Statements by Tzipi Livni and Ahmad Tibi regarding Israeli Arabs touch on the question of whether a Palestinian state would fulfill the Palestinian peoples’ right to self determination.
Articulating her support for two nation states Livni said that the national solutions for Israeli Arabs lie elsewhere. “You are citizens with equal rights, but…in a state that is the national home of the Jewish people.”
In response, Tibi called for the Kadima leader to decide “whether she means to leave a million Arabs without political rights or national identity, or intends to transfer a million Arab citizens to the Palestinian state.”
This disagreement reflects two contrasting positions on the issue of the Palestinian people’s right to self determination.
According to one position (which Reut terms the ‘Containment Approach’) this right will be realized in a Palestinian state. Every Palestinian (regardless of where they live) will have their national right for self-determination realized by this Palestinian state.
According to the other (the ‘Citizens Only Approach’) the Palestinian state will only fulfill the right of self-determination for its citizens and residents. Self-determination of the Palestinian Diaspora will become an Outstanding Issue.
This raises the possibility that even after a comprehensive agreement establishing a Palestinian state, other ‘Palestinians’ could claim their national rights remain unfulfilled.
Related Links:
Palestinian Right to Self-Determination
Ethos of Struggle vs. Historic Compromise
General
Amit Granek
Yuval Holtzmann
Ronit Gudes
Gidi Grinstein
Gaddy Weissman
Calev Ben Dor
Yossi Horesh
Dana Preisler
Omri Dagan
Eran Shayshon
Liran Bainvol
Merav Pick
Noa Ecker
Netaly Ophir
Yariv Mann
Reut Institute
Omri Zegen
Yael Weisz
Toni Hasson
Talia Gorodess
Gil Murciano
Anat Horowitz
Abed Assli
Daphna Kaufman
Shay Gurion
Elad Leshem
Aliza Petrack
Jessica Brandt
Yael Brendel
Martin Ben Moreh
yotamhacohen
Anyone who lives in any country where he is minority must accept his position and if he feels so strongly about not being there and would prefer to be in his homeland, similar to a decision that each Jewish minority must take in her/her own country of origin, then he can pick up his things and fulfil his right to self-determination that has been provided for by the international community by moving there. Until he is willing to do that, his national identity and the laws he is to abide by are those of the land he inhabits.
One can’t help but feel however that even if Gidi Grinstein’s recommendations for the Containment Approach were pushed, it would still leave the door open for ongoing conflict and problems of a different kind. It is unlikely that the more radical fractions within Palestinian Society, e.g. Hamas, would agree to this. The drive behind the Palestinian Struggle is a state based on the whole of Eretz Israel, and not a piecemeal part of it. The current struggle will be over but a new one will no doubt begin.
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 2200A (XXI) of 16 December 1966. Entry into force 23 March 1976, in accordance with Article 49 of the UN Charter:
http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/a_ccpr.htm
Unfortunately the Covenant is vague as to who and when the right to self determination if fulfilled.
I pose a question though: If I was the only Palestinian person left in Israel, and there is a Palestinian State about 1 mile away from my house, am I entitled to ‘struggle’ and appeal my case for self-determination, as a national minority in Israel, with the end result being a separate state just for myself?
What is unfortunate is that a study into what is ‘A People’ and whether the Palestinians fulfil the criteria for this definition was not done a long time ago. One may well find they do not qualify for Article 1 of the Covenant at all.
BraveJew
a few months ago Reut researched models for a future triangular relationship between Israel, Israeli Arabs and a Palestinian State.
Part of the relationship would be based around what is called Kin State Activism, which is the relationship between a State (in this case Palestine) and its Diaspora (Israeli Arabs) living in a neighboring one (Israel).
However, ultimately it could be argued that until this future Palestinian state is created, the tension over the identity of IL Arabs will always be around…