These high rates of support were not at the beginning of the conflict. They came after the First Intifada, after the war in Lebanon, after the bloody wars, and after the terrible Nakba. And yet, the vast majority of the Palestinian people supported this historic compromise. We have already stated that these support rates dropped after Netanyahu’s election. We continue to see Netanyahu being elected, over and over again, more than any other Prime Minister in Israel. Unfortunately, this is also reflected in the Palestinian opinion polls, which show support rates [for a two-state settlement] have decreased.

Netanyahu promised to be “Mr. Security”, and we see the consequences. He promised to be “Mr. Economy”, and we see the consequences. He promised to eliminate the Palestinian issue. Two-and-a-half months ago, he even stood in front of the United Nations, all condescension, and stated that Palestinians constitute 2% of the Arab people. And now we see that the Palestinian cause is at the forefront of the international stage. Everyone is talking about the two-state solution, and the need to establish a Palestinian state. As Pyrrhus said, “Another such victory, and we are undone.” This describes our situation after this war, which has not achieved any of Israel’s goals, save for revenge, and killing of Palestinian civilians.

Today there are 25,000 new Palestinian orphans. How will they be raised? Think of the kids, two, five, 10 years of age, who lost their parents. Not to mention the 9,000 murdered children. These are the consequences of the war, which will force us to forever “live by the sword”.

I spoke about Netanyahu, but I also want to address you [the opposition]. This side has not spoken about peace for fifteen years — fifteen years! It has abandoned the cause of peace. When the government of Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked was formed, you were thrilled — with a government that deepened the occupation, expanded settlements, and killed Palestinians in the West Bank no less than any of Netanyahu’s governments. It was only we who stood and stated that [peace] is the foundational question.

During the protests against the judicial reform, I met with leaders of the centre-left and asked that they look for the connection between the occupation and the judicial reform. Where does [Itamar] Ben Gvir come from? Where does [Bezalel] Smotrich come from? Where does [Simcha] Rothman come from? They are all settlers. [The opposition] said [the occupation] was not the issue, and that they wanted to focus on the harm inflicted upon the legal system. But we stood firmly, and connected the two things. And I want to tell [the opposition] that the judicial reform, the overhaul, is being implemented against Arab citizens, who are silenced; against Palestinians in the West Bank, with all the acts that the settlers are committing.

The government decided to prevent Hadash [the left-wing party Odeh represents] from holding its assembly. This is a political movement whose roots go back one hundred years. Why is it forbidden from assembling its council? I have not heard a single word from the leaders of the opposition against this dictatorial decision. We at Hadash will, regardless, hold our assembly on Saturday. Disregarding the police, we will hold Hadash’s assembly. We will continue with our most valuable paths, for the sake of peace, equality, democracy, and justice. We will continue. We will not lose hope.

A week ago, I was in Paris. I passed through the Arc de Triomphe, and I thought about the days when the Third Reich passed right under it. I imagined two underground anti-Nazi French activists: one tells the other that, in eight years, we will form a shared European market with Germany. The Second World War was not their [France and Germany’s] first conflict, nor the First World War. Bismarck had occupied France, Napoleon had occupied Germany. And yet, they arrived at a settlement in the end. They have a common market, they have a common currency. It is not an ideal situation, but there is no doubt that it is evidence. Are Israelis and Palestinians really unable to reach an agreement? We saw this during the Oslo Accords. We saw Palestinian youths who had thrown rocks at Israeli soldiers in the West Bank waving olive branches. They supported peace. [...]

I still believe that there will be peace. And the key to achieving peace is the formation of a Palestinian state, within 1967 borders, an act which will bring strategic security and peace to all of us.

Ayman Odeh

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