Live with Dr Hanan Ashrawi on the Future for Palestine
On Friday 5th February, Palestine Deep Dive held an exclusive live show with the distinguished Palestinian leader Dr Hanan Ashrawi.
Covering much ground, Mark Seddon discussed with Dr Ashrawi everything from her childhood, being the daughter of a PLO founder and her own journey to the heart of Palestinian politics, to whether Palestinians should officially drop the Two State Solution from their demands and move towards One State, and the urgent need for young people to be incorporated into Palestinian politics.
Mark Seddon: “Are you looking ahead? Are you essentially an optimist? Are you hopeful? Do you think things will get better?”
Dr Hanan Ashrawi: “I want to tell you the situation is much too serious, much too grave, much too dangerous to be approached from an existential mood point of view. I am neither optimistic nor pessimistic. I deal with reality in a way that attempts to change things… I believe if you become passive you become a victim.”
“Right now I think we are undergoing one of the most difficult periods of Palestinian history of our lives. One of the most challenging. We have still not recovered from one of the first phases with the Trump administration… in which he attempted to bash the Palestinians into submission and of course failed like everybody else who has attempted to force the Palestinians to their knees or to surrender”
“I am neither optimistic nor pessimistic. I deal with reality in a way that attempts to change things… I believe if you become passive you become a victim”
Mark Seddon: “In light of the growing rejection of the two state solution by Palestinians and views that it’s now impossible, when will the Palestinian leadership consider working towards a form of one state solution and should it?”
Dr Hanan Ashrawi: “About one state or two states I always tell people let’s not get involved in this which way, what we need is to gain the Palestinian people our rights, their rights. How you define our rights? Those under occupation want to live in freedom on their own land, those in exile want to be able to return and live in freedom on their own land, those are fragmented all over the world want to be able to be rejoined and to be able to live with the rest of the people on their own land.”
“So the question is not how do we do it, one state, two state, federation, confederation, regional, union, whatever. The thing is how do we achieve those rights? And foremost is the right to self-determination, this is absolutely crucial the right to live in freedom and dignity on your own land and take decisions pertaining to your own lives.”
“In 1968/69 yes, the Palestinian people were the first to ask for a one state solution…but of course this was turned down by everybody… and the whole world adopted the UN approach then, and I call it the colonial approach of partitioning Palestine. As you remember it wasn’t our choice to have Israel created on our land… When the PLO accepted 22% of historic Palestine we were told that was not enough, Israel is creating facts… so you have to compromise… show that you are positive.”
“One reason why I resigned was to practise what I preach, it was to show… that you can support and encourage young people to be part of decision making, it is their time for heaven sake”
Mark Seddon: “If elections are held this year, do you see any hope that a new third party, younger and more creative, could provide a meaningful electoral alternative to Fatah and Hamas?”
Dr Hanan Ashrawi: “To me the question is how do you get young people and women and professional people and people of integrity. We have amazing, amazing human beings, amazing Palestinians, young promising people, active and strong women. We have lots of potential, lots of human resources who have been deprived for a long time of the right to be at the table.”
“Many people are disgruntled, they do not like or trust the leadership, not just Fatah or Hamas but even the whole political system, they are desperate to see change. And they have to be themselves the change, but we have to make room for them.”
“One reason why I resigned was to practise what I preach, it was to show and maybe to trigger change, to say that you can leave office, that you can make room for others, and that you can support and encourage young people to be part of decision making, it is their time for heaven sake.”
“We have amazing, amazing human beings, amazing Palestinians, young promising people, active and strong women”
Mark Seddon: “With youth and enthusiasm there also has to be experience and wisdom, do you see this new generation and would you think about doing it yourself?”
Dr Hanan Ashrawi: “I didn’t resign in order to re-enter. I have never abandoned the cause. I never will… I do not need an official position to be able to be effective. Frankly speaking I was less effective because I stayed in the PLO executive trying desperately to change from within, to challenge from within and it’s very difficult. You cannot just be a lone voice in the wilderness.”
“I think we can bring about change from the outside if we organise. We cannot organise only in cyberspace and mobilise in cyberspace and in virtual reality we have to organise on the ground, you have to bring out the vote, women and young men and qualified people have to work together in order to make a quantitive difference, not just a qualitative difference.”
“Very frankly I have told everybody I don’t want to run, but I will support the right candidates and I will campaign for the right candidates and right now I am engaged in dialogue in conversations with lots of discussions with young men and women who are exploring the possibilities and means of running and I hope they will be able to run in order to make a difference, they will find support from me and like minded others who want to help them get to their proper place and not to continue to be excluded and marginalised and that is where I think I can make a difference.”
