“genocide, ethnocide or a one state solution”

Illegal settlements surround a West Bank farm on four sides

I should have posted this earlier but I was out and about picking olives in Nablus and then in bed with a nasty case of bronchitis, which seems to be on the mend thankfully:

Martha Myers, The country director of the West Bank and Gaza for CARE International, a standard BIGNO (Big International Non-Governmental Organization) operating with a multi-million dollar budget in the West Bank and Gaza, said something incredible recently. Well, what she said wasn’t incredible, what was incredible was that she said it in public. Though by public I mean inside the Occupied West Bank so maybe she figured it wouldn’t get reported internationally anyway…

The setting was the International Conference: United in Struggle against Israeli Colonialism, Occupation and Racism that took place in Bethlehem on the 24th and 25th of October. Check out audio from the seminars here:

http://www.alternativenews.org/english/2234-audio-of-seminar.html

Two days where grassroots activists, international solidarity activists, Palestinian and Israeli academics, NGO workers and other internationals in town talked and listened about the economics’ of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. The conference wasn’t particularly riveting; too many internationals, not enough Palestinian voices, go figure, but there were some great moments. Like what was said by Ms. Myers. She had just spent the last half hour or so talking about how international aid is doing nothing for the future stability of Palestine and supports the occupation. Examples: Israel destroys a water system, a road, a school, Gaza and BINGOs rebuild it 3, 4, 5 times.

She also made a pretty good case for the larger role of aid in supporting the occupation; it allows Israel to pawn off all potential costs to the willing international community and undermines Palestinian sovereignty by usurping the responsibilities (education, health, infrastructure) of a state. Of course the end of such an analysis begs the question, ‘so why are you working within this system you just trashed?’ After all this women runs CARE in Palestine. And, unfortunately she took a route all too well traveled with aid apologists; ‘I’m just too afraid what would happen if we left’. * Sigh * classic copout.

Anyway the really interesting part came during the question and answer period. I don’t even remember what the question was but I perked up when she prefaced her answer with (and I’m basing this off my notes) “Well I’ll probably be escorted directly to the airport by Israel or the PA for saying this but…just drive to Ramallah, there’s no room left. The only choices are genocide, ethnocide or a one state solution”

I took this to mean either a) Israel wipes out all the Palestinians (genocide) or b) Palestinians give up on Palestine and move to other countries (ethnocide). Now obviously neither of these is likely to happen which leaves us with c) one state for all. And Martha Myers is not saying this based on an ideological position, after she made her statement there were cheers among the crowd, which did seem to ideologically support a one state solution and she chastised us, saying “you shouldn’t be clapping you should be crying”.

But the facts are clear that a one state solution regardless of what you think ideologically is what we’re left with. Driving between Bethlehem and Hebron today I was reminded again just how entrenched the settler presence is in the West Bank as I passed the massive settlement of Efrat. It cost Israel 2.7 billion dollars to move 8,000 settlers out of Gaza. There are 500,000 settlers (200,000 of these in East Jerusalem) in the West Bank. You do the math.

The facts speak for themselves even if those involved directly and indirectly in supporting the occupation aren't often willing to own up to the reality.