Being the indigenous people of historic Palestine, the Palestinians have experienced all the suffering and paid the ultimate price a a result of an Israeli occupation since 1948 and 1967 (not even counting their struggle for self-rule under the British Mandate). So, they are in the best position to make the ultimate sacrifice and to propose the mother of all solutions: The One-State solution. No occupying power is capable of such a sacrifice or have that courage to promote it. An occupier has nothing to promote and has nothing to compromise with; hence he has no offer to make. The occupier may have the ultimate military power, but those occupied have the ultimate moral power.

Dr Bisharat writes of the recent whispered proposals emanating from some individuals within the right wing Israeli leadership calling for the annexation of the whole of the West Bank (and Jerusalem) and ‘granting’ Israeli citizenship to the occupied Palestinian people within the OPT (but not to Gazans) who will then have to swear allegiance to Israel as “a Jewish State” thus formalising a cruel Apartheid regime. This sole declaration would certainly eliminate, in one illegal stroke, the right of all Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland.

Whilst Dr Bisharat describes this flirtatious approach by some of the Israeli Right as “healthy”, we see it as nothing but the prelude to a formal Apartheid regime in the guise of a fake democracy. Still, not even an Israeli de Klerk could get away with it.

Historic Palestine, as noted by Dr Bisharat, is already a ‘de-facto’ single country completely occupied by the Israeli military machine. This ‘de-facto’ country happens to suffer from the worst system of segregation in the world today: exclusive rights for Jews only; exclusive roads for Jewish settlers only; exclusive zones for Jewish immigrants only; exclusive protective laws for Jewish citizenry only. If onyl, in this annexed state, could could Jews drive once on Palestinian roads, pass once through a West Bank checkpoint or stand one minute infront of their home and see it demolished, then they will know that by offering them a One-State, free and democratic, the Palestinians are offering peace and tranquility for them and their future generations. The only strings attached here are: democracy, justice and equal rights for all.

The latest theatre of the absurd being played in Washington now and in historic Palestine over the next year will certainly shut down before the first performance ends. Unless, of course, the writer and the script are replaced.

Antoine Raffoul
Co-ordinator
1948.LEST.WE.FORGET

I’m surprised and disappointed that the campaign to free Marwan Barghouti hasn’t developed more momentum. Of course, he is but one of many thousands of political prisoners in Israel today.

Likewise, it’s astonishing the demand for Mordechai Vanunu’s full release hasn’t yet become too defeaning to ignore. The ongoing limitations on his freedom are an insult to peace activists everywhere.