The One-State Condition: Occupation and Democracy in Israel/Palestine

Description

The One-State Condition: Occupation and Democracy in Israel/Palestine by Ariella Azoulay and Adi Ophir offers a critical examination of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and the political realities that have emerged from it. The authors argue that the situation in Israel/Palestine can no longer be understood through the lens of a two-state solution, but rather as a one-state condition—an intertwined system in which both populations live under a single regime that governs through mechanisms of domination, segregation, and control. Azoulay and Ophir analyze how Israel maintains a democratic system for its Jewish citizens while simultaneously exercising military occupation and denying fundamental rights to Palestinians. They explore how laws, infrastructure, security apparatuses, and administrative practices have created an enduring system that integrates and separates populations along ethnic lines. This condition blurs the distinction between democracy and occupation, challenging conventional ideas about statehood, citizenship, and sovereignty. Drawing from political theory, philosophy, and historical analysis, the book exposes how the structures of governance in Israel/Palestine have produced a reality of inequality and dispossession that is sustained by bureaucratic and legal means rather than overt violence alone. Azoulay and Ophir call for a rethinking of the concepts of democracy, citizenship, and human rights in light of the complex, interconnected existence of Israelis and Palestinians within one political framework. The One-State Condition is a provocative and deeply analytical work that confronts readers with the moral and political implications of a prolonged occupation, while questioning the feasibility and justice of the current political order.