PSLweb (Party for Socialism and Liberation): Netanyahu's 'support' for Palestinian state is only a show

Netanyahu's 'support' for Palestinian state is only a show
Friday, July 3, 2009
By: Tamara Khoury

Israel continues siege, settlement building, as part of an official policy of genocide

In a June 14 speech, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu openly endorsed the creation of a Palestinian state for the first time since his election into office. The speech included two demands that Israeli recognition would be based on: the acceptance of Israel as a Jewish state; and the full demilitarization of the Palestinian people. Such demands are ridiculous given Israel’s history of racist and genocidal policies against the native Palestinian population.

Israeli tank
The demand to 'demilitarize' the proposed state
is blatant hypocrisy on Israel’s part.

In recognizing Israel as a Jewish state, the Arab population within the 1948 borders of Israel would not only be living under a racist, apartheid system, as they are now, but would also become even more invisible to the international community. All refugees have the right to return to their homelands under international law. The Palestinian people—refugees who have been denied the right to return to their homeland for over 60 years—would be forced to give up any claim to the land as a homeland.

The demand to “demilitarize” this proposed state is blatant hypocrisy on Israel’s part, considering that the Israeli Defense Force is one of the most powerful militaries in the world—funded and supported by the largest military machine in history, U.S. imperialism. Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip do not have any form of an organized military but instead have heroic freedom fighters, who the Israeli and U.S. governments demonize.

Besides demilitarization, the proposed Palestinian state would not have control of its own borders or air space; meaning Israeli planes could fly over at their discretion. The proposed state would consist of two discontiguous areas—split as the territories are now—with Israel lying between. The result would be that the proposed Palestinian state would not be a viable state.

The continuation of illegal settlement development and expansion displaces more and more Palestinians each day, and the Israeli government refuses to acknowledge the other illegal outposts around the region. The Apartheid Wall already paralyzes transportation in the West Bank, and within the plans of this proposed state is no suggestion of tearing it down.

The Party for Socialism and Liberation stands for a one-state solution, in which Palestinians are awarded full rights. We demand an end to U.S.- Israeli occupation of historic Palestine. The Palestinians have resisted this colonialism for generations, demanding a sovereign country. This proposed state is no different from the current illegal Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, except that it will be more accepted among international leaders.

Netanyahu’s speech was only a show, promising meaningless steps in a “peace” process that will never be complete unless Zionism is destroyed. Free Palestine!

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