Peace Through Equality & Unification of Israel and Palestine
A just and lasting peace for both Israelis and Palestinians hinges on the principle of equality, where both communities are granted the same rights, opportunities, and freedoms, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or history. The best way to achieve this peace is through a united country made up of all Israelis & Palestinians as equal citizens.
Equality is not a new or foreign concept in the struggle for justice. Throughout history, marginalized groups have fought for basic human rights, and their successes show that equality is a practical solution to peace and stability. In the United States, African Americans fought for desegregation, civil rights, and equality before the law. As Martin Luther King Jr. famously said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." The same logic applies to the situation in Israel and Palestine. When one group is treated as a non-citizen or second-class citizen and is excluded from full participation in society, peace is impossible.
One compelling example of this is the division of Palestinians into four categories under Israeli law. Those who hold Israeli citizenship enjoy the most rights, including the right to vote and run for office. They can live and work freely in Israel. These rights allow them to coexist with Jewish Israelis peacefully. However, Palestinians in Jerusalem, though legal residents of Israel, are not citizens, and face restrictions on movement, access to resources, and participation in political life. Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza face even worse conditions, with restricted mobility, fewer resources, and a constant state of segregation and violence. The West Bank is encircled by a wall, and Gaza is subject to an ongoing blockade. This fragmentation, and the unequal distribution of rights, creates a constant state of tension and conflict.
The peaceful coexistence between Palestinian citizens of Israel and Jewish Israelis demonstrates the power of equality. When both groups are given equal rights, they are able to coexist peacefully, despite deep historical and cultural differences.
Peace cannot be achieved through mere coexistence under inequality, but through a shared vision of equality and justice. Israel-Palestine, as a united country, where all Israelis and Palestinians live together as equal citizens would foster stability, security, and prosperity for both peoples, ensuring that the mistakes of segregation and discrimination do not continue to divide the land.
Just as desegregation was essential to peace in the United States, so too is the end of racial and religious segregation in Israel-Palestine. When laws discriminate based on ethnicity or religion, peace becomes distant. By offering Equal Rights & Citizenship to ALL Palestinians and Jews, Israel can create peace with Palestinians and itself. A unified, country with equal rights for all citizens would prevent the constant state of war between Israel, Palestine and their neighbors.
In conclusion, whether Israel-Palestine is formed as a unitary state based on one-person, one-vote or a federation of two states, where the Knesset is divided 50/50, the key will have to be equal rights for Palestinians and Jews from the River to the sea.
Kamal Nawash is an American Palestinian lawyer from Jerusalem.
