Visiting prof talks one-state solution

With the popular uprisings currently going on in the Middle East, it may be easy to forget about conflicts that have been going on for decades. On Tuesday night in Houston Hall, University of California at Los Angeles professor and author Saree Makdisi came to discuss a peaceful alternative to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Penn for Palestine sponsored the event featuring Makdisi, who wrote Palestine Inside Out: An Everyday Occupation. He spent the evening discussing his views on why the one-state solution is the most viable option for the region, and why justice and equal rights should take a forefront in this process.

Makdisi spoke about what he views as the silent injustices that occur everyday in Israel, such as the Law of Return, which has been seen as discriminatory due to the fact that it only grants nationality to Jews. “These forms of discrimination penetrate all aspects of Israeli life,” he said.

He also spoke in favor of the one-state solution, which is the idea that one state can encompass both Israelis and Palestinians. He feels this is a much more logical and successful way for every person to have equal rights, much more so than the idea of a two-state solution. “One-state solution is a solution that addresses everyone’s rights, not necessarily everyone’s desires. Both peoples have to compromise and learn to live together,” Makdisi said.

College freshman Sarah Shihadah, a former Daily Pennsylvanian contributing writer, said about the discussion, “What he’s advocating in the one-state solution is not the mainstream consideration of either parties, and an institution like Penn should always welcome alternative ideas and opinions.”

Makdisi advocated the use of nonviolent protests and a global campaign of boycotts and sanctions as the best way to bring about change, saying, “What is needed is the application of pressure — nonviolent pressure.”

President of Penn for Palestine and College sophomore Humna Bhojani was pleased with the turnout of about 50 at the event. “I’m amazed at the level of intellectual discussion — people were actually talking to each other and not at each other,” she said, referring to the question-and-answer session that followed Makdisi’s talk.

While Makdisi discussed many of the current injustices occurring in Israel, he was quick to remind the audience that “all kinds of change has taken place, and we have to take time and remind ourselves of that.”

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