The Way Forward: Full Citizenship for Israel’s Palestinian Minority

This article argues for an unorthodox reading of Israel’s current political situation. Rather than examine the immediate results of the March 2015 elections, it lays out the ramifications of the country’s current predicament in light of the complex relations between the Jewish majority and Palestinian Arab minority. The author contends that despite the seeming stranglehold that extremist nationalism exerts on the political process, there is true potential for Palestinian citizens of Israel (PCI) to gain full and equal citizenship, on a par with that of their Jewish counterparts. He argues further that the PCI may be poised to lead the Palestinian national movement in advancing a political resolution to the conflict with Israel.

Avraham Burg was born in Jerusalem in 1955 and educated in the Religious Zionist school system. He was an MK for sixteen years, served as the Speaker of the Knesset from 1999 to 2003, and was also the chairman of the Jewish Agency and World Zionist Organization from the mid- to late 1990s. Since retiring from politics in 2004, he has lectured widely and authored a number of books about Israel and the Middle East.