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Justice cannot be built on segregation: A call for a one-state solution

By Dr Farhin Delawala

Calls for a Palestinian state alongside an Israeli state are being heard worldwide once more. As if drawing lines on paper will end decades of dispossession, world leaders at the UN continue to talk about reinstating the “two-state solution.” However, history has repeatedly demonstrated that this vision is not just unrealistic but also unjust. Certainly, the call to go back to the 1967 borders is not something that can be revived given the current facts on the ground.

The “two states” rhetoric has turned into a cruel mirage and painful fantasy for the Palestinians. Peace was promised through the 1993 and 1995 Oslo Accords but instead, there were more settlements, checkpoints, and daily humiliations. The UN has proclaimed Gaza to be in unliveable conditions, yet the settler colony of Israel has deepened its occupation. What sort of “state” is it if its territory is divided, its roads and borders are under foreign control, its religious sites are desecrated, its citizens are denied freedom of movement, and its sovereignty is essentially symbolic? Whilst Israelis enjoy all the benefits of society and infrastructure, built on the funding from foreign nations, Palestinians suffer the access to the most basic forms of survival such as clean water.

The truth is obvious: inequality is strengthened by a Palestinian “mini-state” that exists alongside Israel. It formalises isolation rather than abolishing it thus, legitimising apartheid.

Let’s turn to South Africa for guidance. The establishment of two states, one for whites and one for blacks, was not the end of apartheid. It culminated in an ongoing struggle for a single democratic state founded on freedom, equality, and dignity for all its people, now forming The Rainbow Nation. Unity, not division, was the path to justice. A partition only reinforces efforts towards racism and discrimination whereas a unitary state promotes integration of cultures, communities and races.

The struggle in Palestine is no exception. The “pass laws” of South Africa during the apartheid era, are mirrored in the system of walls, checkpoints, and permits in Palestine. Homes are razed, land is confiscated, and families are split up. While Palestinians in the West Bank are confined to fragmented enclaves, those in Gaza are under siege. Inside of the settler colony, Palestinians are treated as second-class citizens due to systematic discrimination. Fragmentation is the strategy, and the two-state illusion is its disguise.

According to some, a “one state” is impractical. The idea that two nations can form while Israel maintains control over the land, the borders, the resources, and the air that Palestinians breathe, is genuinely unrealistic. Pretending that segregation can serve as the foundation for justice is ludicrous. The foundation of a fair settlement must be the idea that everyone who lives between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea has the same rights, freedoms, and security. This implies a single democratic state in which human dignity is unassailable, and citizenship is equal.

This idealism is not naïve.  It is the only course that complies with both historical precedents and international human rights law.  South Africa demonstrated to the world that long-standing racial dominance structures may be overthrown.  Once thought to be unachievable, the global anti-apartheid movement succeeded when justice was made a non-negotiable goal.  Palestine should have the same unclouded vision.

Furthermore, the question of justice in Palestine is a global moral challenge rather than merely a regional one. As Palestinians lose their lives, land, and freedom, the world cannot support never-ending talks that repeat the same failed model. Supporting two states now, is a covert endorsement of perpetual occupation.

The current Palestinian statehood campaign may seem promising. However, it runs the risk of turning into another smokescreen stalling justice if it is not based on equality. A flag at the UN does not equate to freedom if checkpoints, demolitions, and blockades continue to be common.

The time has come to ditch the illusions. The world must acknowledge that a single state based on democracy, equality, and our common humanity is the best way to honour both peoples. South Africa taught us that when the world rejects anything less than justice, apartheid crumbles. Palestine is not an exception, and it needs the same clarity and bravery that helped end apartheid through international solidarity. Ordinary citizens, civic society, and governments must demand a future founded on equality, dignity, and shared humanity in place of compromises and myths. This is a test of our shared commitment to justice and not just a Palestinian problem. To accept anything less than one democratic state is to accept a world where oppression can be repackaged as peace.

Researcher at Media Review Network

Dr Farhin Delawala holds a PhD in Health Sciences and is a published author of several academic articles. Dr Delawala is deeply committed to global health and social justice. She has drafted advocacy memos and presented at forums on disability rights in humanitarian crises. She brings versatile leadership across academia, government service, and NGO sectors, with a passion for roles that intersect public health, education, and diplomacy, and allow for global mobility, impact, and collaboration.

 

Farhin Delawala
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