On The Israeli Right’s New ’Peace’ Agenda

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"Information Clearing House" —

As the Israelis are becoming conscious of their inevitable tragic circumstances, a final desperate attempt to rescue the Zionist project has come to life. Astonishingly enough it is the Israeli right that is now pushing for ‘one binational State.’ It is pretty staggering to find out that while the Israeli so-called ‘left’ is locked within the 1967 territorial paradigm that is fueled by Judeo centric racial ideology, it is actually the hawkish Zionist thinkers who are willing to move the discourse forward.

In a mind provoking piece Noam Sheizaf outlines in Haaretz the new revolutionary Israeli idea. However, I will maintain at this stage that the new Zionist call for ‘one binational state’ suggests that Zionist ideology is on its last leg. Israel has come to realise its inevitable end. And amidst its terminal conditions Israel tries to buy time.

Israel should apply its law to “Judea and Samaria and grant citizenship to 1.5 million Palestinians,” says Moshe Arens, a former Israeli defense minister, a top leader in the Likud party and a political patron of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Arens is not put off by those who slander him for promoting the idea of a binational Jewish-Palestinian state. "We are already a binational state," he says.

This approach is now being advocated by leading figures in the Likud and amongst the settlers. A year ago, Uri Elitzur, former chairman of the Yesha Council of Settlements and Netanyahu’s bureau chief in his first term as prime minister, published an article in the settlers’ journal Nekuda calling for the onset of a process, at the conclusion of which the (West Bank) Palestinians will have "a blue ID card (like Israelis), yellow license plates (like Israelis), National Insurance and the right to vote for the Knesset." Emily Amrousi, a former spokesperson for the Yesha Council, also takes part in meetings between settlers and Palestinians and speaks explicitly of "one land in which the children of settlers and the children of Palestinians will be bused to school together."

This Zionist political novelty doesn’t take me by complete surprise. Unlike the Jewish left that is tribally orientated both in Israel and in the West, the right wing Zionist philosophy was grounded on a dream of an eternal bond between the Jew and the alleged ‘promised land’. In Zion the Jew was supposed to transcend oneself beyond the race and the tribe. Israel was there to demolish the ghetto wall. As it happened, in practice, Israel had become the biggest ghetto in Jewish history.

However, there is a clear trap here. As much as the peace loving Zionist hawks seem to champion Palestinian civil rights, the vision of a ‘one binational state’ is still totally Judeo centric. The Israeli advocates of the one binational state are not talking about a neutral "state of all its citizens", nor about "Israstine" with a flag showing a crescent and a Shield of David. One state still means a sovereign Jewish state, but in a more complex reality, and inspired by the vision of a “democratic Jewish state” without an occupation and without apartheid, without fences and separations.

One may wonder at this stage what the notion of “Jewish democratic state” stands for. It is obviously an empty signifier, there is no such a thing as Jewish democracy. As far as I remember Democracy was born in Athens rather than Jerusalem. And yet, the dream is compelling. In such a state, “Jews will be able to live in Hebron and pray at the Tomb of the Patriarchs, and a Palestinian from Ramallah will be able to serve as an ambassador and live in Tel Aviv or simply enjoy ice cream on the city’s seashore.”

It is clear beyond doubt that a coin has dropped. Some Israeli hawks have come to realise that the occupation cannot be maintained forever. They were also quick to grasp that, in the long run, the separation wall put an end to the Zionist expansionist program. They also gather that the negative exposure of Jewish lobbies in the West will eventually lead to the down scaling of Israeli political maneuvering.

However, the Zionist tribal orientation is never too difficult to trace. When Elitzur was asked “What do you say to the allegations that you have joined the radical left?” he was quick to reveal his political mantra.

"There’s a clear separation between us. I am talking about a Jewish state, the state of the Jewish people, which will contain a large Arab minority. The left is talking about an Arab state containing a Jewish minority, even if they do not explicitly think that. The leftist demonstrators in (the West Bank village of) Bil’in have totally joined the Palestinian cause."

I guess that this what it is all about. The Israeli hawks want to counter the inevitable ’demographic disaster’. They would offer West Bank Palestinians Israeli ID cards, and offer them to “enjoy ice cream in Tel Aviv” as long as they are kept as a minority. The Israeli hawks ignore Gaza and the right of return. In practice they dismiss the Palestinian cause for they are certain that the Jewish one is superior. In short, this is not a solution or a resolution. It is just another Zionist spin that is planted in our discourse in order to disseminate confusion.

Gilad Atzmon was born in Israel in 1963 and had his musical training at the Rubin Academy of Music, Jerusalem (Composition and Jazz). Atzmon’s essays are widely published. His novels ’Guide to the perplexed’ and ’My One And Only Love’ have been translated into 24 languages.

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+9 Vote up Vote down r_i_d · 21 hours ago

//I am talking about a Jewish state, the state of the Jewish people, which will contain a large Arab minority.//

The key word is "contain".

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2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago
+12 Vote up Vote down peacenik · 21 hours ago

Unless the Zionists make amends for their evil machinations that have caused havoc throughout the world, I fear that the blowback that is now almost palpable will be catastrophic for all . . . time is running out!

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0 replies · active less than 1 minute ago
+8 Vote up Vote down sustainableorphanagesforhaitianyouth 29p · 20 hours ago

A discussion I filed in Gaza regarding : Share or split Palestine? A discussion in Gaza.

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3 replies · active 16 hours ago
 3 Vote up Vote down bozh · 20 hours ago

As i have said, i do not evaluate as true anything a cultist says. However, an enormous number of salient facts lead to educing from them, that these cutists are stiil awaiting the permit to slaughter some pals so that all wld run out of palestine for dear life or be actually carted away by force.

But permit for some reason had not come yet. And there are no omens i cd espy that lead one to conclude that US is ready to issue permit for cleansing of israel. tnx

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0 replies · active less than 1 minute ago
+13 Vote up Vote down Geltmeister · 20 hours ago

I cant truck with these claims there is a ’Jewish people’. it’s an utter non-sense to suggest that Europeans, Africans and Asians are a ’people’ in the sense of an ethnic group just because they are led to believe the same myths and fables. We don’t go around talking about the Shinto people or the Hindu people.

Also in the quote above, it should be one of...

"I am talking about a Jewish state, the state of the Jewish people, which will contain a large Moslem minority"

or...

"I am talking about an Israeli state, the state of the Israeli people, which will contain a large Palestinian minority"

I’ve noticed this a lot recently, the last time was when someone talked about ’Israeli men stoning a Moslem women’ when it should have been either ’Jewish men stoning a Moslem women’ or ’Israeli men stoning a Palestinian women’. It seems sometimes it’s best to be a ’Jew’ and other times it’s best to be an ’Israeli’, depending on who’s being ’victimised’.

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6 replies · active 9 hours ago
+1 Vote up Vote down guest · 18 hours ago

Is there an aussie that can shine a light on this? Apparently,the jewish community in sydney are demanding an area to be re-zoned for themselves,the local council in the area that received the "request" will be "voting" this week or next?
What is this re-zoning actually about?
Come on aussie,come on,let us know what is going on in your neck of the woods regarding this issue,it sounds very interesting.
One comment was this,"Why should a minority group like this get what they want over and above the majority that do not want this to happen"?
Enlighten us?

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12 replies · active 9 hours ago
+3 Vote up Vote down bozh · 18 hours ago

History tell us that all original cults break up and in case of christnanity it broke up in thousand and one wishful thinkings or cults. And now there is lotsof hatred btwn these hundreds of cults [or is it thousands?]

Mosheic cult had also broken in several cults. Islam had also broken in ab three cults.
In islam there is also much hatred bwtn shias and sunnis and over a triviality, yet destined for ever to live in hate.

So, all these cultists are reaping what they’r sowing; which is lies, intolerance, warfare.
The only problem with the mosheic cultists is that not all of them want to live in one country.
That’s because most leaders need these trouble makers, since ’jews’ steal money for us and give it to leaders like obama, blair, biden, et al

’Jews’ may get all of palestine, but wld for ever live in hell-on-earth. They deserve the hell and one another. Who i hell wld want to dine with a chabadi or orthodoxi? tnx

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2 replies · active 3 hours ago
+1 Vote up Vote down bozh · 18 hours ago

Correction: ... steal money from us and give it to obama... tnx

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0 replies · active less than 1 minute ago
+15 Vote up Vote down nahida_ 39p · 17 hours ago

Equal Rights for serial killers, and for their victims ?
http://uprootedpalestinians.blogspot.com/2010/04/...

Can anyone see some ethical flaws with that?

I have no authority to speak in the name of all Palestinians, but I have previously stated that I personally DO NOT wish the zionist murderers, those of whom who were directly or indirectly involved in massacres, theft of land, subjugation and oppression, to remain in Palestine after its liberation from the occupier, except of course for the very few good people amongst them -as no soul should carry the liability of another-

I reiterate, I do not wish the invader, occupier and criminal racists to stay in Palestine, the land that they have incessantly raped, destroyed and disfigured, nor do I desire them to be my neighbours

They have shown no respect, no appreciation, and no love to this land or to her people

They do not deserve to live there

Many of our supporters freak out upon hearing this declaration of mine, they think that I am becoming an uncaring person, or turning into a radical hardliner; and some curiously and attentively listen, then, timidly and modestly, try to understand

.

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1 reply · active 17 hours ago
+17 Vote up Vote down nahida_ 39p · 17 hours ago

I will try here to elucidate by asking some simple questions, as to why I think it is unreasonable to make the premises of a JUST SOLUTION dependent upon our acceptance –as Palestinians, of giving the right of permanent residency and equal rights of citizenship to ALL zionist Jewish occupiers in our stolen land of Palestine
Here are my questions:

* Why do our supporters, progressives who advocate a one state solution, keep asking us –Palestinians- to share our land with those who acquired it by theft, military force and murder?

* Would you share your home with the armed robber who came to steal from you?

* Should a thief get to enjoy the same rights of ownership to materials and assets that he acquired by armed robbery, as the person whom he robbed?

* Should a colonialist imperialist occupier regime, who keeps hold of countries by terrorizing the indigenous population and perpetrating endless scores of bloodshed, not be severely sanctioned as legislated wisely by International Law

* Should USA decided to move a few dozens of millions of its citizens to Iraq or Afghanistan, confiscate Iraqi lands, give it to those colonizers, then demands that those citizens have equal rights with Iraqis or Afghanis; should we support the equal rights of those colonizers

* Should the Algerians have waited for the French occupiers to be magnanimous enough to give them "equal rights”?

* Would Algeria be to the Algerians today, had they not fought for the liberation of their country against colonial France?

* Under International Law; is an occupying entity entitled to ANY rights whatsoever?

* Why defend the “right” of the barbaric occupier -who has been engaged in ethnic cleansing and genocide for over six decades, to stay in Palestine after its liberation , and this while keeping land and houses, villages, archaeological treasures, churches and mosques, libraries, they’ve forcibly stolen at gun point?

* Why imagine that it is unrealistic to return the stolen land and property to its legitimate owners while ignoring its mode of acquisition by zionists?

* Why instead of defending the right Palestinians to get ALL their country back; including: homes, orchards and land, supporters ask the victims to keep on giving, by the supposition that returning back stolen property creates "another injustice" to the OCCUPIER?

* Why are we –Palestinians- continuously pressed to accept this scurrilous logic, by our supporters?

* Are people so naïve that they don’t realize that doing so, invariably corresponds in fact to... a full support -quasi unconditional, of the zionist thieves and their ideological core which deems colonising Palestine as a “Divine and historical right” for the Jewish people ?

* What does the notion of Justice, social responsibility, fair dealing mean if we are to equate criminals with victims in terms of rights to ownership of stolen property?

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2 replies · active 2 hours ago
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