[A-List] Israeli-Palestinian Cyber-Dialogue Number Seven - bitterlemons

[Leigh Meyers]

Gazit: ...Obviously, we can't turn back the clock to the conditions
that we had in June 1967. The reality today is very different. But if
you bear in mind what our goal is, what we want to achieve, this is
something that we can negotiate.

Unfortunately I do not yet see these kinds of negotiations. Especially
since on the Palestinian side we have an elected government that
ignores the existence of Israel and refuses to negotiate or have any
political dialogue. But this will come. I just don't know if it will
it be within the next five months, five years or ten.

Saleh: I don't think it is helpful to try to give the impression that
there is no partner for peace among Palestinians. Hamas, in fact, does
implicitly recognize Israel and said as far back as 1993 that it was
ready for a solution that saw the establishment of a Palestinian
Islamic state on the occupied territories of 1967.

I am not Hamas. I am not a member of Hamas and I am not a supporter of
Hamas. But this is a fact.

In addition, you were talking about Arafat not being a partner, but
right now we have Mahmoud Abbas, who doesn't believe in any other way
to bring about a solution except through negotiations. What does
Israel do? It calls him weak and therefore not a partner.

I again return to my central point. Israelis are not in favor of
peace. I was exiled because you were not in favor of peace, not as Mr.
Gazit, but as the Israeli occupation and the Israeli government.

Gazit: Let me begin with your previous question then...

In full: http://bitterlemons-dialogue.org/