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Londoners marching against Israeli policies in the Palestinian Territories. (Archive)
Last update - 10:56 21/11/2007
U.K. radical left wing sees one-state solution to Israel-Palestinian conflict
By Assaf Uni, Haartez Correspondent
Tags: Israeli-Palestinian conflict 

Over a decade after the Israeli right in effect abandoned the vision of a Greater Israel, the radical left in both Israel and Britain has come to favor the idea with a few essential changes.

On Sunday, London saw the conclusion of a conference on the so-called one-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While pro-Israel groups accused the organizers of staging a provocation aimed at bashing Israel's image, academics from Israel and the Palestinian Authority discussed possible models for the formation of a single state ranging from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River, and maybe even further east.

The conference, which attracted many academics as well as local activists from Palestinian solidarity groups, students and Arab activists, was perhaps the latest stage in a series of projects that have given London its image as one of Europe's most anti-Zionist capitals.
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Indeed, the British left's attitude toward Israel has been characterized by warrants for the arrest of Israel Defense Forces officers, boycotts of Israeli products on the part of various trade unions, condemnations of Israel as an apartheid state by churches, and the recent academic boycott initiative.

The latest two-day event, at the University of London's School of Oriental And African Studies (SOAS), attracted no less than 300 people. The participants discussed establishing either a binational state or a "state of all its citizens", or a secular democracy that would include the entire population of the Palestinian Authority plus all the Palestinian refugees.

They also entertained the notion of an Israeli-Palestinian confederation and other creative solutions.

Among the notable guests were Palestinian civil rights activist Omar Barghouti, Israeli historian Ilan Pappe and one of the instigators of the academic boycott, Professor Haim Bereshit. The panel members discussed the status of Palestinians and Israelis in the would-be unified state, relying on historic precedents like South Africa and Northern Ireland.

The conference was organized by the London One State Group  an association of about a dozen Israeli, Palestinian and Jewish students who are studying or have studied in London. The funding, they say, came from ticket sales.

Along with the lofty talk about political theory, visitors could hear radical views on Israel, which was regularly described as "a colonialist power" and "an apartheid state."

In the small conference hall, Zionism was not only a dirty word, but an immoral, inexcusably cruel utterance. "I don't believe the Jewish lie," one Arab representative said.

Yonni Eshpar, a young graphic designer from Tel Aviv who was among the conference's initiators, said that he put the event together because "Israel is a discriminatory and racist country and I am interested in seeing to my children's future." The group's main goal, Eshpar said, was to initiate a discussion of the one-state option.

Explaining why he wanted to include residents of the Palestinian Authority in his proposed "state of all its citizens," Eshpar said, adding "They are the citizens of this land. They were there before us. Besides, the nation-state system has concluded its historical role all over the world, from Singapore through Denmark to Israel."

Pro-Israel groups say that this initiative should not be taken seriously. "Our internal polls have shown that the majority of British people support the Balfour Declaration and the existence of the Jewish state," said Lorna Fitzsimons, CEO of the pro-Israeli organization BICOM, the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre.

According to Fitzsimons, the one-state initiative which has recently gained popularity in academic circles should not be associated with the academic boycott of Israeli educational institutions.

"How do you propose to deal with the crimes the Israelis are perpetrating in the Occupied Territories?" a female Palestinian student asked panel members at the end of the conference's first day. "Should Israeli military commanders be put on trial for war crimes? Should truth and reconciliation committees be set up?"

It was then that an Israeli student remarked: "Excuse me, but you sound just like the far right in Israel. Are the Israelis not entitled to self-determination? Do Israelis only understand force? This kind of discussion hampers progress, because it fails to recognize the other side.
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  1.   They are delusional to say the least! 06:00  |  Larry 21/11/07
  2.   Same Old Jackasses 06:20  |  Tod Zuckerman 21/11/07
  3.   the solution 06:44  |  Shmuelshachor 21/11/07
  4.   RETAKE GAZA, W.BANK, DISMANTLE TERROR, PEACE WITHOUT ENEMIES))) 07:07  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 21/11/07
  5.   What a stupid idea 07:24  |  Awake 21/11/07
  6.   ONE -STATE SOLUTION FOR WHOM? 08:24  |  Jordan 21/11/07
  7.   Interfering busybodies 08:44  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 21/11/07
  8.   Who is paying for the cost of this meeting?Lefties?? 08:45  |  PETER S.M. 21/11/07
  9.   naive 09:26  |  a lebanese 21/11/07
  10.   UK radical left is wrong, wrong, wrong.... 09:29  |  Swiss (Dino) 21/11/07
  11.   It`s demographics 09:36  |  Robert 21/11/07
  12.   Instead of promoting real peace 09:36  |  Fawaz 21/11/07
  13.   Fossils 09:36  |  Colin 21/11/07
  14.   UNDER THE BANNER OF STAR OF DAVID? 09:37  |  indrajaya 21/11/07
  15.   the left wing should worry about britain ! 09:43  |  victor hardman 21/11/07
  16.   facts politicians don`t like 09:48  |  Israeli 21/11/07
  17.   If Annapolis fails, one state, without apartheid will result 09:51  |  Ivar 21/11/07
  18.   LIVING IN HARMONY OR LIVING IN HATRED 09:51  |  Jordan 21/11/07
  19.   one-state solution 09:52  |  Ralph 21/11/07
  20.   We are the only guilty one. 10:00  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 21/11/07
  21.   Argument bait. Not a serious possibility, now or ever 10:06  |  Natallie Durson 21/11/07
  22.   WHY not demonstrate against thousands of Brit.Moslem terrorists 10:12  |  PETER.SM 21/11/07
  23.   LONDON : NOW THE CAPITAL OF EUROSTAN 10:12  |  Anne Gree 21/11/07
  24.   Then, why not a one-state solution for both sides of the Jordan? 10:21  |  Fairplay 21/11/07
  25.   IVAR You are right! Estonia will be fully consulted. 10:21  |  PETER S.M. 21/11/07
  26.   One State Solution? 10:22  |  David Nigel Braham 21/11/07
  27.   Ivar,your apartheid Estland should be dissolved and joined with 10:25  |  Absolute Sweden 21/11/07
  28.   # 23 # THE UK IS PART OF: WWW. EUROSTAN. EU 10:30  |  E.Speranto 21/11/07
  29.   No two-state solution 10:35  |  Realistic 21/11/07
  30.   Natallie Durson 10:38  |  Natallie Durson II 21/11/07
  31.   SHARIA LAW COMING TO A EUROPE NEAR YOU! 10:39  |  WARRIOR 21/11/07
  32.   THE HAND OF G-D WILL DESTROY THESE PEOPLE! 10:40  |  WARRIOR 21/11/07
  33.   INDRAJAYA.UNDER THE FLAG OF ISLAM.22 states not enough? 10:45  |  PETER SM 21/11/07
  34.   India and Pakistan should become one state too 10:51  |  Paul 21/11/07
  35.   They know that they are doomed and want to take us down with them 10:58  |  Judith, Haifa 21/11/07
  36.   Anne Gree`s nasty little diatribe 23 11:02  |  Michael 21/11/07
  37.   one state 11:03  |  yossi 21/11/07
  38.   One State Solution? Hurray!!! 11:13  |  Yohan Dahal 21/11/07
  39.   Is Lebanon a model as one-state solution ? 11:17  |  Gilbert 21/11/07
  40.   # 34, PAUL 11:22  |  indrajaya 21/11/07
  41.   One state or two? 11:25  |  Tarik 21/11/07
  42.   what can I say so I won`t be censored 11:26  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 21/11/07
  43.   Great Britain 11:29  |  Clickfool 21/11/07
  44.   PAKISTAN and Bangaladesh.Just one happy state of Moslem brothers 11:31  |  PETER S.M. 21/11/07
  45.   # 9, naieve 11:31  |  John 21/11/07
  46.   # 6 One State Solution 11:37  |  Edward 21/11/07
  47.   This from a country where they want to split 11:38  |  SystemF 21/11/07
  48.   Hate or stupidity? 11:39  |  deborah 21/11/07
  49.   Love thy Muslim 11:39  |  SystemF 21/11/07
  50.   #18 Jordan 11:41  |  Leroy 21/11/07
  51.   After the demise of communism, these people look for a new agenda 11:43  |  AA 21/11/07
  52.   # 31 Shria Law 11:45  |  Mohammed 21/11/07
  53.   One State Solution? Hurray!!! 11:46  |  Yohan Dahal 21/11/07
  54.   # 34 11:48  |  Hussein 21/11/07
  55.   Ivar writes with delectation about the failure of the Jews 11:56  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 21/11/07
  56.   George Galloway and his left wing facist cronies 11:59  |  Nicole 21/11/07
  57.   One State Solution? Hurray!!! 12:00  |  Yohan Dahal 21/11/07
  58.   # 39 Cipora, very good, I am glad you agree with me.... 12:00  |  Swiss (Dino) 21/11/07
  59.   CFOOL.@36.A series of British Islamic terrorist attacks show that 12:03  |  PETER S.M. 21/11/07
  60.   Failed one states.... 12:08  |  Alon 21/11/07
  61.   AA The "new left" had to find a cause after Vietnam 12:08  |  PETER S.M. 21/11/07
  62.   #40 Clickfool 12:14  |  Sarah 21/11/07
  63.   London Europe`s most anti-Zionist capital? Rubbish. 12:15  |  Michael 21/11/07
  64.   There Is Enough Hypocracy To Go Around 12:18  |  Yaakov Sullivan 21/11/07
  65.   #50 Mohamed 12:19  |  Sarah 21/11/07
  66.   There Is Enough Hypocracy To Go Around Part II 12:27  |  Yaakov Sullivan 21/11/07
  67.   MOHAMED Surveys amongst British Moslems on introduction of Sharia 12:28  |  PETER S.M. 21/11/07
  68.   `Cloud cuckoo land` springs to mind.... 12:31  |  Wilbur Rice 21/11/07
  69.   #60 Alon 12:31  |  Sarah 21/11/07
  70.   Cipora.#42 Humanist, not marxist, and not totalitarian! 12:34  |  Hubal