Arab-Israeli Activist Yosef Haddad Supports Two-State Solution

Arab-Israeli activist Yosef Haddad stated in an interview published in the September 2022 issue of the German Jewish monthly Jüdische Rundschau that he supports the two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but only if certain conditions are met. The interview, conducted in Jerusalem by Jürgen Th. Müller and translated from English to German, appears on page 37 of the print edition and online.

Haddad responded to the interviewer's question about his stance on the two-state solution by saying, "Yes, the solution is the two-state solution. But to reach it, several conditions must be met." He asserted that the solution will not come from international bodies like the UN, EU, US, or Qatar, but rather from "Israeli Arabs." He believes that the two million Arab citizens of Israel are the key, provided they are fully integrated into Israeli society.

According to Haddad, Arab representation in Israeli government offices is currently less than one percent, but should be at least 20 percent, reflecting their proportion of the population. He noted significant progress in certain fields, where Arabs constitute 30 percent of doctors and 50 percent of pharmacists in Israel, despite being only one-fifth of the population. Haddad suggested that Israeli Arabs can play a crucial role in peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

Concluding the interview, Haddad reiterated that "When all this is realized, we can talk about two states." He rejected the idea of a one-state solution, warning it would lead to either an apartheid state or full voting rights for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. In the latter case, he argued, "it's the end of the Jewish and democratic state of Israel," as Arab majority rule would eliminate democracy.