We recently noted that militant West Bank settlers have joined the Tel Aviv tent town protest, pitching a line that aggressive settlement of the West Bank is the solution to the crisis—a fascistic pseudo-solution predicated on expropriating others of their lands. We asked whether the protest movement will take the bait. Here, fortunately, is a statement from the opposite tendency—linking the expropriation of the Israeli working class to that of the Palestinians, and building unity rather than sowing further division. A “Letter from Tel Aviv,” Aug. 4:
We are a group of Palestinian Arab and Jew citizens that believe in shared sovereignty in the state of all its citizens. Instead of thinking about separation and constrains, we think of the possibility of joint existence.
Since foundation of the state – Israeli policy of divide and rule, prevents real change and produces boundaries for deep social demands. If we work together we can only benefit.
What do we want?
We want this struggle to deal with housing shortage among Arabs and Mizrachi Jews in Israel, both in large cities and in the villages.
We want to end Judaization of Arab neighborhoods and stop the “development” of neighborhoods by building luxury complexes.
We want to stop the eviction of Palestinian families as it happens almost every day in Jaffa, Lod, Ramla and elsewhere in Israel and the Occupied Territories.
We want to end the discrimination of the Palestinian Arabs in the rental and purchase of real estate, which became “legitimate” in the Israeli- Jewish society, as the “Letter of Rabbis” showed us.
We want to change the land policy in Israel, so it will address the historical justice to Palestinian population. No more land confiscation, no more house demolitions. We live here together, it’s time we start to internalize it.
We want to talk about discrimination in state institutions, education, health, culture.
We require recognizing the basic right of the Palestinians in Israel and in the Occupied Territories to set their own lifestyles.
We want to emphasize, there can be no social justice while this state occupies and oppresses Palestinians, and justice should be to all. In Addition, many of the state resources are allocated to the occupation: by establishing walls and barriers, that embitter the life of the Palestinian people, or by securing and supporting settlements. Occupation takes a lot of money, which can be used to improve the life of the Jewish and Arab population in Israel and the Occupied Territories.
See our last post on Israel/Palestine.
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