From Apartheid to Democracy: A Blueprint for Peace in Israel-Palestine

Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man

Book cover for From Apartheid to Democracy: A Blueprint for Peace in Israel-Palestine
Book cover for From Apartheid to Democracy: A Blueprint for Peace in Israel-Palestine
Image for variant 9780520401990
Image for variant 9780520402003
Book cover for From Apartheid to Democracy: A Blueprint for Peace in Israel-Palestine
Book cover for From Apartheid to Democracy: A Blueprint for Peace in Israel-Palestine
Image for variant 9780520401990
Image for variant 9780520402003

From Apartheid to Democracy: A Blueprint for Peace in Israel-Palestine

From Apartheid to Democracy: A Blueprint for Peace in Israel-Palestine

Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man

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Description

A decisive break from the failed Oslo Accords and an innovative plan to create the foundations for peace and self-determination in Israel-Palestine.

For more than three decades, the illusion of a two-state solution under the auspices of the Oslo Accords has allowed Israel to maintain a one-state reality of permanent occupation and apartheid.

Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man and Sarah Leah Whitson challenge this approach, presenting a road map to end these crimes and create a rights-respecting regime for everyone now living under Israeli control. Only once basic safety and legal equality are assured can Jewish Israelis and Palestinians determine their futures--in one, two, or more states if they choose--through an inclusive, democratic process. Breaking with the failures of the past, the plan presented here makes clear that ongoing violations of basic human rights must be ended before issues of governance can be equitably addressed.

Clear-eyed yet hopeful, Omer-Man and Whitson offer proof of concept that democracy and equality are indeed attainable--and call on the international community to create the conditions required for them to flourish.

About the Author

Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man is Israel-Palestine Director at DAWN and former Editor in Chief of +972 Magazine.

Sarah Leah Whitson is Executive Director of DAWN and former Executive Director of Human Rights Watch's Middle East and North Africa Division.

Critical Reviews

"In their new book, Dawn's Sarah Leah Whitson and Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man lay out a blueprint to end the occupation and transform an undemocratic one-state reality into a democratic one."

-- "Zeteo"

"This is no mere flight of fancy . . . Thinking about how this might all end realistically strikes a rare note of hope not found elsewhere in recent literature on Palestine. It starts from material reality, rather than outrage and indignity against Israeli crimes. If, one day, Israel comes to its senses, a Blueprint is ready to guide the transition."

-- "Morning Star"

"[The Blueprint] rightly rearranges the international community's responsibilities to end Israel's crimes first, then address national status issues. Progress is at the intersection of preparation and opportunity - with this Blueprint, we are now prepared."

-- "Bidil"

"It is refreshing and warranted for the authors to passionately remind their colleagues and world leaders not to be bystanders of history. Forward-thinking, detailed plans that dare to bypass the ingrained myopia and seek to manifest a better reality are probably the best hope for Palestinians and Israelis."

-- "Washington Report on Middle East Affairs"

"Published just days before the ceasefire deal was reached, the book describes in granular detail the conditions for dismantling apartheid in Israel-Palestine."

-- "Guardian"

Publishing Information

Publisher: University of California Press
Pub date: 2025-09-30
Length: 280 pages

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