The link is cultural, historic, Islamic an interview with Mohammad Barakeh

an interview with Mohammad Barakeh

BI: The Arab world's attitude toward the Palestinian citizens of Israel has changed in recent years. How would you characterize the dynamic?

Barakeh: The change began after 1967, with the astounding "discovery" by the Arab world that there were several hundred thousand Palestinians, Israeli citizens but also Arabs capable of creating a unique and democratic culture. This opened the eyes of many, especially Arab intellectuals. In contrast with the predominant image from 1948 to 1967, according to which anyone who was in Israel was a Zionist, they discovered that those of us here have a broad concept of the democratic process and of national identity.

BI: And in more recent years?

Barakeh: This understanding was more widely diffused in the past decade, thanks to the Arab media revolution. This provided the Arab masses, as opposed to only scholars, with a window to observe us. Two contradictory dynamics--the capacity to contribute our share toward advancing the peace process on the one hand, and general Arab stagnation and corruption on the other-generated an Arab attitude toward us of admiration, that reflected Arab frustration. Both the disappointment and the hope among the Arabs would not have been possible without the media revolution.

BI: What are the unique interests of the Palestinian citizens of Israel in the Arab world?

Barakeh: A few months ago a symposium was held in Cairo concerning the Palestinian citizens of Israel and "the strategy of ties with them". This question was posed there: what is unique [about us] in Arab terms? I was there. I felt that there was an inclination to embrace us, to create special coordination mechanisms. I rejected this direction, for a simple reason: we have a link with the Arab and Islamic worlds, which we must express. But simultaneously we are citizens of Israel, and must not lose our order of priorities. Our arena is the Israeli political arena. It is there that we seek to advance relations with the Arab world, but also to integrate, in the sense of advancing our status as Israeli citizens. The Israeli right wing tells us "you have 23 countries, what are you doing here among us?" But it was Israel that came to us in 1948; not we that came to Israel.

BI: How do the Arab interests of Palestinian citizens of Israel differ from those of the other Palestinians, for example in the West Bank and Gaza?

Barakeh: We are part of the Palestinian people but not part of its right to self determination. I do not dismiss national and cultural ties, but not every Arab is automatically my ally, just as not every Jew is automatically my enemy. I have a proud Palestinian and Arab identity, but the link is cultural, historic, Islamic (for non-Muslim Palestinians as well). In terms of the political dynamic, we function within an Israeli framework. We have a lot of complaints about Arab corruption, but our objectives are within Israeli politics.

BI: Your particular political roots are in the communist party. Does this provide you with any special access to communist or former communist circles in Arab countries?

Barakeh: Naturally, having communist identity and class concepts creates a link to left wing elements in the Arab world. But these do not replace links with Arab states-Egypt, Jordan-that have diplomatic relations with Israel.

BI: The Palestinian citizens of Israel have often been described as a "bridge to peace" with the Palestinian people? Is this relevant to the rest of the Arab world as well?

Barakeh: That issue was decided elsewhere, at the Beirut Arab League Summit of March 2002, where it was determined that Israeli-Palestinian peace and a withdrawal to the 1967 borders are the gateway to peace with all the Arab countries. The expression "bridge to peace" was coined in its day by MAPAM [an Israeli Marxist party, now part of the Meretz/Yahad Party]. We constitute part of the Israeli political dialogue for peace, and a special part of the Palestinian people with regard to peace. But we do not mediate. We are an integral part of the Israeli political fabric and part of the internal Palestinian dialogue.

- Published 5/8/2004 (c) bitterlemons-international.org. Used here with permission

Member of Knesset Mohammad Barakeh is chairman of the Hadash Movement and deputy speaker of the Knesset.