter the future. But the fact that US gun purchases are up 25% informs me that the US is more likely to enter the future seeing red and charging blindly ahead with a full clip and a "Yeehaw!", with nary a "thee" or a "thou" in sight.

Comment from... Don Bacon, at April 11, 2009 11:45 AM:

The latest news is that the MN terrorism charges will be dropped.
http://minnesotaindependent.com/31596/breaking-terrorism-charges-against-rnc-eight-will-be-dropped

Comment from... bb, at April 11, 2009 09:21 PM:

I sympathise with the point you are making about the diaspora Palestinians Helena - I always found Said very persuasive on the issue in the 90s - but I wonder how many of the Palestinian disapora really care? They don't seem to have any spokespeople demanding they be taken into account? Nor does Hamas ever invoke them that much, and Abbas and the PA don't?

Their situation only ever seems to come up when the issue of "right of return" is raised. But it seems increasingly evident that that issue is just used by all sides to delay a final status settlement that none of them want yet? The diaspora being what it always has been - an empty political football?

Comment from... Jack, at April 12, 2009 01:26 AM:

I believe that Israel has spoken in the last election and chosen a single state solution - the apartheid state. Netanyahu's talk about "economic progress"is simply a code for no political rights, civil rights or even human rights for Palestinians now or ever. The Palestinian diaspora is simply irrelevant. Netanyahu and Lieberman offer the Palestinians the opportunity for an economic life marinally better than that available in other Arab countries in exchange for submission to the Jewish state with no political rights for Palestinians. At least until they can provoke an outburst of rebellion which they hope will get the international community to go along with the final solution of "transfer." I think they are whistling in the dark, but on the other hand, this zioinist plan has been very successful so far.

Comment from... Salah, at April 13, 2009 06:01 AM:

Day in the Southern West Bank

Intern in Israel has made a trip to the West Bank: “ what shocked me most was how heavy the Israeli military influence was inside of the West Bank and how large some of the Jewish settlements are. The areas where Palestinians actually have “full” control are very small.”

Comment:
Let see Hasbarah what they think here!!!

Comment from... Salah, at April 13, 2009 06:14 AM:

Day in West Bank

Comment from... vadim, at April 13, 2009 12:03 PM:

Day in the Southern West Bank

Thank you Salah I don't trust Israeli sources or references.

Comment from... bb, at April 15, 2009 06:11 AM:

I note that nobody has come up with a link to show ONE Palestinian diaspora leader who cares to speak for them? Why is this so? Is Helena their only spokesperson? If so, why?