Realign For Palestine

About radical pragmatism: I can envision a pragmatic approach to the Palestinian national project—one that rejects violent extremism and armed resistance in favor of a two-nation solution for Palestinians and Israelis. To be pragmatic means abandoning unhelpful and unrealistic demands, such as the right of return to land that has been part of Israel since 1948. It means accepting Israel’s existence, and understanding Israeli security as complementary to the Palestinian pursuit of freedom, dignity, and independence. Two-thirds of Gaza’s population, and all of us who are descendants of 1948 refugees, would have to cease thinking of ourselves as perpetual refugees in our homeland and instead recognize the Strip as our final destination, where we will build our nation. This is a radical pragmatism, and it is desperately needed. (Ironically, embracing this sort of pragmatism would echo what the Zionist movement itself did in 1948, accepting something less than its leaders wanted in exchange for independence.) We would rebrand the embrace of peace and coexistence as courageous, and as necessary to the preservation of Palestinian lives, lands, and heritage. Some precepts of radical pragmatism are these: Israel is here to stay; it will not be annihilated and can even be a helpful partner in a future that includes a Palestinian state. One cannot be pro-Palestine while also being pro-Hamas. The Oslo years were just one short chapter in the pursuit of peace, and the Palestinian Authority does not embody the full potential of nonviolence and reconciliation as a political strategy. The Palestinian national project must include building a state that can create jobs, pride, and future prospects for our people, not rockets, tunnels, Islamist repression, or corruption. The Atlantic: https://lnkd.in/gag-jSu4

On Friday, we took the first step toward changing the conversation on?#Israel?and?#Palestine?when we officially launched?@realignforpalestine, a radically pragmatic approach to end the violence and start the future. Peace is possible. It has to be. The time is?now.? Join?us. https://lnkd.in/e2KChC77

The moral and political failure of the diasporic movement for Palestinian rights is only one of several obstacles to the Palestinian pursuit of freedom, but it is a particularly telling one. What Palestinian politics need, and grievously lack, is pragmatism. The conditions we now face are catastrophic. These realities mean that the time for maximalist demands and rhetoric is over.?Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib has spoken with thousands of Palestinians over the years who believe, as he does, in the viability of a pragmatic path to peace. Extremists on both sides ignore or suppress Palestinian voices, choosing instead to promote narrow interests with maximalist rhetoric. Learn more from our director in his latest article in The Atlantic. The time to?#RealignForPalestine?is now. Follow us for more on Palestinian pragmatism.

Thank you Jenna Ben-Yehuda for providing such meaningful opening remarks today and for the support for this new project. We are proud to be part of the Atlantic Council team and community. #RealignForPalestine

The Atlantic Council today launched?Realign For Palestine, a groundbreaking new project to challenge entrenched narratives in the Israel and Palestine discourse. The project aims to cultivate a generation of Palestinian voices committed to a renewed Palestinian political vision premised on the two-nation solution, nonviolence, and rejuvenated Palestinian governance. Through the cultivation of a pragmatic and sensible approach to achieving Palestinian freedom and statehood, Realign For Palestine champions a constructive new vision and path forward to a viable and free Palestinian state next to a secure Israel. Learn more at realignforpalestine.org Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib Kamal I. Almashharawi

Atlantic Council launches Realign For Palestine to redefine pro-Palestine advocacy and policy. A project to challenge entrenched narratives in the Israel and Palestine discourse and cultivate a generation of Palestinian voices committed to a renewed Palestinian political vision premised on the two-nation solution, nonviolence, & rejuvenated Palestinian governance. Through the cultivation of a pragmatic and sensible approach to achieving Palestinian freedom and statehood, RFP champions a constructive new vision and path forward to a viable and free Palestinian state next to a secure Israel. Led by Gazan-American Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, Alkhatib has become recognized as one of the most outspoken voices criticizing Hamas’s violence and terrorism while challenging the status quo of the failed Palestinian national project & presenting a new vision for a free Palestine. RFP will convene a network of activists, scholars, journalists, & policymakers who will shape a new era of Palestinian advocacy that prioritizes state-building & coexistence & will engage with governments, NGOs, & multilateral organizations to advocate for policies that support Palestinian self-determination & security guarantees for Israel. “The Atlantic Council champions working together with partners and allies to shape solutions to global challenges, and this is precisely the ethos that Realign for Palestine embraces,” said Frederick Kempe, president and CEO of the Atlantic Council. “The Council is proud to be the home of this critical project and for bold voices advocating for the future of Palestinian statehood.” “There is an urgent need to move Palestinian discourse beyond cycles of violence and grievance, and toward pragmatic state building and coexistence,” said Alkhatib. “While I cannot speak on behalf of all Palestinians, and the project does not claim to represent all Palestinians, it is time that pragmatic Palestinian voices are amplified and not silenced by extreme factions. It is time for a future-oriented and practical approach to the Palestinian national project for our people in Gaza and the West Bank, and a better future for the entire region.” “It is impossible – logically, strategically, and morally – to be both pro-Palestine and pro-Hamas,” said William F. Wechsler, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs. “Ahmed is representative of a new generation of pragmatic Palestinians leading this critical debate within their communities and among those who support their aspirations.” RFP's will launch with a?panel discussion?featuring Alkhatib, Kamal I. Almashharawi & Hamza Howidy, two other leading Gazan peace advocates who reject Hamas & desire a better future for Gaza. The program will be moderated by The Wilson Center’s Merissa Khurma & discuss the imminent need for a nonviolent two-nation solution, offer new perspectives on ending the cycle of violence in Gaza, & the Israel-Palestine conflict.

? Together, we can begin the thousand-mile journey toward peace, coexistence, and freedom for all in a courageous evolution. Two states for two people – a free Palestine and a secure Israel can only happen if both Palestinians and Israelis reject violence, terrorism, and extremism, accept the presence of multiple truths, and start on a new path toward de-escalation, cooperation, and embracing a shared future. We invite you to join us on this journey. Stay tuned for a lot more to come. #RealignForPalestine #EndTheViolence #StartTheFuture Find out more at realignforpalestine.org