The peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians are a charade. There I said it. Some of you will label me an extremist, but my position is not extreme among Palestinians. It is the result of decades of fruitless negotiations while Israel continues to colonize Palestinian land, life becomes increasingly repressive under Israeli occupation, and wanton violence is brought to the people of Gaza while the world's governments stand by. Forgive me for my cynicism.
But at the same time, I'm not hopeless. Palestinian society is samoud, steadfast, in the face of oppression. Palestinian civil society is leading the way again as it did during the first intifada calling for creative, non-violent resistance to the Israeli occupation and by-passing the ineffective tactics of both Fateh and Hamas. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement endorsed by all Palestinian political factions is gaining strength both internationally and inside Israel.
After decades of working for an independent and viable Palestinian state in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and in Gaza, hopes have faded that independence is coming. The peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians may provide cover to the U.S. administration that it is doing something to resolve the conflict, but in reality, President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton and U.S. Envoy George Mitchell have sided with Netanhayu by failing to put real pressure on Israel to abide by international law on the issue of settlements.
Israel knows it is biding time, but hopes to put off the choice between two options: a real agreement that respects Palestinian sovereignty in all the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem or continued apartheid.
If Israel insists on denying independence to the Palestinians, Palestinian demands for civil rights under Israeli rule will win out because apartheid and all unjust systems are unsustainable. Equality under the law, non-discrimination in immigration policy and equal voting rights are ideas gaining in Palestinian and international political circles. When these talks fail--and they will--the movement for a democratic, multicultural state uniting two peoples will be a strong current that won't be contained by more charade talks. A recent opinion piece by George Bisharat in the Washington Post outlining the principles of a democratic solution in Palestine/Israel received much positive attention.
A de facto one-state reality has emerged, with Israel effectively ruling virtually all of the former Palestine. Yet only Jews enjoy full rights in this functionally unitary political system. In contrast, Palestinian citizens of Israel endure more than 35 laws that explicitly privilege Jews as well as policies that deliberately marginalize them. West Bank Palestinians cannot drive on roads built for Israeli settlers, while Palestinians in Gaza watch as their children's intellectual and physical growth are stunted by an Israeli siege that has limited educational opportunities and deepened poverty to acute levels.
Palestinian refugees have lived in exile for 62 years, their right to return to their homes denied, while Jews from anywhere can freely immigrate to Israel.
Israeli leaders Ehud Olmert and Ehud Barak have admitted that permanent Israeli rule over disenfranchised Palestinians would be tantamount to apartheid. Other observers, including former U.S. president Jimmy Carter and South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, have said that apartheid has already taken root in the region.
Clearly, Palestinians and Israeli Jews will continue to live together. The question is: under what terms? Palestinians will no more accept permanent subordination than would any other people.
And when these talks fail, there is no doubt that the Palestinians will be blamed. I'm not worried. The boycott, divestment and sanctions movement will continue to grow and make this charades game a sideshow. Let freedom ring.