Brit Tzedek v'Shalom

Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace

Israeli, Palestinian Doves Spread Message

United Press International
November 29, 2004

By Joshua Brilliant

Jerusalem, Israel, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- One year after dovish Israelis and Palestinians presented a draft peace agreement called the Geneva Initiative, prominent personalities from both camps launched a campaign designed to convince the people there is a partner for peace on the other side.

Palestinian ministers and security men taped short statements that will be aired in 200 Israeli cinema halls, declaring their readiness for peace. Israeli politicians and retired generals have made similar messages for Palestinians and those will be aired on Palestinian TV stations. The messages can also be seen on the Internet.

The decision to launch the campaign follows public opinion surveys that showed a dent in Israeli and Palestinian attitudes toward an agreement. There was some readiness to accept the Geneva Initiative but still much opposition to its details -- and a feeling that on the other side of the barrier rising between Israel and the Palestinians there is no one to talk to.

A year ago the atmosphere was so negative "that the idea of sitting together to negotiate and find a solution was totally abandoned and the only available thing was confrontation, continuation of killing, bloodshed, building walls and all kinds of atrocities," former Palestinian Minister of Cabinet Affairs Yasser Abed Rabbo Tuesday told a joint press conference with the Israelis involved in the Geneva initiative.

The press conference was held at the Notre dam Hotel that belongs to the Vatican and is located on the old border between East and West Jerusalem.

Gadi Baltiansky, the Israeli director-general of the Geneva Initiative (who had been then Prime Minister Ehud Barak's spokesman) told the press conference that public opinion surveys indicate Israeli people are more ready for an agreement than their leaders.

A poll his group commissioned showed that half the respondents support negotiating a final status agreement with the Palestinians while only 18 percent favor unilateral Israeli measures.

However, when the details of the Geneva Initiative are presented to the interviewees -- a withdrawal to the pre-1967 war lines, land swaps and allowing a limited number of Palestinian refugees to enter Israel -- 41 percent said 'no,' and 34 percent said 'yes'.

Baltiansky noted the difference was only 7 percent and the number of undecided has risen since the previous poll from 20 to 28 percent.

A major obstacle was the feeling there is no partner for peace on the Palestinian side, he continued.

Forty-nine percent of the respondents said there is no partner, 29 percent said there is, and the remainder did not know.

The campaign, he said, is therefore designed "to show there is a partner on the other side. There is a partner for a solution."

Elias Zananiri, his Palestinian counterpart, said that their survey conducted in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip showed 78.8 percent of the respondents support "a complete and mutual cessation of all acts of violence if negotiations between the two sides are resumed." A vast majority supports a cessation of violence against civilians on both sides.

On the refugee issue, 61 percent of the Palestinian public seeks compensation and a return to a Palestinian state -- or to areas Israel would hand over under a land swap. They realize they would not return to the homes they had in what is now Israel, he concluded.

Nevertheless, among the Palestinians too, the number of people who oppose the Geneva Initiative's proposed agreement exceeds those who support it. Zananiri said 33.7 percent of the respondents support the proposed clauses.

Israeli former Justice Minister Yossi Beilin, who played an important role in launching the Oslo accords and is now the key Israeli figure in the Geneva Initiative, said the new emerging Palestinian leadership was "directly and indirectly involved" in the Geneva process.

Beilin had reached understandings with Mahmoud Abbas, better known as Abu Mazen, slated to run for the Palestinian presidency as Fatah's candidate.

At Monday's press conference Beilin said the new Palestinian leadership was involved in the negotiations over the Geneva Initiative. "I have grounds and hope they will accept it. This (document) will be the basis for negotiations over the final settlement," he predicted.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's death, last month, has been conducive to a settlement. "It might be easier today than yesterday," he said. With Arafat gone, Sharon lost his excuse for not talking to the Palestinian leadership, he said.

Several hours later Beilin and his Yahad-Meretz Knesset faction helped save Sharon's government. The faction abstained on two non-confidence motions.

Sharon's minority government lost those votes, Monday, but the prime minister remains in power because the opposition did not have the 61 votes needed to topple him.

Beilin strongly opposes Sharon. However, he told reporters he decided to abstain so that Sharon can carry out his disengagement plan and pull out of the Gaza Strip and the northern West Bank. Sharon would then create an important precedent, Beilin said.

Sharon has strongly criticized the Geneva Initiative, but Beilin said none of the government critics said, "'Let me negotiate and I'll have better results.' They understand (that once they negotiate) ... this will more or less be the agreement. ... Since the government was not willing to pay the price for it, it decided to go for something else," he said alluding to the disengagement plan.

In the attempt to persuade people they have a partner for peace, Palestinian Minister for Negotiating Affairs Saeb Erakat appeared on a video-taped clip, saying: "The biggest lie there is, is the notion of no partner. We are your partners. We are a partner. We are the elected Palestinian leadership that is committed to peace, committed to the two-state solution," meaning a Palestinian independent state beside Israel.

Jibril Rajoub, who headed the Palestinian Preventive Security and was later Arafat's national Security Advisor said: "We recognize your right to live in security, peace, stability ... within the 1967 boundaries, with no occupation, patronizing attitude over us, but that depends on your readiness to stop the occupation."

On the Israeli side, retired Maj. Gen. Amram Mitzna who headed Labor's list in the last Knesset elections, said he had fought for 30 years "and I am proud of it. I am sure you (Palestinians) are proud of your struggle for independence."

It is in both sides' interest that the Palestinians have a state but "in the reality we find ourselves in today everybody loses. ... The only alternative is to sit, negotiate ... compromise. We'll give in a little, you give in a little, and we'll reach a common denominator," he offered.

Retired Brig. Gen. Giora Inbar, who headed the Israeli forces in southern Lebanon said, "I wasted most of my life in activities that today I realize must be changed."