European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 22, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Palestinian israeli integration by Thomas l. Friedman new York times As Israel already become a jewish aral Sale in Verylh maj but name9 thai Radical thesis is being Pul Forward by a loading palestinian philosopher. Sari Nuseibeh. A professor at Bir Cit University in the israeli occupied West Bank his idea is being seriously discussed by israeli and palestinian intellectuals Wilh equal discomfort it All began with an egged bus said Nuseibeh. Referring to the israeli bus company. After the 1967 War palestinians would not get near an egged bus it looked like a terrifying monster from outer space transporting aliens from one foreign place to another. Some people said we should never ride the israeli buses because it would be recognizing the occupation but slowly. Palestinians started using the egged buses they figured out where they were going and where they were coming the israeli system is like the egged bus Nuseibeh said in an interview a Lew Days after speaking about his ideas at an israeli palestinian conference in 20 years he said we have moved from totally re cling it to a Point of realizing that we can get on it and use it Lor our own purposes " this integration of israelis with palestinians from the Wesl Bank and Gaza strip has gone so far Nuseibeh argues thai the palestinians May soon conclude they will be much better off demanding Equality and voting rights within the present Structure than campaigning for the creation of separate palestinian and jewish entities he believes the creation of such entities in unlikely the palestinians to argues have wrongly been using the algerian Model of resistance treating the israelis As imperialists to be driven out. That he says contrasts with the South african Model of resistance treating the israelis As a deeply rooted population with a monopoly Over Power and resources that could be gradually taken Over from within but even it palestinians do not choose this As a declared strategy Nuseibeh says it is probably going to evolve naturally if the last 20 years Are a guide most of the alte lion until now. He argues has focused on the integration of Israel with the West Bank and Gaza through jewish settlement. What is rarely examined he added is the degree to which the 1 5 million West Bank and Gaza palestinians have gradually become integrated into the israeli system that they verbally reject in addition. 500.000 israeli arabs have been citizens since 1948 every morning Nuseibeh said Lens of thousands of the Wesl Bank palestinians Dunk their israeli produced milk and Coffee slip on their israeli made cans and Ihen Board the trucks of israeli contractors and spend their Day working in israeli Lowns. Where they speak hebrew later these same West Bank workers will pay their income taxes to the israeli government perhaps bribe an israeli official to obtain building permits read their israeli censored arabic newspapers and maybe go abroad on israeli travel documents before leaving for abroad they May go la the Arab Marl Al in Jerusalem where palestinian in Rah int h Yarmulke alongside i love Pale mme 1 inf sen by an israeli there arc two million Arab and Ihrer in i n jews Hung in Israel and the occupied territories no Jib he said because the arabs have a higher Turin Rale everyone1 is on mat Point m Trie ear i o or 2040 when the number of arabs and jews i Imp Here will be equal but even without Seq Mility in number the two societies Are becoming so integrated thai u binational state has already been created in he the Lul Urcis now the Only thing missing he said is the consciousness the sell awareness of what to have been doing " while our palestinian bodies Are now immersed in the israeli system he added our Heads Are still above water. Our bodies integrate with it while our consciousness rejects it this is natural because the More we sink into the israeli system the More to want to assert our own distinctive palestinian National Bui when consciousness and reality Are so apart Nuseibeh said sooner or later reality will be made to fit the consciousness or the consciousness will be adjusted to fit reality either palestinians will Stop paying taxes voting in Jerusalem elections building israeli settlements and Riding egged buses or. More Likely Thier National strategy will be reshaped to fit the reality of integration that would mean demanding equal rights As citizens of the same land at some Point said Nuseibeh palestinians Are going to realize that they have been had. We Are going to Wake up one morning and find ourselves in bed with the israeli system and when we do we Are going to demand a marriage certificate that is when the real problem is going to Start " ii already has. Last month Hanna Simora the editor of the Jerusalem newspaper Al far declared that in the next elections he would run Lor the Jerusalem City palestinian editor Hanna so Flora. Council and demand an equal share of resources Lor the Arab population of the City because Jerusalem has been United through annexation palestinians there can vote and run for office on the israeli Side rightist nationalists in the Knesset Israel s parliament demanded that a Law be passed to bar him from running while others seeing the threat of nationalism called Lor the expulsion of All West Bank palestinians while palestinian radicals burned Siniora s cars. The vast mainly of palestinians quickly accepted his proposal. Arabs Board buses in the Gaza strip Tor Israel where they work. Saturday. August 22. 1987 the stars and stripes of Page 17
