The Forward has a piece from Maha Nassar claiming that the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” really means a country where Jews have equal rights with Arabs in all respects. She says that Zionists are purposefully choosing in interpretation of that phrase that Hamas uses, where Jews have no place in the land.
She is correct in saying that Fatah has never explicitly said what it plans to do with Jews and that there was always a subtext of thought that most Jews would naturally want to leave, but they wouldn’t be forced out. That is probably true. But that is a long way from pretending that Jews would have the same equal rights in “Palestine” that Arabs do in Israel today.
So assuming that Fatah represents “mainstream” Palestinian thought (even though Hamas did win the only real elections they ever had!) what is its goal?
First of all, Fatah’s goal is not the two state solution. The 2009 Fatah platform, that is still in effect, says “The objectives, principles and methods stipulated in the first chapter of the basic law (charter) of Fatah remain the key elements of our Movement and part of the intellectual and political entity of our people.” Here is the first chapter of the Fatah charter that is still in effect for the “moderate,” non-Hamas Palestinians:
CHAPTER ONE
Principles… Goals…. MethodsThe Movement’s Essential PrinciplesArticle (1) Palestine is part of the Arab World, and the Palestinian people are part of the Arab Nation, and their struggle is part of its struggle.
If, as Israel’s critics charge, a Jewish state is by its very nature discriminatory against non-Jews, then they have to admit that an Arab state is by its nature discriminatory against non-Arabs. If they claim that Arabs would be more liberal towards Jews than Israel is towards its Arab citizens, they are knowingly lying.
Article (2) The Palestinian people have an independent identity. They are the sole authority that decides their own destiny, and they have complete sovereignty on all their lands.
No room for Jewish political power.
Article (3) The Palestinian Revolution plays a leading role in liberating Palestine.
Article (4) The Palestinian struggle is part and parcel of the world-wide struggle against Zionism, colonialism and international imperialism.
Even the idea that Jews might want power would be illegal in Palestine, since Zionism is the enemy, not an alternative national movement that deserves equal weight.
Article (5) Liberating Palestine is a national obligation which necessities the materialistic and human support of the Arab Nation.
Article (6) UN projects, accords and resolutions, or those of any individual which undermine the Palestinian people’s right in their homeland are illegal and rejected.
The current love of Palestinians for the UN has nothing to do with accepting international ideals of peace and equality.
Article (7) The Zionist Movement is racial, colonial and aggressive in ideology, goals, organisation and method.
Therefore, Zionists would not be tolerated in Palestine.
Article (8) The Israeli existence in Palestine is a Zionist invasion with a colonial expansive base, and it is a natural ally to colonialism and international imperialism.
Article (9) Liberating Palestine and protecting its holy places is an Arab, religious and human obligation.
Jews would have no equal access to holy places. Or access at all.
Article (10) Palestinian National Liberation Movement, “FATEH“, is an independent national revolutionary movement representing the revolutionary vanguard of the Palestinian people.
Article (11) The crowds which participate in the revolution and liberation are the proprietors of the Palestinian land.
GoalsArticle (12) Complete liberation of Palestine, and eradication of Zionist economic, political, military and cultural existence.
Yes, even Israeli culture must be eradicated. And if Israeli culture includes Jewish holidays and rituals? Take a guess how much respect they would be given if there is the slightest conflict with Arab and Muslim desires.
Article (13) Establishing an independent democratic state with complete sovereignty on all Palestinian lands, and Jerusalem is its capital city, and protecting the citizens’ legal and equal rights without any racial or religious discrimination.
See previous note. It would be equal on paper, but in the end it wouldn’t be. Would Jews be able to eat in public on Ramadan? Would Jews be able to sell wine?
Article (14) Setting up a progressive society that warrants people’s rights and their public freedom.
Article (15) Active participation in achieving the Arab Nation’s goals in liberation and building an independent, progressive and united Arab society.
Article (16) Backing up all oppressed people in their struggle for liberation and self-determination in order to build a just, international peace.
Method
Article (17) Armed public revolution is the inevitable method to liberating Palestine.
This is still part of the Fatah platform, today.
Article (18) Entire dependence on the Palestinian people which is the pedestal forefront and on the Arab Nation as a partner in the fight, and realising actual interaction between the Arab Nation and the Palestinian people by involving the Arab people in the fight through a united Arab front.
Article (19) Armed struggle is a strategy and not a tactic, and the Palestinian Arab People’s armed revolution is a decisive factor in the liberation fight and in uprooting the Zionist existence, and this struggle will not cease unless the Zionist state is demolished and Palestine is completely liberated.
Article (20) Achieving mutual understanding with all the national forces participating in the armed struggle to attain the national unity.
Article (21) Revealing the revolutionary nature of the Palestinian identity at the international level, and this does not contradict the everlasting unity between the Arab Nation and the Palestinian people.
Article (22) Opposing any political solution offered as an alternative to demolishing the Zionist occupation in Palestine, as well as any project intended to liquidate the Palestinian case or impose any international mandate on its people.
Article (23) Maintaining relations with Arab countries with the objective of developing the positive aspects in their attitudes with the proviso that the armed struggle is not negatively affected.
Article (24) Maintaining relations with all liberal forces supporting our just struggle in order to resist together Zionism and imperialism.
Article (25) Convincing concerned countries in the world to prevent Jewish immigration to Palestine as a method of solving the problem.
There is a law that is explicitly antisemitic in the Fatah constitution. Jews cannot immigrate to “Palestine.” But Arabs can. The only tiny sliver of land in the world where Jews can freely immigrate must be destroyed in the Arab concept of a liberal, modern state of Palestine.
Article (26) Avoiding attempts to exploit the Palestinian case in any Arab or international problems and considering the case above all contentions.
Article (27) “FATEH” does not interfere with local Arab affairs and hence, does not tolerate such interference or obstructing its struggle by any party.
This is the most liberal interpretation of the phrase “from the river to the sea” possible. There is no Palestinian calling for anything more inclusive of Jews than what is described here.
Anyone who thinks that this is an acceptable or even desirable goal – the creation of yet another Arab state that pay lip service to equality but which is in fact antisemitic (and anti-Christian!) to the core – is fooling themselves.
In reality, the Palestinian state would treat Jews, at best, the same way the Arab political leaders in the West Bank have treated Christians – with such contempt and bias that the vast majority have fled over the decades of both Jordanian and Palestinian rule.
If a state with truly equal rights in the Middle East is the goal, then why does Israel have to be the only state that is morally obligated to be replaced – when it is truly the only state in the world where Jews can have true self determination?
Yes, there is tension in Israel between absolute equality and being a Jewish state. But those who complain that Israel must be dismantled to create an Arab state that would give far fewer rights to Jews than Israel does to Arabs is not interested in equality – they are interested in destroying the human right of self determination for Jews and only Jews. All the talk about a state for all its peoples is simply a catchphrase for destroying the only Jewish state – and replacing it with yet another failed Arab regime.
If there is any iota of evidence that Palestinians can govern themselves in a more enlightened way than any other Arab state, I am anxious to hear about it. And if there is any evidence that a Palestinian state would treat its minorities better than Israel does, by all means, enlighten us.
The very idea is ludicrous, and even Israel’s most fervent critics couldn’t say with a straight face that a Palestinian state would be more inclusive than Israel is today.
Which means that the people screaming “from the river to the sea” aren’t interested in equal rights. They are antisemitic, plain and simple.
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