Below is a Call from the One Democratic State Campaign (ODSC) -- a Palestinian-led organization in Palestine -- for the establishment of a single democratic state of equal rights for all its citizens (including Palestinian refugees and their family who choose to come home). It notes that a single state already exists de facto between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, an apartheid "greater" Israel, poised to annex large parts of the West Bank in July, with American support. (Palestinian East Jerusalem was annexed years ago.)
The task of anyone concerned not only with justice and peace in Palestine but the stabilization, democratization & development of the Middle East region is clear: transforming the apartheid regime imposed by Israel into a democratic state belonging to all its citizens. The two-state solution is clearly dead (it never was alive, but at least annexation has finally buried it so we can all move on); apartheid is unacceptable (to everyone except the Israeli Jewish majority); the ONLY way out is.... a democracy. Is that really such a scary prospect?
The ODSC Call is to all of us. It recognizes that governments are not on the side of justice. As in South Africa, a world-wide civil society campaign is called for. This Call is to begin to mobilize us behind an endgame. Please circulate it -- to journalists and the media within your community, and especially to political and activist groups supportive of Palestinian rights. BDS and other campaigns are important, but they’re only effective as political instruments to the degree they are connected to a political program. Given the urgency of the situation, it is insufficient to support Palestinian rights without advocating for a political program.
Please circulate this Call. Let's start mobilizing!
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April 29, 2020
A CALL AGAINST APARTHEID OVER PALESTINE; ONE DEMOCRACY FOR ALL
Israel is racing to complete its project of institutionalizing a colonial apartheid regime over all of historic Palestine. The next step is planned for July, when the coalition government of Benjamin Netanyahu intends to formally annex large swathes of the West Bank. The expansion of Israel onto 85% of historic Palestine leaves the Palestinian majority imprisoned in dozens of impoverished enclaves on just 15% of the land, under permanent Israeli rule, bereft of any civil or national rights. This is apartheid, pure and simple.
Having “given” occupied East Jerusalem to the Israelis, Trump’s “Deal of the Century” allows Israel to take possession of the rest of the West Bank. Israel’s unilateral annexation of its massive settlement blocs has been waiting on a green light from the Trump Administration, the only international authority Israel cares about. In a public statement on April 21st, American Secretary of State Pompeo gave that green light. “As for the annexation of the West Bank,” he said in a public statement, “the Israelis will ultimately make those decisions. That’s an Israeli decision.”
A single apartheid state already exists de facto between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River: Israel. There is only one possible response, one “solution,” one way out. That is to replace the apartheid regime with a democratic state of equal rights for all its inhabitants, including the returning refugees.
We call on you, the people of the world, to support our struggle for democracy in historic Palestine. Our vision is a democracy that will give all the inhabitants of our country equal rights, will finally bring home the refugees and will respect the cultures, religions and identities of all the peoples that comprise our society – a return to the tolerant multi-culturalism long characterizing the Arab world, the Middle East, and Palestine in particular.
Governments, unfortunately, are not the friends of peoples struggling for their rights. We, Palestinians and progressive Israeli Jews alike, call on you, the international civil society, to mobilize in support of a democratic state between the River and Sea. True solidarity with the Palestinian people means supporting a political program that liberates historic Palestine from colonialism, occupation and apartheid – a democratic state for all between the River and the Sea, and a return of the refugees. Raise your voices against apartheid! Support our struggle for liberation, democracy and peace for all!
One Democratic State Campaign (ODSC)
Contact: contact@onestatecampaign.org