After a week that saw Hamas courageously break Israel’s illegal and immoral blockade of Gaza, the democratically elected government issues a warning to the Jewish state:
A senior Hamas official warned yesterday that the next breakout from the Gaza Strip could be into Israel, with 500,000 Palestinians attempting to march towards the towns and villages from which they or their parents fled or were expelled 60 years ago.
“This is not an imaginary scenario and many Palestinians would be prepared to sacrifice their lives,” said Ahmed Youssef, political adviser to Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya.
It’s hard to imagine half a million Palestinians trying to march into Israel – their legal right, it should be stated, to reclaim stolen property – but how would the international community react? As long as the Jewish state refuses to acknowledge the suffering of the Palestinians and enlarge the occupation – ably assisted by the Zionist lobby – Palestinians have the right to demand equal rights in their own homeland. It’s clear that Israel is afraid Palestinians want full access to their ancestral homeland and a complete end to the occupation. This is, by definition, a one-state solution and the end of the Jewish state.
It cannot come a day too soon. A state with equal rights for all its citizens should be welcomed by everybody who believes in true democracy.