Samantha McDaniel 1

Addressing an Ethical Controversy

The context of the Israel-Palestine issue is very complex, and it can be exemplified in the

present day through the case of Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi. Tamimi is a 17-year old

Palestinian activist whose speeches and activism as a whole display her courage and compassion

for the issue. Recently, Tamimi’s cousin was involved in a conflict resulting in him being shot in

the head at point blank range by Israeli soldiers. Hours later, Tamimi was arrested for slapping

and kicking Israeli soldiers, in her anger. She is now facing 15 years in Israeli prison, as a minor.

In her speech at the Women’s Conference in Brussels, Tamimi’s entire appeal on this issue is

that “the world needs to recognize the Palestinian cause; the Palestinian people are protecting

their own right to exist” (2017). Tamimi argues that the Palestinian struggle is one that hopes to

restore a new kind of freedom to all people in the region, by ending the imposition of Zionism at

the institutional level. She is essentially illustrating how the Zionist structure of Israel is unequal

at the expense of the marginalized, but it is also harmful those of Jewish identity. “The Zionism

is pushing the Palestinian people into the abyss. Zionism also is affecting Jewish people

themselves, it’s affecting those Jewish people who show solidarity with the Palestinian cause,

these Jewish people are also victims of Zionism. I firmly believe that our people are a noble

people, that our people are fighting for freedom…. our people can show their dignity and can

overcome and free themselves from the occupation that we’re faced with” (2017). According

many native and international activists, including Tamimi, a one-state solution is the best

restorative solution to the conflict -- calling for honest and genuine accountability, compromise,

and coexistence among the two communities (2015). There should be able to exist a state of

unity and community among those who have lived there for decades and centuries, and an end to

the divisiveness and violence.

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The two sides of this issue disagree on the fundamental ethical bases of justice.

According to one-state supporters, such as Tamimi, the only way to have peace between Israel

and Palestine is to eliminate borders and integrate the community into one state. This response

must be sure to correct for any currently unequal power structures, as the current conflict must be

addressed from within a historical context. A one-state solution stance is an example of a

restorative perspective of justice. Restorative solutions attempt to fill the gaps caused by past

mistreatment and are known for being more holistic as an intervention (2004). Tamimi is calling

for restorative measures as a response to the conflict, through a one-state solution.

Advocates calling for a one-state solution see it as coming in conjunction with related

positive qualities, such as a sense of security and equality. Tamimi and others, including Israelis,

in a one-state case would not feel the need for violence to defend their deteriorating homes and

public spaces. These activists call for a restorative response to past and present injustice, in order

to return peace to the region by replacing division with united reconciliation.

The opposition, that is Zionists, Netanyahu, and other two-state supporters do not like

that Palestinian activists have ruled out a two-state solution as an option. Two-state solutions call

for established and clear borders set between the two sovereign states. Because so much of

Israel’s existence is rooted in national identity, having a Zionist state of Israel is a fundamental

aspect of two-state solutions (2017). This aspect does not exist similarly in one-state solutions.

This is a value that is usually rejected as an option by Palestinian activists who have core values

rooted in anti-Zionism.

Zionists and two-state supporters see palestinians as refusing to compromise on borders

and therefore refusing to work toward a peaceful solution. They see themselves as offering

reasonable options, while still having these propositions shot down by Palestinians. This is a fair
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assessment (though this fundamental value is also what causes zionists to reject one-state

options).

The two-state solution is often an example of justice through retribution. It usually comes

along with conditions that require one state to forfeit their rights to the others as a form of

justice. Justice through retribution can best be understood as the philosophy of equal payback

(1997). Through this theory, the conflict can be easily resolved by Zionist activists by punishing

those threatening their existence, and demanding otherwise equal and separate spaces.

In this solution, Zionists argue that the two states will no longer see a need to resort to

violence because borders and limitations would be officially established. This is what drives

much push toward retribution: it is a quick and concise closure of the case. Building a system of

retribution is what will incentivize both sides not to target the other, as they can otherwise expect

punishment for this crime (1997).

One-state supporters however have seen time and time again historically the ways in

which two-state approaches has lead to abuse and exploitation of palestinians and Palestinian

territories, justified through a crooked narrative. The cases are not ever closed for good and

violence continues to occur because the response is too quick, short-sighted, and not

comprehensive.

In summary, the conflict between Palestine and Israel is a very complex and sensitive one

that must be discussed and dealt with considerately. Israel established itself as a Jewish state

under direction of Western leadership, despite the existence of natives already living in the land.

Today, those native Palestinians still face oppression, persecution, and illegal occupation from

Israeli institutions. The overall goal is expanding this identity state of Israel, but only for some.
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The issue is especially sensitive because of the context of historical persecution of the Jewish

diaspora over centuries.

There are two main solution ideas that have continuously been proposed: a one-state

solution or a two-state solution. A one-state solution establishes no formal Zionist state of Israel

and also no formal Palestinian Arab-state, but a land of all identities where people can coexist on

an equal plane. A two-state solution establishes two very clear states, with their own independent

leadership, and no more attempted at Zionist expansion to land that is not theirs. In this scenario,

we must be able to honestly and genuinely, from an independent source, apply Nozick’s third

principle that is currently missing. Reparations can and must be made to make up for unjust

acquisition and to restore equality of access and opportunity.

Personally, I believe a one-state solution, regardless of how difficult, is the most ethical

and reasonable response to this issue. A one-state solution, unlike two-state, encourages

inclusion, equality, community, and restoration. In situations of unequal power balances and

oppression, such as apartheid or the jim crow era, we have seen as a society that “separate but

equal” is not a realistic or sustainable response to conflict. The only way to truly face and end

conflict, is to do exactly that; agree to peaceful coexistence.

This policy is one that has been advocated for for decades, from Palestinian activists and

scholars such as Edward Said, who “admits that both the claims of a God-promised land for the

Jews and of an Arab land for Palestinians must be ‘reduced in scale and exclusivity’. This can be

done while preserving both the Jewish culture and the Palestinian culture, and all the other

diverse subgroups in between. If it is neither an exclusively Jewish land, nor an exclusively Arab

land, then what is Palestine and how can a binational one-state become a permanent solution?

Said believed that the most important social feature for a successful one-state in Palestine is the
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practice of citizenship in a modern sense of the term. In other words, by sharing rights and

responsibilities under a law that treats all as equal, citizenship prevails over ethnic and religious

chauvinism” (2014). This is the only policy that seems to really tackle what otherwise could

quite possibly continue to be an endless war.

As mentioned before, many zionist activists do no favor a one-state solution because of

the identity specific context of the state of Israel. To them, it is a rejection of Jewish heritage -- a

betrayal from the governments who promised this land to this specific identity. However, there is

also the deeper historical context of the conflict as a whole. Two-state supporters rightfully point

out the cultural tension among Israelis and Palestinians and how this has been displayed through

generations of violence, war, and ideological propaganda. According to zionists, these two

cultures cannot realistically be expected to coexist suddenly now, after decades of systemic

trauma.

Despite the amount of patience and difficulty involved in this as a solution, it is still the

best way to address the issue because the solution will finally be long-term and sustainable.

Right now, no policy existing to intervene has led to what has become understood as an

unofficial two-state nation. This is important because it has confirmed the fatal flaw of the two-

state option -- endless conflict. It is true, a one-state solution may initially cause much disorder

as any change would, especially rooted in such inequality. However, after this initial unrest,

through a one-state solution as a basis, integrative supports can be put into place to help begin

encouraging cohesion. A vital piece of this solution to Said is rights to national citizenship and

the equal access to opportunities and resources that it entails (2015). Tamimi also discusses in

her speech the way in which Zionism harms all involved in the struggle, and the only way to find
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peace is to denounce Zionist policies. In the long run, a one-state solution can address all the

deeply rooted and complex national issues that a two-state response would otherwise overlook.

Works Cited

The Role of Women in the Palestinian Popular Struggle. Speech by Ahed Tamimi.

Brussels Women’s Conference. February 13, 2018. Accessed February 15, 2018.

http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/Article_78851.shtml.

New York Times. "A Brief History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict." New York Times:

Learning Network. 2009. Accessed February 27, 2018. http://www.nytimes.com/

learning/teachers/studentactivity/20090109gazahistory.pdf.

Said, Edward. "Zionism from the Standpoint of its Victims." The Edward Said Reader, 1979, 1-

11. 2016. Accessed February 27, 2018. https://jewishvoiceforpeace.org/wp-

content/uploads/2016/06/Edward-Said-Excerpt.pdf.

Rachels, James. "Punishment and Desert." Ethics in Practice, 1997, 470-79. Accessed March 27,

2018. http://www.jamesrachels.org/punanddes.pdf.

Braithwaite, John. "Restorative Justice and De-Professionalization." The Good Society 13, no. 1

(2004): 28-31. Accessed March 27, 2018. http://johnbraithwaite.com/wp-content/uploads

/2016/03/RJ_De-Professionalization_2004.pdf.

Halawi, Ibrahim. "In Memory of Edward Said: The One-state Solution." Middle East Eye.

February 13, 2015. Accessed March 27, 2018. http://www.middleeasteye.net/columns/

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memory-edward-said-one-state-solution-117215136.

Wildman, Sarah. "’We Are Here to Stay, Forever.’ Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Vows to

Keep Settlements." Vox. August 29, 2017. Accessed March 27, 2018.

https://www.vox.com/world/2017/8/29/16220132/netanyahu-settlements-we-will-

stay-forever-west-bank.