Response to Gershon Baskin's Call: Between Building Trust and Growing Ugly Colonialism

The call made by Israeli activist Gershon Baskin in the prestigious Al-Quds newspaper on Wednesday to form a bilateral committee to build confidence between Palestinians and Israelis appears, on the surface, to be an attempt to find a solution to the conflict. However, it ignores the roots of the problem: the Israeli occupation, settlements, and the denial of the Palestinians' right to self-determination and even their very existence. Trust cannot be built under a colonial-settler regime that rejects others, and no steps toward "peace" can be discussed without recognizing the national and historical rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them the establishment of an independent state on the pre-June 4, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and guaranteeing the right of refugees to return in accordance with UN Resolution 194.

If Gershon Baskin is sincere in his call for peace—and he may be—his first step should be to urge Israeli society to recognize the Palestinian people's right to freedom, sovereignty, and national independence, and to end the occupation in all its forms. This includes halting settlement activity and ending its manifestations from its inception, lifting the siege on Gaza, and halting the policies of genocide, forced displacement, and ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West Bank, including Jerusalem. Any initiative not based on the foundations of justice, equality, and historical rights is nothing more than an attempt to beautify the status quo and prolong the occupation under the guise of "confidence-building."

Talking about building trust as if it were a process independent of ending the occupation is, in essence, an evasion of responsibility, placing Palestinians and Israelis on an equal footing in terms of responsibility for the conflict. The truth is, Israel is the occupying power, oppressing another people, the original owners of the land. It is the one practicing colonial settlement and racial discrimination, imposing a colonial settlement reality that leaves no room for any genuine trust or partnership. How can Palestinians trust someone who occupies their land, demolishes their homes, and kills their children daily, and then demands that they be patient and build trust?

With the rise of fascism within Israel and the coup against so-called democracy, any talk of a genuine Israeli opposition is becoming questionable. The "traditional opposition" forces have become unanimous in their support for the continuation of the occupation and settlements, and they lack any serious position against the racist and colonial policies of successive governments. What we see today is Israel's transformation into a colonialist settlement entity with a growing fascist face, where even the "traditional opposition" accepts the perpetuation of oppression and colonialism, rendering any talk of a political partnership with the leaders of this settlement regime a form of delusion and self-deception.

The rise of fascism in Israel is not a Palestinian issue alone; it even affects the future of Jews worldwide, just as happened in Europe during the rise of Nazism and fascism in the last century and the subsequent holocausts against Europeans, which we have always rejected. History is repeating itself, and what we are witnessing today in Israel, with the support of the American and European fascist right, could lead to disastrous long-term consequences for all the peoples of the region and indeed the world.

If Baskin is serious about his vision for peace, he must call on Israeli society to recognize an independent Palestinian state, just as his article reminds us of the Palestinians' recognition of Israel in the Oslo Accords, which, after the Israeli government's repudiation of them, led to the current state of affairs in the region. This is the true standard for embodying the two-state solution as an international option, not merely symbolic proposals to polish the image of the occupation. Continuing to ignore these facts is part of the "Greater Israel" project, which is expanding today based on the vision of the global Zionist movement, biblical claims, regional normalization, and ongoing Western colonial support, particularly American support.

The repetition of "coexistence" and "confidence-building" projects, without first ending the occupation, is nothing more than an attempt to distort the nature of the conflict and weaken the growing international solidarity movement with the Palestinian liberation cause. Palestinians do not need symbolic projects suggesting that the occupation could be "gentle" or "temporary," but rather clear international recognition of the need to completely dismantle the colonial system.

Dealing with "opposition" Israelis is not completely unacceptable, and it deviates from political realism. However, it must be based on clear political principles stemming from hostility to the colonial system as a whole, not from the premise of improving its image or attempting to reform it from within. These opponents must clearly declare their position on the occupation, settlements, and Judaization, and establish the broadest popular front with Arab forces in Israel to work toward this goal. Otherwise, they become part of the problem, not the solution. History has taught us that silence and complicity with fascist regimes ultimately lead to disasters that are not limited to a specific people, but affect everyone.

Dear Mr. Gershon Baskin, there is no such thing as colonialism with a human face, and there is no such thing as a "good Israeli" within a colonial settlement system, as long as they do not clearly and explicitly break away from it and reject it. What is required today is not to seek "trust-building partners," but rather to work to dismantle the entire colonial settlement system. This is your responsibility first and foremost on the streets of Israel, before you ask the Palestinians to trust your intentions or your ability to protect your security.

The path to peace does not pass through symbolic committees, despite the importance of dialogue based on the rejection of the colonial system. Rather, it passes through ending the occupation and recognizing the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. Only then can we speak of a just peace, which the peoples of the region undoubtedly need after more than a century since the beginning of the settlement project on Palestinian land, and not of a new colonial administration with a different guise.