‘I am representing the Palestinian minority’: Palestinian Israeli politician on the future for both sides of the war and US role
A small population of Palestinians and Arabs that live in Israel are considered Israeli citizens and have all the rights of the country. That includes politically. Sami Abu Shehadeh is a former member of Israel’s parliament, the Knesset and chairman of the Balad party. The party represents the interests of Palestinians and Arab Israelis. Host Marco Werman spoke with Shehadeh at his office in Jaffa about the current situation in Gaza and what it means for the future of both sides in this war.
In Israel, Palestinians and Arabs make up about 20% of the population. They have full citizenship and access to political power — like Palestinian Israeli politician Sami Abu Shehadeh.
Shehadeh is a former member of Israel’s Knesset and chairman of the Balad party, a political party representing Palestinians and Arab Israelis.
The Balad party was voted out of the Knesset in 2022, and now, only five Palestinian Israeli lawmakers are in the parliament, out of 120 total members. Since the Israel Hamas war began, Palestinians and Arab Israeli citizens have been thrust into an uncomfortable position.
“When we are talking about the war, people should have in mind that those people who are facing these unbelievable crimes in Gaza by the Israeli military are our families, and it puts us in a very complicated situation of suffering daily,” Shehadeh said.
He said he believes that militaristic violence should not be the solution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict, and that there must be a historical compromise between the two groups.
“I want everybody to know that we are against the war. We are against violence.”
The World’s Marco Werman caught up with Shehadeh at his office in Jaffa, a mixed Arab and Israeli city near Tel Aviv.
Marco Werman: I’m just wondering, in terms of Oct. 7, given what you see around you, was the military response surprising?
Sami Abu Shehadeh: First of all, I am totally against starting history from the 7th of October, as if there has been no history before and no present after without historical context. When you read it out of context, you will never be able to understand what happened.
How should this end? I mean, what should happen next in terms of the war and getting to the next step?
In the very close future? What should happen is, first of all, to end the war, to do this deal of exchanging the prisoners.
When you say deal exchanging the prisoners, Palestinian prisoners, in exchange for hostages, explain that.
I deal with both sides as hostages, prisoners, use the word that you want, OK? Because thousands of Palestinian hostages, thousands without trial, are being held illegally by the Israelis before the 7th of October, and after the 7th of October, the numbers have raised.
Marah Bakir, right, a former Palestinian prisoner who was released by the Israeli authorities, is welcome at her family house in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina, Nov. 24, 2023. The release came on the first day of a four-day ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas during which the Gaza militants have pledged to release 50 hostages in exchange for 150 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Mahmoud Illean/AP/File
That’s the kind of exchange you’re talking about.
I’m talking about bringing all of the hostages and the prisoners, all of them from both sides, and both leaderships must open a horizon for a better future for both sides. This situation cannot continue. Any solution built on Jewish superiority cannot continue. Both sides should acknowledge the other, the rights of the other, collective and individual rights, respect the other and build a normal democratic regime for both sides. Now people would ask me, in a one-state solution, two-state, I don’t care. If they want to have it in a two-state solution, one-state solution, binational confederation federation, this is not the issue. The issue is that you deal with human beings, all of them as equal human beings. You have a political frame, which is built on justice and equality for all, giving a better future for the children of both sides. This is what counts.
Did you see energy around that kind of movement starting to appear anywhere?
Unfortunately, in this very, very dark situation, I’m seeing that mainly in Israeli society where I live, that the mentality of anger and revenge is making the vast majority in Israeli society blind to the suffering of the Palestinians.
And so, with this trend, with the current government to move even more far to the right, and you have an event like Oct.7 seeming to give that legitimacy, how do you change that?
The only source of hope in this complicated situation I see is international pressure being put on the Israeli government to lead to a political solution.
I wanted to ask you about the United States. The last couple of months have seen a slow buildup of pressure from the White House, and I’m just wondering, what do you think of President Joe Biden’s approach to Israel’s war on Hamas?
Without the American diplomatic, political, military support and economic support for Israel since the 7th of October, this war would have ended a long, long time ago, and we wouldn’t have seen these brutal crimes against children, women and all of the people in Gaza. Lately, we are seeing a positive change, and we know that it’s not an easy change in the American administration, and this is something good and brave to do. But it is not enough.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, United States ambassador and representative to the United Nations, speaks after a vote to abstain as the United Nations Security Council passed a ceasefire resolution in Gaza during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, its first demand to halt fighting at UN headquarters, March 25, 2024.Craig Ruttle/AP
What more needs to happen?
The same administration can tell Israel to stop the war now, and to lead for a political solution for both sides, Jews and Palestinians. Without that, they should know that the Israeli society deteriorated to this crazy situation. The next step, what we are hearing from the Israeli politicians, is another war on Lebanon and another war on Syria, and opening a crazy war with the Iranians. Why do we need all these wars? We want this to be the last war. We don’t want any more wars. We want to live like any other normal human beings in the world. We want the war to be an exception in our lives.
This interview has been slightly edited and condensed for clarity and length.
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