Although the Palestinian Authority’s statehood bid has received its fair share of international support, I can’t say that it represents my hopes, my ambitions, or my idea of a free Palestine. Analysts and experts will argue that the issue of Palestinian statehood and self-sovereignty is complicated, that it requires concessions, bargains, negotiations, and sheer luck, that any other alternative would be too idealistic. I disagree, partially because it isn’t complicated at all, but especially because these claims present Palestinians as a sacrificial bunch that only require a certain percentage of rights. My people did not overcome occupation for six decades to settle for a state with a lowercase ‘s’ or freedom with a lowercase ‘f’.

I understand that I don’t speak for every Palestinian in the world, but I do have my own idea of statehood that most certainly resonates with the ultimate goal of our efforts. It’s a state unbound by political strangleholds and guided by the concepts of accountability, equality, and justice. It is by no means a revolutionary idea — we’ve all thought about it more or less. But with the current bid for statehood being used under my name and the names of millions of Palestinians worldwide, it is time to formally present an alternative and more adequate solution. This is an issue of principle, and even if takes twice as long to achieve, this is the Palestine I hope to see.

The most crucial element of a Palestinian future is to do away with a “bid”. I, as a human being, feel no need to circulate a petition in support of my own personal and guaranteed rights. I will not ask permission to exist as an equal nor will I auction off my rights to the highest bidder. Countries have declared unilateral independence in the past and this standard approach cannot be left out of the equation in order to appease the opposition. [Read more...]