Act for One New State

Act for new one-state.

The day is here.

(BETHLEHEM) - Many people of good faith yearn for a future that is a joint democratic pluralistic state that encompasses all of the historic land of Palestine (currently the political entities of the apartheid State of Israel and the post-1967 Israeli occupied Palestinian Territories).

It is time to put our beliefs into practice by bringing together all these people to effect the needed transformation socially and politically.

We call on you to join us to formulate all the needed mechanisms for this transformation. We are seeking local and international legal experts to draft a constitution for our joint future state and we are seeking activists with other skills (media, lobbying, civil disobedience etc) to translate the vision into reality.

In our joint future state, Palestinian Refugees will have the right to return to their homes and lands and to receive reparation for their suffering as supported by UNGA resolution 194. Return and self-determination are key pillars of peace based on justice. The validity of all actual laws and policies will be subject to this constitution with a bill of rights.

This constitution is founded on the critical principle that all people who live in historic Palestine as well as Palestinians who will realise their inalienable right of return will have an effective equality of citizenship and will enjoy fundamental rights and freedoms as articulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Substantively and procedurally, the constitution and structures to effect the needed transformation will be modified and adopted only via democratically structured institutions and, in this vein, we support efforts to reconstitute the Palestine National Council on democratic and representative foundations for all Palestinians regardless of where they currently live. The constitution will enable constant contestation of actual laws ensuring that structures of power never entrench themselves.

Equal citizenship will have the result that present apartheid-based laws will be abrogated and future social and economic rights will never again be attached to any patterned and structured identity test that necessarily results in discrimination, oppression and domination of those who do not pass it.

We believe in popular resistance and an anti-Apartheid struggle to achieve our collective goals. We will build on the previous initiatives and conferences that focused on one state solutions. We urge the international community to support us in ending Israeli apartheid and achieving our goal of one democratic state via the use of Boycotts, Divestments, and Sanctions (BDS) and all other means of pressure as articulated in the Palestinian Civil Society Call to Action 2005.

If you would like to join us, go to <http://www.palestinejn.org/component/content/article/47-ongoing/124-join-th
e-one-state-initiative> http://www.palestinejn.org/component/content/article/47-ongoing/124-join-the-one-state-initiative . By signing, you agree to the use of your name and to the outline above and to help the effort. Organizations may also join this effort by sending the name of the organization, email address, physical address, phone number, and individual name of the person authorized to communicate with us on behalf of the organization to: onestate@PalestineJN.org.

(Affiliation does not imply institutional endorsement, all signers in personal capacity)

Samir Abed-Rabbo (Dr.), ODS and Center for Advanced International Studies
Susan Abulhawa, Author
Ali Abunimah Abdelfattah Abusrour (Dr.), Alrowwad Cultural and Theatre Center, Aida Refugee Camp
Khalid Amayreh, writer, journalist and  political commentator. Dura, Hebron
Naseer Aruri (Prof.), Emeritus (University of Massachusetts Dartmouth), Author of Dishonest Broker
Omar Barghouti, human rights activist
Ramzy Baroud, Author, Editor, The Palestine Chronicle
Oren Ben-Dor (Dr.), School of Law, University of Southampton, UK
George Bisharat, UC Hastings College of the Law, San Francisco
Haim Bresheeth (Prof.), BRICUP and University of East London
Eitan Bronstein
Shuki Cohen
Uri Davis (Prof.), Al-Quds University
Haidar Eid (Prof.), ODSG, Gaza
Jamil Fayez (Dr.)
Burhan Ghanayem (Dr.), Businessman and Philanthropist, Previously Researcher at NIH, North Carolina
Neta Golan, International Solidarity Movement
Alma Abdul Hadi Jadallah  (Dr.), School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution,
George Mason University
Sami Jamil Jadallah, JD, Founder of United Palestinian Appeal
Hatim Kanaaneh (Dr.), Author of a "Doctor in Gallilee"
Ghada Karmi (Prof.), University of Exeter, Devon, UK
Lubna Masarwa, Activist and Community Organizer, Jerusalem
Nur Masalha (Prof.), SOAS, University of London, UK
Lois Nakhlah
Dorothy Naor (Dr.)
Susan Nathan, Author, The other Side of Israel
Ken O'Keefe, Irish, Hawaiian, and Palestinian citizenship
Allegra Pacheco, Advocate
Ilan Pappe (Prof.), University of Exeter
Mazin Qumsiyeh (Prof.) Bethlehem University
George N. Rishmawi, Palestinian Center for Rapprochement, Beit Sahour
Suleiman Sharkh (Dr.), University of Southampton, Chairman of the PSC
Southampton Branch, Palestinian Refugee from Majdal Asqalan
Timothy Andrew King, News Editor, Salem-News.com

Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD - Popular Committee to Defend Ush Ghrab (PCDUG) "A Bedouin in Cyberspace, a villager at home. Mazin has been an Associate Professor of Genetics; Director, Cytogenetics Laboratory at Yale University School of Medicine since 1999. He previously held a similar position at Duke University. Professor Qumsiyeh has authored over 110 scientific papers in areas of mammalogy, biology, and medicine including mammalian biology and evolution, clinical genetics, and cancer research. He has published over 100 letters to the editor and 30 op-ed pieces in International, national, regional and local papers on issues ranging from politics to environmental issues. His appearances in national media included the Washington Post, New York Times, Boston Globe, CNBC, C-Span, and ABC, among others. He is the founder and president of the Holy Land Conservation Foundation and ex-President of the Middle East Genetics Association, and Prof. Qumsiyeh won the Jallow activism award from the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee in 1998. Those are just a small list, visit Mazin Qumsiyeh's amazing and informative Website to learn more: qumsiyeh.org.