The hopes of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine question are “dead”, with virtually nothing left for a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This is according to Palestinian politician, Awad Abdel Fattah who has called for a rethink to the possibility of a single-state instead.

Abdel Fattah, currently visiting the city for talks on the current Israeli political landscape, serves as secretary general for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), part of a three-party collective that form the Joint Arab List (JAL). The JAL fared beyond expectations during its inaugural run in the recent Israeli elections, picking up 13 seats in the Knesset. This placed them third behind only the ruling Likud party, and the Zionist Union. Of the 13 seats acquired, the NDA holds three.

The unification of the three parties has lifted hopes of change amongst the Palestinian population living within Israel, who have long faced marginalization, exclusion, and blatant policy discrimination in the controversial state. Whilst confident of a new page in the Palestinian struggle, Abdel Fattah stressed that the collective remained but a minority in a Zionist ruling Knesset.

“We are growing our effect on the internal politics (of Israel). But even having 13 seats in the Knesset doesn’t mean we are going to influence the decision making process in the system. We are inside the political game, but outside the political process,” he told VOC Drivetime.

But regardless of this, he said things were changing for the near 1.3 million Palestinian population in Israel, with the core focus of the JAL set to address the rebuilding of the minority’s “national institutions”. This included the re-establishment of a national fund, and specialized committees.

He believed this unity would serve as the only way of extracting the rights and self-determination of a Palestinian community still being treated as a religious segment and not a national community. This ‘divide and rule’ policy according to him was once still being employed by Israel since the 1948 Nakbah.

“Why we wage our struggle and participate in the election campaign; it is an order to really address our constituency. We would be able to listen and influence their ideas, and mobilize them against this system,” he said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came under criticism during the elections for statements that blatantly shut hopes of discussions on a two-state solution. Although later backtracking on those comments, Abdel Fattah suggested Netanyahu’s ‘racist remarks’ were simply a ploy to win votes amongst the far right.

Whilst Netanyahu’s re-election may be construed as a dent in the hopes for a two-state solution, Abdel Fattah took a somewhat different approach to his views on the Palestine/Israel conflict.

“More and more people are becoming convinced that the only solution is a one-state solution. This means that we should reframe the national Palestinian struggle, because it is not political, but it is a state of colonialism…There is no going to peace without dismantling the Apartheid system in Israel. All of Palestine is now under one single system of oppression, and this must be dismantled,” he insisted.

Abdel Fattah delivered an address at the Bo-Kaap Civic Centre on Friday evening, and also delivered the pre-Jumuah Khutbah at the Claremont Main Road Mosque last Friday. VOC (Mubeen Banderker)