8 dec 2016
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With negotiations for a two state solution going nowhere, more Palestinians are calling for a single state solution.
TRNN transcript: YOUSEF ALHELOU, TRNN CORRESPONDENT, GAZA: Ever since the Israeli occupation of historic Palestine in 1948, the Palestinians, who are the natives of the land, have been struggling for self-determination, which entails the implementation of UN Resolution 194, which calls for the return of Palestinian refugees to the towns and homes from where they were kicked out in 1948 and the right to equality. For decades, efforts to bring about a two-state solution in historic Palestine |
have failed to provide justice and peace for the Palestinians. To date there is no sign that the Palestinian leadership can think beyond the two-state solution. The Palestinian leadership only referred to the one-state solution as a threat, a scarecrow to persuade the Israeli side that they should not abandon it.Yet the facts on the ground point to a very difficult reality.
Israel now controls 62 percent of the West Bank land and bisects it into several enclaves. The colonization process continues unabated, and to date Israel has resisted every call for a settlement based on a two-state solution. Despite this, the west has been extremely reluctant to press Israel. The vast majority of the Palestinians believe that the so-called peace talks between the Palestinian Authority and Israel failed to achieve the aspirations of the Palestinian people; nor has it recognized Palestinian national rights.
In light of the failure of the so-called peace process and the absence of any solution that brings about any just solution to the occupation of Palestine, the idea of a democratic secular state on the historic land of Palestine has resurfaced. There are now growing voices among Palestinians calling for a democratic secular state, elaborating that Israel does not have defined borders or a constitution.
HAIDAR EID, COFOUNDER, ONE DEMOCRATIC STATE GROUP: I think with the death of the two-state solution, there is a de facto one state on the historic land of Palestine. Israel has killed the two-state solution, rather, shot the two-state solution in the head, by expanding the existing settlements in the West Bank to include more than 40 percent of the land of the West Bank.
Israel has actually increased the number of settlers in the West Bank. The one-state solution is a generous compromise offered by the colonized, the oppressed Palestinians to the oppressor and the colonizer.I think a new strategy needs to be adopted by the leadership of the Palestinian people, whether it is the PLO or the Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and I think the leadership of the Palestinian people has to adopt a new program that calls for a secular democratic state for all the inhabitants of the land of Palestine, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, gender, etc.
I think this is the only just solution that can bring about to the Middle East. So the Palestinian people are supposed to come to the next step, which says goodbye to the two-state solution and welcomes a one-state solution which is an inclusive solution, whereas the two-state solution is an exclusive solution. Some Palestinians oppose the two-state solution, describing it is a racist solution, explaining that it is based on ethno-religious identities and it separates people based on their religion and their ethnicity.
ASAD ABU SHAREKH, AL-AZHAR UNIVERSITY: Two-state solution is sort of a settlement. But one-state solution is a solution, a proper solution for everybody. This is because this is human, democratic, legal, rightful, and this is going to be a panacea for the Palestine problem. That is to say, it’s going to be a solution, the best solution, the solution for the problem, where all Palestinians, whether they are Arabs, Jews, Christians, Muslims, of different shapes, spectrums, religions, ethnic background, they can live in peace and harmony and democracy in one state with equal rights.
JAMEEL MEZHER, POPULAR FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE (VOICEOVER TRANSL.): I think the one-state solution can be achieved on the ground, but this option needs to be studied and discussed nationally among all Palestinians and among all regional Arab states. We call for this solution, a democratic secular state for all its citizens, but I think the two-state solution has reached a deadlock and did not achieve any breakthrough and has no horizon in the future. Israel is a terrorist state based on racism, so we need to adapt to a new strategy to achieve this goal.
FAYEZ ABU AEITA, FATAH SPOKESPERSON: The two-state solution is the current choice at this stage. The United Nations has recognized Palestine. Therefore we need to embody this recognition on the ground. In light of the stumble of peace talks and the Israeli stance to end the two-state solution, the Palestinian leadership and the Palestinian people are seeking to embed their existence, especially in the West Bank.
ALHELOU: Despite the fact that Israelis see a one-state solution as a demographic threat that would overturn the prevailing Jewish majority within Israel, very few voices from Israel believe in the one-state solution.
MIKO PELED, AUTHOR: Most Jewish people never supported Israel and never came to Israel. Even after the Nazi Holocaust, most Jewish people chose not to go to Israel, because why go from one racist state to another racist state. Israel has always been a racist state. It’s always had racists laws. It’s a terrorist state that has carried the mission of ethnic cleansing in Palestine through terrorism, through terrorizing an entire population. Palestinians have never been a threat. They’ve never had an army. So this is–you know, the security excuse is really nonsense, so it’s just not true.
ALHELOU: The Real News talked to Palestinian activists about their opinion. They said that there are principal reasons as to why the one-state solution is the way forward, such as the right of return and equality.
AYAH BASHIR, ACTIVIST-ONE DEMOCRATIC STATE GROUP: On the ground, we do not see that there is a practical achievement of the two-state solution. Actually what we are seeing is just a kingdom of illusions, talking about Gaza being besieged and being isolated from the other world, talking about the West Bank even being cut down into Bantustans with more than 600 check points.
YOUSEF ALJAMAL, ACTIVIST: I support one-state solution because it guarantees the return of Palestinian refugees to their villages in 1948. Two-state solution was born dead with colonies in the West Bank, land confiscation, the wall, settlements everywhere. It’s no longer valid and it will not be implemented.
ALHELOU: Many here say that the international efforts to implement a two-state solution cannot conceal the fact that a Palestinian state is not viable and that Palestinian and Israeli Jewish independence in separate states cannot resolve fundamental injustices, the acknowledgment and redress of which are at the core of any just solution. Yousef Alhelou, for the Real News, Gaza.
EndDISCLAIMER: Please note that transcripts for The Real News Network are typed from a recording of the program. TRNN cannot guarantee their complete accuracy.
Also from TRNN — 09/06/16 “Israeli Activist: No Difference Between Democrats and Republicans on Israel”
Israel now controls 62 percent of the West Bank land and bisects it into several enclaves. The colonization process continues unabated, and to date Israel has resisted every call for a settlement based on a two-state solution. Despite this, the west has been extremely reluctant to press Israel. The vast majority of the Palestinians believe that the so-called peace talks between the Palestinian Authority and Israel failed to achieve the aspirations of the Palestinian people; nor has it recognized Palestinian national rights.
In light of the failure of the so-called peace process and the absence of any solution that brings about any just solution to the occupation of Palestine, the idea of a democratic secular state on the historic land of Palestine has resurfaced. There are now growing voices among Palestinians calling for a democratic secular state, elaborating that Israel does not have defined borders or a constitution.
HAIDAR EID, COFOUNDER, ONE DEMOCRATIC STATE GROUP: I think with the death of the two-state solution, there is a de facto one state on the historic land of Palestine. Israel has killed the two-state solution, rather, shot the two-state solution in the head, by expanding the existing settlements in the West Bank to include more than 40 percent of the land of the West Bank.
Israel has actually increased the number of settlers in the West Bank. The one-state solution is a generous compromise offered by the colonized, the oppressed Palestinians to the oppressor and the colonizer.I think a new strategy needs to be adopted by the leadership of the Palestinian people, whether it is the PLO or the Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and I think the leadership of the Palestinian people has to adopt a new program that calls for a secular democratic state for all the inhabitants of the land of Palestine, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, gender, etc.
I think this is the only just solution that can bring about to the Middle East. So the Palestinian people are supposed to come to the next step, which says goodbye to the two-state solution and welcomes a one-state solution which is an inclusive solution, whereas the two-state solution is an exclusive solution. Some Palestinians oppose the two-state solution, describing it is a racist solution, explaining that it is based on ethno-religious identities and it separates people based on their religion and their ethnicity.
ASAD ABU SHAREKH, AL-AZHAR UNIVERSITY: Two-state solution is sort of a settlement. But one-state solution is a solution, a proper solution for everybody. This is because this is human, democratic, legal, rightful, and this is going to be a panacea for the Palestine problem. That is to say, it’s going to be a solution, the best solution, the solution for the problem, where all Palestinians, whether they are Arabs, Jews, Christians, Muslims, of different shapes, spectrums, religions, ethnic background, they can live in peace and harmony and democracy in one state with equal rights.
JAMEEL MEZHER, POPULAR FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE (VOICEOVER TRANSL.): I think the one-state solution can be achieved on the ground, but this option needs to be studied and discussed nationally among all Palestinians and among all regional Arab states. We call for this solution, a democratic secular state for all its citizens, but I think the two-state solution has reached a deadlock and did not achieve any breakthrough and has no horizon in the future. Israel is a terrorist state based on racism, so we need to adapt to a new strategy to achieve this goal.
FAYEZ ABU AEITA, FATAH SPOKESPERSON: The two-state solution is the current choice at this stage. The United Nations has recognized Palestine. Therefore we need to embody this recognition on the ground. In light of the stumble of peace talks and the Israeli stance to end the two-state solution, the Palestinian leadership and the Palestinian people are seeking to embed their existence, especially in the West Bank.
ALHELOU: Despite the fact that Israelis see a one-state solution as a demographic threat that would overturn the prevailing Jewish majority within Israel, very few voices from Israel believe in the one-state solution.
MIKO PELED, AUTHOR: Most Jewish people never supported Israel and never came to Israel. Even after the Nazi Holocaust, most Jewish people chose not to go to Israel, because why go from one racist state to another racist state. Israel has always been a racist state. It’s always had racists laws. It’s a terrorist state that has carried the mission of ethnic cleansing in Palestine through terrorism, through terrorizing an entire population. Palestinians have never been a threat. They’ve never had an army. So this is–you know, the security excuse is really nonsense, so it’s just not true.
ALHELOU: The Real News talked to Palestinian activists about their opinion. They said that there are principal reasons as to why the one-state solution is the way forward, such as the right of return and equality.
AYAH BASHIR, ACTIVIST-ONE DEMOCRATIC STATE GROUP: On the ground, we do not see that there is a practical achievement of the two-state solution. Actually what we are seeing is just a kingdom of illusions, talking about Gaza being besieged and being isolated from the other world, talking about the West Bank even being cut down into Bantustans with more than 600 check points.
YOUSEF ALJAMAL, ACTIVIST: I support one-state solution because it guarantees the return of Palestinian refugees to their villages in 1948. Two-state solution was born dead with colonies in the West Bank, land confiscation, the wall, settlements everywhere. It’s no longer valid and it will not be implemented.
ALHELOU: Many here say that the international efforts to implement a two-state solution cannot conceal the fact that a Palestinian state is not viable and that Palestinian and Israeli Jewish independence in separate states cannot resolve fundamental injustices, the acknowledgment and redress of which are at the core of any just solution. Yousef Alhelou, for the Real News, Gaza.
EndDISCLAIMER: Please note that transcripts for The Real News Network are typed from a recording of the program. TRNN cannot guarantee their complete accuracy.
Also from TRNN — 09/06/16 “Israeli Activist: No Difference Between Democrats and Republicans on Israel”
6 dec 2016
Fatah movement leader, Marwan al-Barghouthi, called on the Palestinian Authority (PA) to reconsider its duties which are supposed to be directed toward the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
In a statement reported by his lawyer, Barghouthi, who is held captive in Israeli jails, said that he will not deviate from his original political path and will continue his work toward achieving national unity and liberation.
He also expressed his satisfaction for winning the highest votes in the elections held by the Central Committee of Fatah movement, which concluded its seventh conference in Ramallah last Sunday.
Barghouthi said that electing him as a member in the Central Committee of Fatah movement shows Fatah members’ support for him.
Barghouthi, who is serving five life sentences in the Israeli jails after being detained in 2002, called on the PA to consolidate its relations with the Arab countries and the friendly western countries.
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, described Barghouthi as "a terrorist leader who encouraged terrorist operations," and considered his election as an incitement to hatred against Israel.
Barghouthi's wife, Fadwa al-Barghouti, said that her husband represents "a model of the revolutionary thought," pointing out that "Marwan al-Barghouti will be wherever the Palestinian people want him to be."
Last Sunday, Fatah movement concluded its seventh conference since it was founded in 1965, which lasted for 6 days. The conference basically aimed to reunite the movement and put an end to its internal disputes.
In a statement reported by his lawyer, Barghouthi, who is held captive in Israeli jails, said that he will not deviate from his original political path and will continue his work toward achieving national unity and liberation.
He also expressed his satisfaction for winning the highest votes in the elections held by the Central Committee of Fatah movement, which concluded its seventh conference in Ramallah last Sunday.
Barghouthi said that electing him as a member in the Central Committee of Fatah movement shows Fatah members’ support for him.
Barghouthi, who is serving five life sentences in the Israeli jails after being detained in 2002, called on the PA to consolidate its relations with the Arab countries and the friendly western countries.
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, described Barghouthi as "a terrorist leader who encouraged terrorist operations," and considered his election as an incitement to hatred against Israel.
Barghouthi's wife, Fadwa al-Barghouti, said that her husband represents "a model of the revolutionary thought," pointing out that "Marwan al-Barghouti will be wherever the Palestinian people want him to be."
Last Sunday, Fatah movement concluded its seventh conference since it was founded in 1965, which lasted for 6 days. The conference basically aimed to reunite the movement and put an end to its internal disputes.
4 dec 2016
The 15th Palestinians in Europe Conference is slated to take place on April 15, 2017 in the Dutch city of Rotterdam, according to its organizers.
In a brief statement on Saturday, the organizers said the conference would highlight the ill-famed Balfour declaration and its impacts on the Palestinian people, and confirm the Palestinian people’s adherence to their right of return.
They invited the Palestinians living in Europe and advocates of the Palestinian cause to participate in all events of the conference.
In a brief statement on Saturday, the organizers said the conference would highlight the ill-famed Balfour declaration and its impacts on the Palestinian people, and confirm the Palestinian people’s adherence to their right of return.
They invited the Palestinians living in Europe and advocates of the Palestinian cause to participate in all events of the conference.
3 dec 2016
A minor earthquake was felt on Friday morning near the Sea of Galilee in northern 1948 occupied Palestine.
An earthquake measuring 3.8 on the Richter scale was felt in the northern Galilee Friday morning, Israel's Geophysical Institute affirmed.
The Israeli institute said that the earthquake’s epicenter was about 5 kilometers north of the Sea of Galilee.
Israeli media sources said that no injuries or damages were reported.
An earthquake measuring 3.8 on the Richter scale was felt in the northern Galilee Friday morning, Israel's Geophysical Institute affirmed.
The Israeli institute said that the earthquake’s epicenter was about 5 kilometers north of the Sea of Galilee.
Israeli media sources said that no injuries or damages were reported.
Bad weather conditions have led to considerable material damage and disrupted life in Palestinian areas in the West Bank.
In Nablus and other surrounding towns, torrential rains swamped roads, leading to their closure, as well as several homes and stores.
A Palestinian Information Center (PIC) reporter said that rescue crews from the municipality and volunteers in Nablus intervened and managed to open some roads and provide assistance to citizens, whose homes and vehicles were flooded or surrounded by rain waters.
Several towns and hamlets in the central Jordan Valley near Nablus were also affected by the storm, especially in Ayn Shibli town and Furush Beit Dajan town.
Dozens of greenhouses and crops sustained damage from strong winds in Beit Dajan town, a local official told the PIC.
Rains also flooded sewage systems in Nablus and caused wastewater to overflow and dash into nearby areas, including Ayn Shibli town.
As a result, unpleasant odors spread in Ayn Shibli, amid fears that rains mixed with wastewater could flood manholes and enter homes.
Several homes were flooded as well in Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus, especially in al-Hashasheen neighborhood. Local volunteers provided help to families in affected homes.
In Ramallah, homes, stores, and vehicles and other properties were also affected by the storm and some of them sustained damage.
The storm also hit neighborhoods in Bethlehem city and other West Bank cities and caused floods in some areas.
In Nablus and other surrounding towns, torrential rains swamped roads, leading to their closure, as well as several homes and stores.
A Palestinian Information Center (PIC) reporter said that rescue crews from the municipality and volunteers in Nablus intervened and managed to open some roads and provide assistance to citizens, whose homes and vehicles were flooded or surrounded by rain waters.
Several towns and hamlets in the central Jordan Valley near Nablus were also affected by the storm, especially in Ayn Shibli town and Furush Beit Dajan town.
Dozens of greenhouses and crops sustained damage from strong winds in Beit Dajan town, a local official told the PIC.
Rains also flooded sewage systems in Nablus and caused wastewater to overflow and dash into nearby areas, including Ayn Shibli town.
As a result, unpleasant odors spread in Ayn Shibli, amid fears that rains mixed with wastewater could flood manholes and enter homes.
Several homes were flooded as well in Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus, especially in al-Hashasheen neighborhood. Local volunteers provided help to families in affected homes.
In Ramallah, homes, stores, and vehicles and other properties were also affected by the storm and some of them sustained damage.
The storm also hit neighborhoods in Bethlehem city and other West Bank cities and caused floods in some areas.
29 nov 2016
After a two-year delay, Fateh’s seventh congress kicked off in Ramallah, today, where the movement has re-elected President Mahmoud Abbas to a new five-year term.
Abbas said that 60 delegations from 28 countries will be joining the conference tonight.
Party official Salim Zanoun asked the gathering Monday to elect Abbas “by consensus.”
Hundreds of delegates stood up and applauded Abbas, who then hugged Zanoun, AP reported, according to the PNN.
The five-day conference is expected to cement Abbas’ control of Fateh and lock out his chief rival, the exiled Mohamed Dahlan.
Abbas said that 60 delegations from 28 countries will be joining the conference tonight.
Party official Salim Zanoun asked the gathering Monday to elect Abbas “by consensus.”
Hundreds of delegates stood up and applauded Abbas, who then hugged Zanoun, AP reported, according to the PNN.
The five-day conference is expected to cement Abbas’ control of Fateh and lock out his chief rival, the exiled Mohamed Dahlan.
22 nov 2016
The Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee (Third Committee) of the United Nations, on Monday, voted overwhelmingly in favor of the right of Palestinian self-determination.
According to Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency, the vote saw 170 countries voting in favor, while seven countries voted against, including Canada, the United, States, Israel, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, and Palau. Five other countries abstained from voting.
The UN vote re-institutes the right of the Palestinian people for self-determination, including their right for having an independent State of Palestine.
The vote also urges all countries, United Nations organizations and other competent authorities to continue in supporting the Palestinian people in their struggle for independence.
Following the vote, the Senior Advisor to the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations, Nadya Rasheed, said that the international support for this resolution sends a clear message to the Israeli state with the need to end its discriminatory policies and violations against the Palestinian people, and its refusal to resolve the two state solution.
According to Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency, the vote saw 170 countries voting in favor, while seven countries voted against, including Canada, the United, States, Israel, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, and Palau. Five other countries abstained from voting.
The UN vote re-institutes the right of the Palestinian people for self-determination, including their right for having an independent State of Palestine.
The vote also urges all countries, United Nations organizations and other competent authorities to continue in supporting the Palestinian people in their struggle for independence.
Following the vote, the Senior Advisor to the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations, Nadya Rasheed, said that the international support for this resolution sends a clear message to the Israeli state with the need to end its discriminatory policies and violations against the Palestinian people, and its refusal to resolve the two state solution.