One Democratic State Initiative

The One Democratic State Initiative is working to revive the historical Palestinian vision: Liberation and return to a democratic Palestine. Sign up to take part in our efforts: odsi.co/en/sign-up

In July 2023, the One Democratic State Initiative issues an analysis that stated clearly that "the decades-old gradual genocidal process is approaching a potential genocidal moment." It urged Palestinians to anticipate that threat by "elaborating and implementing specific political, military, social, economic, mediatic, cultural and other mechanisms" and reached out privately and publicly to Palestinian individuals and organizations toward that end. Today, with the genocidal moment not over yet, particularly given the looming threat on the West Bank, we share the analysis again. Palestinians, along with anti-Zionist Israelis and allies worldwide, anticipate the threat of an upcoming Nakba! https://lnkd.in/dXyvsSda

The Oscar-winning movie "No Other Land" documentary on the destruction of Masafer Yata was directed by two Palestinians and two Israelis. This led many to ask whether this was joint struggle or normalization, with conflicting and polarized opinions. When having debates like this, it is crucial to be clear about what we are talking about—what is normalization and what are its features? First, what it is that we should not normalize? In one word: Settler colonialism, which is the essence of Zionism. Settler colonialism includes three main tenets: 1) Getting and keeping natives out, such as the Nakba and denying the right of return. 2) Bringing settlers in, which the colony does by granting citizenship to non-Palestinian Jews. 3) Segregating between settlers and natives within the land, from the colony's having different curricula for Jews and non-Jews to its genocide in Gaza. None of these aspects should be normalized, or "treated as normal", either explicitly by justifying them or implicitly by failing to center them. Rather than asking: "Does this involve working with Israelis?" Ask: "Does this involve working with people who normalize settler colonialism?" Rather than asking: "Did they criticize what the settler state is doing?" Ask: "Did they question what the settler state is?" Rather than asking: "Did they call for peace and love?" Ask: "Did they make it clear that dismantling the settler state and establishing a democratic state was the path to peace?" Rather than asking: "Did their speech mention Palestinian rights?" Ask: "Did they normalize settler colonialism with 'two sides' rhetoric?" Ask: "Did they normalize settler colonialism, occupation, apartheid and the genocide by failing to mention them?" Ask: "Did they normalize settler colonialism by mentioning only the occupation and apartheid in the 1967 territories?" Ask: "Did they normalize settler colonialism by criticizing only the Israeli government or regime rather than the settler state itself?" And rather than asking: "But either way, isn't what happened good?", remember that even the genocide helped awaken millions to the horrors of the colony—Yet it can hardly be called "good". And remember that we are not art critics. We are not spectators that rate and review, but political actors. Our aim to organize to dismantle the colony. Although our political words and actions may include criticism of what others did, they should first and foremost be an action plan of what we will do to replace the racial settler state with a democratic Palestinian state. This is the struggle that we call on Israelis to join us in.

The beautiful souls leave us and ugly colonialism remains—so far. We mourn the passing away of Nitza Aminov, widow of Eli Aminov. Two anti-zionist Jews who dedicated their lives to the establishment of a secular and democratic Palestine for all citizens. Ever since the 70s, they spearheaded the movement for the dismantling of Israel in Occupied Palestine, establishing anti-zionist organizations there such as the Committee for a Secular Democratic State and playing a crucial role in anti-zionist conference such as the "Secular and Democratic Palestine" conference in Haifa. Today, a growing number of Israelis are following in Nitza's and Eli's footsteps, siding with Palestinian liberation and redrawing the lines of the struggle from identitarian (Palestinians vs Jews) to political (colonization vs decolonization).

JVP and other anti-zionist groups in the US are coming under increased attack by zionist groups. Alain Alameddine, a coordinator at the One Democratic State Initiative, interviews Seth Morrison, an anti-zionist Jewish leader, about it. https://lnkd.in/dsti4U2N

"The Palestinian people are the children of Canaanites, Arabs, Turks, Kurds and everyone who settled this land. What has prevented you Israelis from also becoming one of us? The answer is: Zionism. It is Zionism that rejected proposals from both Palestinians and Jews to establish a single Palestinian state for all its citizens before 1948, and opted for the establishment of a Jewish state instead. Today it is clear that this settler state has failed at bringing justice, democracy and equality for anyone. It has also failed at ethnically razing Palestinians: We are here, by the millions. We will not disappear and we will return. Germans only admitted how criminal Nazism after it was defeated. Will you Israelis only admit Zionism's crimes after it is defeated? You don't need to continue fighting and fighting and fighting to live. You can live without fighting and killing. Give up your colonial privileges and let us live together in one state for all its citizens. A state of justice. A state of equality. A state of democracy. The essential opposite of Zionism and the state of Israel. This is the only future for safe living for Jews and Palestinians." A powerful message to Israelis from Mohammad Zraiy, One Democratic State Initiative coordinator in Gaza, while under genocide, in an interview with Israeli "One Democratic State" supporters Elik and Alon. Link to the whole interview: https://lnkd.in/ed_x2bPq

The only solution to end violence is a decolonised, Palestinian state that honors the right to self-determination and the right of return. Learn more by watching the entire interview of Juliette Samman, an ODS Initiative supporter, with Hadar Cohen: https://lnkd.in/dvwpC4xw

We invite you to read more about our vision and our initiative on odsi.co.

As depression and anxiety affect the lives of billions, our growing understanding of mental health and human psychology is skewed by the capitalist structure. Understanding the limitations of modern psychology is crucial to help us make the best of it and to take political decisions that allow us to take care of ourselves as we engage in systemic revolutionary work. An article by the One Democratic State Initiative: https://lnkd.in/deqEaca2

Colonialists cannot understand the native's attachment to their land. We don't need them to: No people has ever gained its freedom by appealing to the conscience of their oppressors. What we need is the organized efforts of Palestinians, anti-zionist Israelis and allies worldwide to affect the balance of power. Note: The video is not the Initiative's, but we could not find its source. If you are its author, kindly contact us so we can credit you or delete the post.