The “One Democratic State” solution is a political proposal that identifies Zionism’s politicization of identity and establishment of a Jewish state as the root cause of suffering and violence in Palestine, and that, accordingly, proposes the transition to One Democratic State as the only possible solution.
Such an inclusive Palestinian state would be:
Democratic: All citizens would be equal in the eye of the state, including its laws, institutions and policies, regardless of identity. This includes the right of those who have been ethnically cleansed from Palestine to return and enjoy full citizenship.
Secular: Freedom of worship would be guaranteed, and one’s religion or identity would not be a factor in granting or denying rights to citizens or non-citizens. Radical measures would be taken to protect society from sectarian or racist ideologies, individuals and movements.
Socially just: Stolen land, homes and property would be restituted to all victims of dispossession. Resources and social welfare would be allotted fairly to all citizens. The income, poverty and education gaps would be bridged.
As such, the ODS solution stands in contrast with existing approaches to the Palestinian cause, namely:
Solutions that politicize identity such as a state that discriminates against non-Jews or against Jews, one state exclusive to Jews next to another exclusive to Arabs, or a binational or confederate state
Approaches focused on means of liberation such as military resistance or BDS efforts outside the context of a political solution
Approaches focused on rights or crimes such as the right of return or Israeli apartheid outside the context of a political solution
Relevant readings:
What Is ‘the Palestinian Cause’? — Blake Alcott
One Democratic State: An Ongoing Debate — Naji El Khatib and Ofra Yeshua-Lyth
It’s Time For Palestinians To Lobby For A ‘One State’ Solution — Nizar Milbes
‘From the River to the Sea’: Really? — Blake Alcott