Quickly and have refused the last urgent measures that would protect our country from an Urgent Health crisis. As i said when i started, mr. President , this is a test today to see whether our democratic colleagues care more about babies like this or special Interest Groups and they failed that test. It is simple as that. Under the bill we got back, and the Senate Approval happened in the house, planned parenthood, an organization where hundreds and hundreds of thousands of women go for their care. Do you think they will have a rush of business now . Want to America Today make sure they have the ability to not get pregnant. Why . Because mosquitoes ravage pregnant women. Under the logic of my republican leaders, they dont need to go to planned parenthood. They can go to their doctor someplace in las vegas or chicago or lexington, kentucky. They can go to an emergency room and say, im sorry, i did not get birth control. Can you help me. That is what Emergency Rooms are for. No, that is the planned parenthood is for. That is where the majority of women need help go, planned parenthood. Legislation we got back from the house, now there is no money to be provided for that. This thursday, a preview of four major issues congress will debate when they return from races. Zika funding, defense policy, gun violence, and the impeachment of the irs commissioner. It will feature key florida bay and an update key floor deba te, and an update. This thursday on cspan. Throughout this month, we are selling book tv programs throughout the weekend prime time. In case you are not familiar with our weekend features, book tv takes our public programming and focuses on the latest Nonfiction Book releases. Our signature programs are in depth, a live three hour look at one authors worth. This airs the first sunday of every month at noon eastern. Afterwards, there is a oneonone conversation between the author and an interviewer, who is a journalist, Public Policy maker, or a legisla tor. That airs every saturday at 10 00 p. M. Eastern. Can we take you across the country, where authors talk about their latest work. The tv is the only National Network devoted exclusively to Nonfiction Books. The tv on cspan 2, television for serious readers. Now, we hear a palestinian member of the Israeli Legislature talk about laws in israel and their impact on palestinians. He also talks of up the importance of continued International Support for the palestinian community. From the arab center in washington, this is one hour. Ok, lets go ahead and start. Khalil jahshan. Chilly bent on legislative developments impacting Civil Liberties in israel. For most of you who have been aware and observing the situation in the middle east, is really policies have long targeted palestinian citizens of life, in all spheres of including the economy, education, employment, housing, employment, and that is well documented. It is not news to anybody who is studying or doing research or focusing on the arabisraeli conflict or is really politics or israeli politics. Most recently, we are considering a few more steps over the next few months, including a bill even talking about the expulsion of who areof the knesset, of palestinian background, designed of course, to put pressure on members of the represent palestinian citizens in israel. This is the latest in a series of legislative efforts and encroachthat severely on civil and Political Liberties in israel. That is not uniquely targeting palestinians, but also targeting the israeli left. It is targeting the opposition in israel to try to diminish their impact and influence negatively their activities. And as a member of the israeli bigger today has been himself a target of such legislation. He is definitely very wellequipped to explain the process to us and bring us up today in terms of the most recent developments in this regard. Particularly, link it with the internal implications of this legislation to israeli politics itself, but also to their impact as legislative steps as important as they are, on u. S. Foreign policy, considering the special relationship between washington and tel aviv. Basel ghattas is a good friend and i am delighted and honored he is with us today. We go back a long way. We are not going to reveal ages at this point, but basel has been a knesset member for a long while. He joined back in 2013. Before that, he was involved in the ngo communities and we interacted during that period for several years in that capacity. He is now a member of the block known as the joint arab list in. He 20th knesset this is a joint list of 13 members, including 12 who are palestinians i believe. 13th is a jewish member of the knesset who belongs to that block. Basel has been a Founding Member of the National Democratic party. He helped with first of all, like i said, sounding the movement and also represented it in the knesset before the unity block was joined last year. For more than 25 years, he has been a wellrecognized figure, both domestically there and regionally and internationally, in terms of defending arab palestinian rights in israel. In terms of ngo, he ran for many years, one of the most prominent ngos in israel. Society,he galilee which focused on Economic Development and planning in the galilee region, where the palestinians are concentrated in israel. He is also a Founding Member of another important ngo today in israel. It is the equivalent, in a way, of the naacp of the palestinians in israel. It focuses on issues of civil rights and justice for palestinians who are citizens of israel. Basel ghattas holds a doctorate in Environmental Engineering from israels most prominent engineering school. He also holds an mba from the joint program of Northwestern University of Chicago Business school and tel aviv university. It is a pleasure to have you with us. He will talk to you for about 30 minutes and then, we will open the floor for questions and answers. Please wait during the questions and answers for the microphone to be passed to you. So that your comment or your question is registered actually, in terms of taping the program, so that we can we dont want to do any silent movies. We want your voice to be heard at that time. Baset, please. Thank you. Thank you all for coming to this talk. I am very delighted to be here. Again, it is special to be your guest. Area ofa year in that d. C. Back in 2001 t. After i quit my job back in i feel this will open the door again for me to be active, especially because it believing and trying to convey here in washington, new york, and before that in canada about the future of the palestinian struggle, on the a lot of focus International Activity to changing the reality in the middle east and to comply with international will and human rights to stop occupation and given the political situation in the middle east and arab world it is a must to dramatically upgrade the international that,sm and despite all the palestinian question is undermined the last few years continuously, complications that have happened internationally, i will divide my talk, i will start by introductions about what is going on in israel in recent years, on the last government of the last election and speak about changes in israeli politics, and how this is expressed in the current legislations, Khalil Jahshan mentioned part of it, will have an impact on the arabs palestinian citizens of israel and how this can be evolved in future, perhaps also a dramatic change visavis israeli political system. I have been asked recently, many places i talked in new york and new jersey and washington dc, whether this is the most current government, the worst ever, extremist ever Israeli Government. My question is yes, how politics developed in the last decades, you can expect and more extreme. As political party, to bring this government down, to remove this government, dismantle, this should be based on the hope the next election bring the change, will bring some sort of change in alternative government that should be better but this is not the case. Even if you try to remove, dismantle this government, the genuine political sense, next election will not bring any serious dramatic change, that we like to see peaceful government, or government that bring the peace. All the changes between the labor parties and government led by the labour party which it has been for almost 20 years and the differences in how they conceive the solution for the conflict, i will explain that. Another question, Benjamin Netanyahu, did they lose their mind . And you know, this is their mind. This is how they think. The only thing that changed, this is very important. The only thing that changed is for the first time the likud is ruling according to its own agenda, precise, no compromises in order to bring certain parties that make the pr like he did the government before that and the role of foreign foreign minister, before he brought barack, the head of the labour party, to do for him the same job. Now for many reasons, and i phrase it like this, could reach the power in israel because they know there are 66 out of 120 knesset members that belong to the right, right wing and extreme right religious parties with religious orthodox parties. The proof is two months ago when they had the chance prepared to take it, take government and given the defense minister and throwing away the measure in the likud party is not easy. This is a huge omission they made. I want to rule according to my agenda, right wing agenda, no compromise with anybody. This we see every day in the knesset, crazy law, fascist law, they decide in something called the Coalition Administration after the government meeting, we are going on this law. The monday after the knesset hearing. They insist on taking the First Reading and it goes to the comedy which prepares it for the second and third reading, months, they do public discussions, these laws are antidemocratic and it took less than a week of preparation for the second or third period and the monday after, the whole legislative process took weeks and the law is over israeli law book and amazing. Something i will jump to, another observation, the likud believes, with all of the democracy is only about one thing, majority rule. If you can have majority, you can rule. That is it. No minority rights, no human rights, no checks and balances, no division of authority. Every legislation made in the last few months has aggressively attacked certain authorities of the system like the one that is famous, putting minimum punishment, prison punishment on stonethrowers. Have tothe judge you two them a minimum of years. I will refer to this later, how the knesset took for itself, judicial roles, they will decide if this knesset member is political behavior. Not criminal. And they said has such a low in congress. And Congress Member and because of a criminal in israel. If any knesset member is connected, described in detail, immediately loses knesset. Doesnt have to process. This is purely political given the knesset, power of the Supreme Court, that you have gross redlines or something in contradiction with the three points that the law specifies in a jewish state. Supporting terror or not, the majority of knesset members, this is how they decide on expulsion. It needs 90 knesset members. It is really impressive. That is makes the law clearly designed for expulsion of arabic nations. It would be in many cases, being thrown away. And families of victims, we were punished, me and myself were expelled for two months. This low was at that time would find the majority, 90, one of us. So the likud think democracy, the rule of the majority, this is the only democracy, doing the only democracy, continuous attack on freedom of speech and democracy, antiarab, splitting daily heads of speech, incitement, continuous incitement by the Prime Minister himself against his own citizens, what he used in droves coming to the election to vote, wanting them to come, this has helped him achieving this majority, something that was fabulous, concrete impact on election results. What happened since the last government was established . This government, Benjamin Netanyahu ruling is real, is that he continues with what he started as one anchor with his policy, managing the conflict. Everybody knows, i suggest Everybody Knows that, a two state solution, he was lying on purpose, as part of his conflict management. Sentence remember the he used . Toves of arabs are coming the election to vote. Achievingelped him, this majority. Election impact on the result. Lasthas happened since the government was established. Ruling isnetanyahu continuous for the last nine years. He continues with what he started as one anchor, cornerstone of his policy how to manage the conflict. Everybody knows, i suggest, he was lying on purpose as part of his conflict managment policy. I withdraw obama for the last two years but for not one second, or anything, even the smallest step toward progress in that direction, everything he did was against potential possibility for states in palestine. He believes, unfortunately it is true, proves that he can manage the conflict. Developments in the world helps him. Leader of egypt, netanyahu. Fan of in the developments world, he feels strategicoptimal situation you could ever dream about. He can continue managing the conflict, thinking again and again and again, being democracy as achieving economic growth, managing the conflict is a good example for him, would succeed to do the same, but another anchor and cornerstone was added to his policy. And its not too important i think, with the recent observation of recent behavior, he wants to perpetuate his government for the longer period possibility. He is really obsessed with that and i will give you one example. Everyone in israel, all of them including the finance minister 2year budgethe case ofbad in the israel. The only step in the world that starts with the budget is bahrain and israel did that twice and now he is bringing to the committee, when going back on the end of october, 2017, 2018, he was used to be the finance minister. Theres a new liberal economist. This is the only the 2yearhe passes budget. Because according to israeli law the election will be, they will finish the term of this government. 2019 will be the Election Year have todoesnt even to pass a budget law. He can continue from the Previous Year budget. Another example, it really makes imbalance of how you are all of us are not behaving as Prime Minister, which is ngo law. The ngo law, which is under democracy attacking also the society which care for human rights and occupation, et cetera. All the world was against him. This war that didnt give, relate to expulsion law or tens of laws of antiarab, law, but thisc law because of ngos it has some relation with europe as a state, most ngo stripping funded by foreign governments and Foreign International for position. All of them suddenly well, this isfascist, this antidemocratic. Ok. Everybody talk to netanyahu. John kerry came to the middle east. One of the reason was to speak with netanyahu about this law. He did nothing. Why . He preferred the instability of his government over this pr that he used to make, give it some importance. He wanted, even surprise, still a little bit of surprise. Israel has been drained or mistreated by the were. To think that everything can be done and they are okay with it. What sort the small matter like the ngo law, if the are 50 years of occupying others land, oppressing 4 million palestinians, putting 1. 8 million palestinians in the largest prison in the world in russia. Who is punishing them . Who is asking them . Who is holding them accountable . So why should he be, really think that europe or the state will either be angry on them because of the loss of the ngo . Again, it passed within two weeks, three weeks. This law actually had more time. Because, you know because, because in the beginning, talk about having the representatives of these ngos coming to the knesset, on them like this, saying that they represent ngos that are funded by foreign countries. Jews labeling themselves, it was too much. So took a few weeks until they brought another, or draft of the law that took out all of this, it took out all of this labeling. Towards the others, restrictions over such ngos remained. You know the was a satiric, israeli tv satiric program that said israel 2035 and news opened with Prime Minister netanyahu declared [laughter] expected to remain. The second episode it was 27 or something. Prime minister netanyahu, his obsessed to make his son the upcoming Prime Minister. You know, but we also to see, this is very important again to try to think this israeli society, that we are seeing continuously going to the record going more fanatic, more extreme. And as i said this will continue for the time that israel is not paying any price for its occupation or its denial for the palestinian lives and the denial of international u. N. Decisions, International Community that are not punished. Not just not punished, and that they are escaping once, you know, every time with their declines. I was just discussing trying to remember our meeting with the to lobbytimes trying to inactivate israelis associate member or nonmember state, Something Like that. But they had agreement, signed an agreement with the eu, getting huge benefits, huge economic benefits, okay . Article ii in the agreement says that clearly that the parties shall respect the human rights. They are not respecting human rights. Its basic. You know. You publish reports, including the u. S. Government, the state department, about the Human Rights Violations with israel. So inactivate this clause. Not just that, they give them you know, a year ago, 2020 horizon scientific cooperation agreement. He eu really enforced israel to guarantee him that the money will not go for the settlements. The money will go for the settlements. This is the maximum. So what happened is that the good part over the years, which was conceived to be right liberal, almost secular party, during the days of the monotony bacon and followers menachem egin became right wing religious, almost they can be with, whats its name, the jewish, the study, on who is xtreme more, who is supporting settlements more, who is building in the settlements more. And the settlers are very strong and organized, perhaps the most, the strongest in perhaps the most organized sector in society. And soon they will have their own militia. They already have their own militia. They have weapons. They trained in the role of protecting the settlements, and they can decide in their into an election, the candidates for the knesset are elected which numbers 3500. To have the strongest and most organized group in the central comity. They decide, thats what every minister has to take them into consideration. They have, you know, they have seven ministers that are sitting by themselves, living in the settlements. Living in illegal settlements. And they, in the meet residents and they go and meet governments, foreign governments. You are illegal citizen of the occupied territories, that you should be with the draw from the according to the u. N. Resolution, et cetera. This is a major change in israeli politics. And we expect, of course, if you ask anybody 10 years ago, would you think or expect one day will be defense minister of israel, this is allusion, something that is inconceivable. That a mad fascist, vulgar, and the human rights, even i could see thief be defense minister of the state of his real. But this is the realities. He became. I met him, i can say that on tv, i met him a few weeks ago to talk about the Education System in community. Ps mission of education. He spent first halfhour explaining to me how he will be netanyahu in the next election, as he sees himself as the next Prime Minister. This religious party the zionist religious because all are not zionists. This is the zionist religious. Those who are the most from them, those seats of terrorists, jews come from, and rom them or from their grassroot evolves, putting practicing terror in those ranks, including those who to see himself egitimate, you know . As Prime Minister something amazing. You see how this society changed toward, it has become all the time mainstream. Now liberal is mainstream. You know, i will have three minutes to answer the arabs but the most tense, explosive ssue, that every time ontinue, prevent netanyahu our challenge the conflict management of netanyahu. Because its enough, three days, the whole region, so those jews are used to ask to go out and pray 20 years ago, 30 years ago, were very marginal, small group that everybody thought that they are even mentally handicapped, trying to dance and going nside. Now, this movement, the temporal movement, what they call it, is mainstream, have ministers representing them in he government. Ariel has wanted himself. See how its very dangerous. The most explosive and there are ministers sitting in the overnment. You know, i mentioned almost all legislation were antipalestinian and antiarab. Our jewish state practices are us since 48 didnt, we didnt wait that this should be legislated. All our land was confiscated. We are prevented from building and housing appropriate, these are building and housing policies. Our Education System, all our infrastructure is really appropriate to islamists in the large cities in latin america. Ut still as ethnic minorities, collectively, though that we shall participate in this israeli political gain, and we shall go and try to represent ourselves in knesset, in the parliament, at least to bring our voice. At least to have the freedom to defend our interests in the most, at the highest level possible. In knesset give us the possibility. Used to. And whats happening rapidly with these laws that we are feeling that even this, in the margins of the israeli democracy, is getting narrower every day, that we might find ourselves in a position. I have said more than once in my speeches, guys, you are changing the game rules. We might decide not to play it anymore. This is not the game that we wanted to participate in. At least be able to stand here and speak. Even this you are taking from s. At i suggest to take my words seriously, that the arabs might reach in very, very short time the recognition that participation in the israeli politics, in the israeli election might really been become turning us as a fig leaf on that very democracy. This is for sure we dont want to be. We are not accused by many, you know, fractions in our society, that boycott the elections, that you are actually giving the israelis the best proof to save the world. You have knesset members. You should take part in the lection. And comparison between those in trying to bring benefits to our people, to our society, to our locality, being knesset members, being represented in the knesset, all the time this was by far overriding this fear f functioning or behaving like ig leaf. But now i think we are getting close to the point where collectively again the political will, such a decision will be taken unanimously. Okay, but i think the conditions are on the ground and pushing us to where that decision, to boycott the sraeli election and say to them, okay, clearly this is your democracy, not ours. This is your jewish state, not ours. Go and play alone. I hope sincerely that we not reached that in that we will continue to feel that participating, political participation is better for us. I hope so but i dont feel that this is the case. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Now we will move to the question and answer session. If you would like to make a quick comment or ask a question, raise your hand. I will acknowledge you and then wait just for a few seconds for the step to get to you the microphone, and then we will proceed with the question and answer. My question is regarding the israeli strategy in netanyahus strategy. He talked about how netanyahu managing the conflict but i think theres a much deeper strategy that has been all along, which is the slow but ethnic cleansing with in 1940 as well as within the west bank nd gaza. We see that in controlling about 60 of the territory, supposed the future state of palestine. So the strategy is really israel controls the full resources 1948 and squeezing the palestinian population within it. And we see the dramatic decrease in population growth that you see their highest growth in the world. Now its probably, its decreasing dramatically. So the israeli strategy is very clear. Control demographics and squeeze the palestinians both in 1948 andand in 67, and then with that result in six years or not theres nobody to actually even talk to. We have very small minorities basically following the native indians in the u. S. So that someone had. So the question to you is, what is the Strategic Thinking on the palestinian side both in 1948 and in 67, given that this s really a strategy . The other part of the question is, well, isnt this really the Strategic Thinking out of is to withdraw from the israeli politics completely . To what extent, we know the Islamic Movement has declared or parts of the elites of the northern part has declared that theyre walking, they have walked out of that for a long time now. So is it is now becoming more and more common, and to what extent . Hank you. Go ahead. I agree with you that the israeli politics, as i said, the jewish state practices, included cleansing not on the west bank but also in 48. Its of course we are facing now a sample of ethnic cleansing in the south. Now as im talking to you there is a village next to it. Everyday can be destroyed, demolished, and throat the way, that people with no alternative housing solutions. While, and this make his this case not just ethnic cleansing but apartheid, classical apartheid. They are taking out arabs come of those two religions, and hese two, this tribe was brought to this area 60 years ago by the israelis. They confiscated their original and and brought it to this piece of land, in concentration policy at that time. I told him okay, this is now yours. Now 60 years after their taking them out and building at the same spot a new settlement for ews. Even the Supreme Court judge rubenstein to his religious and not as right wing, the judge, told them but if you are building in this spot a new settlement, plan for the a few neighborhoods. Make a solution for them. Even him couldnt understand the sense of this policy of ethnic cleansing and apartheid. And now even if you see the pictures, they started construction work for the new jewish settlement, but seemingly because of all the ressure and they know if theyre explosive, they didnt demolished yet the original village. So what they did, they built walls separate between the construction and old theyre explosive, they didnt demolished yet the original village. So what they did, they built walls separate between the construction and old villages. Again, its an amazing picture for apartheid. This policy is not in the west bank. This is not even in east jerusalem. This is against us. That being said, ethnic cleansing didnt succeed. From 67 up to now in the occupied territories. I mean, theres a number of palestinians, if we want, i hate to speak democracy but they pose a new, you asked me so we had to talk numbers. And inside israel we are now 20 . All demographics, zionist, you know, they tried to make the picture even, you know, visavis the israeli demography as being radical. So they put that in 2040, arabs, and also will be 50 of the population. They combined us together as you know, than in treated jewish zionists, they are mental. N the galilee, despite the israeli not just policy but huge investments, they wanted jewish 55 of the galilee population are arabs. And the most important part of the galilee which is, whats called the district, 67 are arabs. I know that they see it as, they see us as enemies up to never israel treats zionist stablishment as enemies. So you have your 67 of this district full of your, not of your citizens but rather full of your enemies. So every time we start a new plan bringing jews, you know, sometimes the colonial mentality, start d. C. Thing itself. They bring and build now new settlements in the galilee. You know what i ask against the National Planning system, master plan. Master plan wanted no more new settlements inside israel. But rather strengthening those who exist. They just make them come to the settlements are already in the galilee. Jews started receiving the system by having twice those benefits. When they came first to the galilee they enjoyed cheap land. They had lots of incentives to, to move. Now theyre moving to the upper, to the new settlement on the next mountain. There again, have cheaper land and cheaper loans for housing and all that. But real change in demography, that didnt happen. And i think this is good. Why shall you be so much obsessed . And when you see that the labour party, those who were supposed to be a piece of partners of the palestinians, the only argument that the use toward creating twostate solution or creating policies is tomography. Not for human rights, not justice, not palestinians. I cant put strategy. I can do one thing. I can stay in my land and this is what we are doing. I can stick to my right. I can develop my community and my second and Third Generation to be proud palestinians, to have their identity to strengthen. This is not taken for granted. Identity and our language and knowing our history is daily battle, yes. We have two hands on the side, halfway down the table. The young lady here first, please. Please state your name and your affiliation. Rachel oswald, reporter with congressional quarterly. The Obama Administration is close to concluding a new 10 year by lessig Assistance Agreement with israel. We are expecting a to increase by at least a couple hundred billion a year. What impact will the cementing f that aid have on the lack of pressure netanyahu feels to do a peace deal, recognizing that while the assistance is defenserelated, its fungible in that it will not require the Israeli Government to spend money in other areas in defense that, not because it has this money . I wrote that as an example but couldnt speak all my notes. That israel is now conducting understates negotiation, tough negotiation over the next few years. What does the u. S. And obama are doing in order to make any change in the israeli policy . I dont want to speak even in punishment or paying the price. You are now, you are now in the middle of the beginning of a new deal. How you are practicing your own interest, because if twostate solution is defined by the way, and by the u. N. As International Interest and u. S. Interest, not because you love palestinians and you want to create for them, but because of your own interest as, you know, what youre doing in this deal, is this negotiating in order to protect the u. S. Interest, nothing, and i will tell you that you will be signed. The contract will be signed and israel will not be held accountable of anything. Even to ask israel to stop, not to evacuate settlements that didnt stop building in the settlements will not be a ondition or a requirement. So why netanyahu to really make any complicated seriously and International Pressure on him . Okay. Go ahead. Air of america. We can identify with you in your statement about lieberman because we have a guy in the kind that is running for president thats very similar to lieberman. But my question is can you talk about after the obama legacy, how does the president ial election, what do you think is the future as result of the two people who are running for president as far as the establishment of palestinian state in the future . How do you feel the election is oing to affect that . Perhaps since long time go results of the American Election do not have any impact on us. And perhaps this time the difference between the two candidates, not visavis the palestinian issue, no, but visavis internal issues, make it some of interest just to, you know, see the media in order to, because theres like a performance going on, or theater performance. But i dont foresee really any impact. You know, yesterday we were meeting in the state department with Deputy Director of the palestine israel desk, and what of the participants introduced himself as being, working with u. S. Envoy to the middle ast. Still Something Like that, not to insult anybody of course, but i didnt know really his name. Would remember martin and dyke being, but this martin and dyke doing what . Even that came of that theater hat was called in the last few ears Peace Process a peace negotiation, netanyahu doesnt are even now to look like is even negotiating. He doesnt want that because if it has some sort of importance in the past, now he feels he doesnt have to pay that tax for the war, pretending to be engaged in Peace Process or in any kind of negotiation. The other theory of those who hink that perhaps, to you or any americans take that into consideration, if you like clinton or trump, but if trump comes perhaps the worst of it, worse than the situation that we have could increase. Could you pass the microphone over here, please . Im with americans for peace now, says her organization of the israeli peace movement. My question is you spoke about a scenario in which palestinians made citizen of israel may disengage from electoral politics. And my question is whether they do or not, particularly if they do, what are the other avenues that they have to engage with the jewish majority in israel to still play this citizen hud gave in israel and to maximize their footprint, their citizen footprint, citizen could footprint . In other words, to still play the game even participate electorally in the knesset. You know, i come from the party that had built its political project which very much became the whole Arab Community project, built into measure anchors. One is fighting and struggling for the state of israel to become a state for all of its citizens. This is something that we convey and see it as a solution for the jews and arabs in israel. Because its a Civil Democratic state that differentiates our separates religion from the state. Its for the best interest of all of us. Not for the arabs. Sometimes we forget that. And the second anchor is to rganize. The arab palestinian minority, and build our own institutions. I mean, national institutions. And be recognized as ethnic minority and having selfrule in all things that differentiate us, i mean, what socalled in our lyrical lexicon, the political autonomy, cultural utonomy. Unfortunately we didnt engage enough in the second part of the project of real starting as one. We are one and a half million. We have the resources, human and economic resources, to be much better to perform much better in our own interests. You know, if i compared ourselves with the west bank, or would gaza, economically speaking, average Palestinian Family has three times income in average more than Palestinian Family in the west bank and gaza. Our economy is much weaker. We lacked industries. We lacked factories. We lacked any kind of rganization. You will find unions for almost everything. They are much capable of working together as a society. We dont have that. We have only one thing, back in 1981 we created whats called the arab comedy, which is great. Symbolized something, that we have a roof or an umbrella that unify us but doesnt have money. The coffee in the office, they have no resources, not financial, nor human. Its a really haiti that in 2016 we have this. We have a huge mission to build ur own institution, cultural institution, political institution. We have the demand develop and for many years to lift of our community. Not just part of it but really to represent, you claim it is represent a minority. Okay, go to election, very simple election. But with the potential of becoming a parliament, parliament for this autonomy, cultural autonomy. I believe that this is the way for equal citizenship. This is not in the place or to replace citizenship. But what, you know, those who are democratic, israeli left zionists want us to assimilate, how you say, you know assimilate in real society. This is the way to be equal in the field equal and to practice as equal. Once you are set aside with your National Aspirations and give build your own society, this is not, because normally we are accused, if we go this way as your superlative. That you want to separate from the state. We are not talking not about geographic or political or any kind of autonomy. We are talking about cultural utonomy. Why shall my children live whatever come into schools, whatever the Education Ministry decides, and norm report on the comedies of the programs, you know, intelligence, Israeli Intelligence for entire people. We dont live up to now we dont know our recent history. We have to have the right to control or to practice our own a ton on such issues. Even religious issues. Taken religious issues. We now relate to a Jewish Department and religion ministry. So i see it this way. We are going stronger, building our own institution, demanding from the state a fair share of resources and fair share in the power. Our the third party technician, okay . What does this give me . Real impact on the division of resources of the country. Nothing. Nothing. This last five Year Economic plan that netanyahu government decided on, and i can say that there is such a plan with 10 for 15 billion, okay, it was done not because of the arabs. It was done because of the jews, and i said years ago, i believe no that they want to develop the arab economy not because its good for the arabs, but rather because its good for the jews, because israel is now a member of the oecd and has to live up to certain standards of gdp, of poverty line, of et cetera. And this is the only way to do it. Not because suddenly this right wing fanatic government wants to make the life of arabs better. So this is the only way to integrate. Integrate is better than assimilation to i want to integrate but as equal with my Strong Society organizations. Not as individuals on the margins of the israeli politics. Thank you, dr. Ghattas, for your comments. Too quick questions. Can you speak a little bit about, specifically about the states increased targeting of people who are involved with bds related activity . You made some comments recently in montreal that got a lot of Critical Coverage in the Israeli Press about bds, given this sort of increased attacks on knesset members and people involved in bds activity. How do you see that developing down the line . We know some of the things that were said by the intelligence minister earlier this year about targeted several assassinations or eliminations, referring to people who are involved in the ds type work. The other question i have for you is, last year, you were part of one party that ran on this joint list which was an unprecedented experiment. Now a year and a half after that, how do you perceive the success of the experiment . And how are things working out with the parties in the joint list . Would you pass the microphone down . Thank you, dr. Ghattas. I have also two quick questions. First, in the middle east now we see that there are allegations about the jewish state. There are shared states and iran, tactically in iraq. Do you think this is an area in the middle east what the sectarian states are revailing . Second question, which follows of this, after resolutions 181, 194 come and the other subsequent resolutions, do these resolutions consider israel as a jewish state per se, or a state for its itizens . I came in 2015 december so im very glad to be here today. I would like to thank them for the invitation. We wanted to host your colleagues and he talked to something similar as to what we are saying now and believes the arab advisor about the situation on palestine and how hey are being treated. Today i am asking again, maybe a simple question, dont you think israeli is taking advantage again of the bad environment surrounding palestines people, the division between the two, dont ou think they are taking advantage of this so they treat other members in such way . Plus the competition between the candidacy, the two of them are competing in their statement to protect israel. Think you all for the question. I am especially happy about the question about vbs. I wish in the beginning, how much i see now, thats what brought me back to washington and the importance of the ational activism for palestine. I would say that perhaps in the west you undermined the impact of International Activism on srael. I think it is very much important, much beyond the treaty impact. I will mention one of the major activities International Activities to gaza, freedom of libya to break the siege. m remember there are 2 illion people under siege. I joined last year one small ship, small. Fifteen people we were. We were supposed to be five ships but then only one ship was sailing. Was sitting together with the only two arabs on the ship and those other International Activists, we were strong and dedicated International Activists with palestine. Israel was, for a week, you know, in the newspaper as if the war ships of the fifth fleet are coming to invade. Is how they now conceive the media as they exist in sheer enemy. Truly, they should conceive it like this because once. The legitimacy of
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