The Article “The Politics of Decolonization and Bi-Nationalism in Israel/Palestine” written by Bashir and Rachel Bus bridge provides a possible solution to one of the trickiest conflicts ongoing in the Middle East i.e.; the Israel-Palestine conflict. The authors emphasize the idea of decolonization within this context and its relationship with the concept of a one-state paradigm.
In this article, the authors refer to the resurgence of decolonization as a framework for analyzing the Israel Palestine conflict and suggesting the incorporation of perspective bi-nationalism. Bi- nationalism approach focuses on the creation of one state and giving equal rights to everyone who lives in the region regardless of their background. The authors mentioned the potential challenges that could be faced in the implementation of bi-national model such as socioeconomic disparities, limited political baking and former diplomatic relations. However, despite the challenges authors believe that the bi-nationalism perspective presents ethical principles for transitioning from colonialism to a postcolonial society based on justice and equality. The authors have supported their idea by discussing the perspectives of other scholars as well. A comparison of the effectiveness of both one-state and two-state solutions has been provided to support the argument.
The idea of one state in the region seems ideal and it’s difficult to achieve. They talked about one democratic state where everyone will have equal rights. However, it’s unattainable in reality because of the unequal distribution of resources, ethnicity, and political backup. Moreover, the authors had not explained the ways to implement this model and how both parties can be convinced to apply this model. Overall, the article is well-aligned and engaging.
The writer is a student of “BS International Relations” at “International Islamic University Islamabad” and a member of PYDIR.