The transition from a Jewish state to true democracy will benefit all

Amidst the obvious failure of the “two-state” proposal and Israeli society’s shifting even further to the right, the hundred-year-old vision for One Democratic State (ODS) is resurfacing in Palestinian as well as Israeli circles. A transition from the “state exclusive to Jews” to a state of all its citizens may not sound appealing to most Israeli Jews. Indeed, by calling for the establishment of a state exclusive to Jews, Zionism privileges Jews over non-Jews; but ODS is the fundamental antithesis of this, as it refuses to politicize identity in the first place and accordingly calls for a state of its citizens with no privileges for any religious, ethnic, or other identity group. Although it does not discriminate against Jews (as it would not be exclusive to Arabs or Muslims), it requires them to forgo any and all colonial privileges they currently enjoy under the Israeli state. But is this transition from “settler” to “citizen” really a downgrade — or an upgrade?

Zionism’s cost to those it claims to protect

Yes, Zionism has succeeded in establishing a state exclusive to Jews. This has not come without a cost. The ethnic cleansing and occupation of Palestine — what Herzl has aptly named “colonization” — has exacted a heavy cognitive and mental price for us as occupiers, many of whom are living in the very houses of the Palestinians who are not allowed to return to them. This means that we constantly need to shut out our consciences.

On an international level, the pretense that “Israel is the home of all Jews” also estranges Jews throughout the world from their actual homes — their own states and societies. This eerily mirrors the approach Jews worldwide, particularly in Europe, suffered from when their fellow countrymen politicized their Jewish identity and treated them as Jews rather than as fellow citizens. The Haavara agreement is one example of this common viewpoint between Zionism and European antisemitism. This explains why so many antisemites support Zionism, while Western societies that are more anti-Zionist tend to be less antisemitic.

Establishing a state “exclusive to Jews” rather than a state of all its citizens also meant the state has been burdened with defining “what is a Jew” — often making judgments that differ from how these individuals view or define themselves. This has led to absurdities such as people who neither identify as Jewish, nor would be recognized by any denomination of Judaism as Jewish, as being recognized as Jewish for immigration purposes, such as the Christian Afrikaaners who conveniently “converted” right after apartheid was dismantled in South Africa, or the Russian immigrants to Israel whose “religion” is unclear, or even Nazis who were deemed to be Jewish! This becomes even more absurd when Palestinians who were born in the land are not allowed back in by a state that claims to be democratic.

Finally, politicizing identity may spiral out of control. Identity is what sets us apart from “others,” and when a certain identitarian group achieves dominance over others, the group itself may fragment itself into sub-identities, each viewing the other as the “other.” A recent example of this would be Christian-majority South Sudan, whose secession from Muslim-majority Sudan on religious/sectarian grounds has drowned the country into inter-tribal civil war. The decade-long discrimination against “other” Jews, such as Ethiopian or Mizrahi Jews, is another example. Current events that pit Israelis against Israelis and threaten to spiral into “civil war” indicate where we are heading — unless we start viewing and treating each other as citizens rather than Jews or non-Jews.

The solution: One Democratic State

A transition to democracy would bring us closer to the Jewish values of being a “light unto the nations” and of the commandments: “you shall not kill”, “you shall not steal”, and, importantly — loving and respecting the stranger who lives amongst us. It would also bring substantial on-the-ground changes: Removing barriers within the land means that sincere Jewish persons who are not enthralled by colonialism but who feel a genuine connection to parts of the land (such as, for example, Hebron) would have access to them, as they would not be “non-Jewish areas.” Instead of imposing a single, monocultural Jewish identity that erases where we come from, depoliticizing identity would also allow us to explore ourselves and our unique cultures and identities.

A transition to democracy would also be a guarantee of security (something that, 75 years later, the state of Israel has not managed to guarantee). The existence of a colonial state leaves Palestinians with no choice but to resist. Liberation is, therefore, the real path to long-lasting peace and security. Indeed, post-slavery U.S.A or post-apartheid South Africa did not end in the genocide of the former oppressors, because the oppressed were thirsty for liberation, not for blood. They will have no need to defend themselves in the presence of a democratic state that has a monopoly on violence and uses it to protect its citizens’ lives rather than colonial privileges.

Finally, a transition to democracy would mean the end of Zionism and settler colonialism in the name of Judaism. Ending this conflation would go a long way toward defusing anti-Jewish sentiment in the region, which, before Zionism, was far less prevalent than the antisemitism that existed in Europe during the same period.

Yes, the transition from a state exclusive to Jews to a state of all its citizens would require Israeli Jews to forego colonial privileges. But we can do so. Not only is it morally right, but it is also to our advantage. Much as the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States liberated the whole society, the liberation of Palestine will also free its Jewish inhabitants and will encourage similar democratic movements in the region to the benefit of all. I call on all to carefully consider this option — the better option — of upgrading from settler to citizen, from a state exclusive to Jews to One Democratic State.