We shall begin with special presentations by Ryan and Emily. Please bring the Martin Gilbert Atlas with you for every class from now on.
We shall have the first meeting between the Palestinians and Israelis hosted at camp David by the US President, who will chair the meeting. The entire US team will also be present. The goal of the meeting is to develop a set of principles that both parties agree to about how to conduct the negotiations. this will be followed with a meeting between Hamas, the Palestinians and the Americans to see if Hamas can be included in the process.
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Statement from the Palestinian Authority
President-elect Obama convened a meeting today between Israeli and Palestinian leaders in order to discuss a set of guiding principles under which to proceed with peace negotiations. Israel repeatedly refused to discuss Jerusalem at the negotiating table, finally agreeing to discuss the status of the city only after President-elect Obama made it clear that agreeing to discussions did not mean that Israel was making any concession on the issue. Israel’s stance raises the question of how much will be achieved in the later discussions of Jerusalem, perhaps one of the most important disagreements in the conflict.
The Palestinians agreed to renounce violence and recognize the right of Israel to exist as the negotiations moved forward. Israel agreed to freeze settlements while the negotiations proceeded, but later stated that the freeze was only temporary. President-elect Obama said in no uncertain terms that the expansion of settlements is an obstacle to peace and the continuing construction of settlements suggests that the Israelis are not serious about peace. Israel also kept demanding concessions from Palestinians despite the Palestinians disadvantaged positions and the loss of 78% of their land to Israel.
The U.S. refused to recognize Hamas and stated that it is counting on successful negotiations between Fatah and Hamas to push forward the broader negotiations between Israel and Palestine. Mahmoud Abbas agreed with that assessment and said that negotiations between Fatah and Hamas were moving forward, though there had been no concrete agreements reached. All parties agreed that continued dialogue is crucial to the peace process and that there would be no agreement until there was a full agreement.
Members present: Mahmoud Abbas, Saeb Erekat, Hanan Ashrawi, Ambassador to the Arab World
Some Israeli Peacemakers/projects mentioned at the simulation are as follows:
- Rabbis for Human Rights
- The Interreligious Coordinating Council
- Peace Now
- All Nations Cafe
- Face 2 Face
The J-Street delegate hopes the conference participants will see that there are peaceful paths to peace, and many Israelis who want a just peace.
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