Maen Rashid Areikat was born in Jericho in the occupied West Bank. For 11 years he served at the Negotiations Affairs Department (NAD) in the PLO in Ramallah, and later as its Deputy Head and Coordinator-General. Prior to that, Mr. Areikat had spent six years at Orient House (1993-1998), the PLO headquarters in Jerusalem, and was a member of the Palestinian Negotiating Team to the Madrid peace talks. He is now the official ambassador for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the US. Rooz talked with ambassador Areikat in Washinton. Read on for the details.
Rooz: The talks between the two parties in this conflict are now at a standstill. What does it take to get back to the negotiations table?
Areikat: Israel needs to do a lot to prove to the Palestinian people and their leadership that it is genuine in its desire to make peace. Palestinians have grown extremely skeptical about the Israeli motives and only see what Israel is doing on the ground; colonizing and confiscating their land, demolishing their homes, bringing Israelis who claim to own properties into the Palestinian areas; there is a lot that Israel needs to do in order to facilitate the return to the negotiations table.
Rooz: Many in the Arab and Muslim world believe that when it comes to the Palestinian- Israeli conflict, the U.S. is not an honest broker. What can the U.S. do to bring about peace between the two parties?
Areikat: Part of that feeling is due to the fact the US administrations have tried in the past to broker peace and end this conflict, but unfortunately they did not succeed because they did not take the necessary steps to make that into a successful effort. One important step would be for the United States to clearly and openly blame the party that is undermining the progress. Ever since President Obama took office two years ago, he laid down certain terms and conditions for this process to succeed. Israel has repeatedly refused to abide and to comply with it. When the time came for the administration to say that Israel is undermining our efforts, they balked. One wonders why the U.S. cannot come out in public and say, we ask the Israelis to end their military occupation now, the same way that the Americans called for a regime change in Egypt. They are trying to support other peoples’ movements for freedom in different areas in the Middle East. Why it is that when it comes to the Palestinian and their conflict with Israel, the political establishment in this country, be it the Congress or the Administration, don’t take that courageous step and say it’s time to end the military occupation? Until they take that principle position and put the interest of the U.S. over another country, I don’t think this will succeed.
Rooz: You don’t think the Obama administration has been different in that respect?
Areikat: When the President was elected, he wanted to bring peace and said a lot of things that pleased Arabs and Muslims. Unfortunately we didn’t see that translate into concrete actions. Many Palestinians and Muslims were surprised that he did not even mention the Palestinian and Israeli conflict in his State of the Union speech on January 25th. I think it will require a different approach on the part of the administration to put the national security of the U.S. above any other interest.
Rooz: Do you believe in the two-state solution? And will Hamas be part of it?
Areikat: There is no other solution. The only viable strategic option for the Palestinian people is the two-state solution. I know there are some people who are calling for one bi-national state where Jews, Muslims and Christians can live in peace and co-exist. I don’t think we are prepared for that as Palestinians. We want to preserve our national identity; we want to separate from the Israelis; we want an end to the occupation. I always say, we need to get a divorce first, before we can get close. Separation and divorce are important. It is also important for them to maintain their own character and identity. As I always say, we must first separate before we can start dating!
Hamas is a force to reckon with; they are part of the Palestinian people and they are Palestinians. We don’t agree with their tactics or their approach but at the end of the day both Hamas and all other Palestinians factions want to end the Israeli military occupation and want to end the oppression and the misery of the Palestinian people. They have to be included in the political process.
Rooz: Do you think Israel will accept?
Areikat: It’s not Israel’s decision to accept or refuse. We Palestinians are entitled to choose who our representatives are and Israel has no right to accept or reject X or Y. This is a Palestinian decision.
Rooz: PM Netanyahu has said that he is the only Israeli PM who can broker peace and bring about a solution to the conflict. At the same time, since he was elected, settlements have continued; He also put forth a new demand— that Palestinians must accept Israel as a Jewish State. Is there a discrepancy in all this?
Areikat: I don’t believe Mr. Netanyahu means what he says. He makes statements to pretend that he is committed to peace but in fact he is not. Two years ago he was chosen to form a government. Two years later, nothing has moved forward. There is no relationship between us at the moment. There is no negotiation or agreements in place. Settlements continue as before. The Israeli policy to change the situation on the ground is not changed. If Netanyahu wants to prove that he is serious, he has to take certain actions, anything to indicate that he is committed to genuine peace, but in my opinion he is posturing. It is all for tactical purposes.
We cannot recognize the idea of a Jewish State for two reasons:
First, we have to solve the situation of Palestinian refugees which is a permanent status issue and Israel agreed to discuss it before anything.
Second, there are 1.2 million Arabs who are living in Israel and who are being discriminated against. We will never accept to have their rights and interests undermined. We are not going to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
Rooz: How much is Iran influencing the peace process?
Areikat: Iran is a regional power. We would like to think of Iran as a Muslim country which supports the Palestinian people. We would like to see Iranian efforts concentrating on bringing the Palestinians together; uniting them but that is not the case. The Iranians are supporting certain factions. They are increasing the divisions among the Palestinians rather than reducing it. We would like to see Iran be more constructive and not to interfere in internal Palestinian affairs. They say they are not, but we know they are. They finance and fund certain factions and they make them take extreme political positions against the PLO and its leadership. Iran can and should play a constructive role.
Rooz: You were born in Jericho. How is life there today?
Areikat: Everyone, regardless of where they are born, loves their birth place. Jericho is to me the memory of my childhood. But unfortunately, I did not have a normal childhood like other children. When I grew up and realized all the things around me, I knew that we were occupied; I knew that we were not free. I knew that the Israeli army is everywhere; they can come into our homes anytime, to search our homes, to arrest my father and my brothers.
Rooz: Were you ever arrested?
Areikat: Yes of course. I was arrested more than once or twice for demonstrations, for throwing stones at the Israelis soldiers. This is something that every Palestinian is proud of.
Rooz: How is life in the West bank different than in Israel?
Areikat: The West bank is considered to be a very sophisticated and advanced society but the impact of the occupation is immense; you cannot imagine life without freedom: To know that you have to go through so many checkpoints, so many road blocks. Your movements are constantly hampered; there are curfews; you don’t know if you can get to your work the next morning. None of this gives you a sense of relief and security.
Rooz: What about the economy in the West Bank?
Areikat: The economy in the West Bank is better than that of the Gaza strip. We still have high unemployment; per capita income is of course much lower than that in Israel: $2,400 a year in the West Bank vs. $24,000 in Israel, ten times more. On top of that, the West Bank and the Palestinian areas are markets for Israeli products. We are the second largest market for Israel. It is not just a matter of political exploitation, but it has an economic dimension as well, involving our natural resources. I am not someone who blames the Israelis for all the ills and problems, but if Israel ends its occupation, we can build a better economy and lead a better life.
Rooz: Can “Palestinians ever be free?” Do you think we will see a state for the Palestinians in our life time? My question really is, are you optimistic about the future?
Areikat: I would like see that dream come true. I hope we will succeed in creating a Palestinian state in my lifetime. I wanted that to happen in my parents’ lifetime. Unfortunately, they passed away and did not see it bear fruit. But they did see the seeds growing, beginning in 1994. I hope to see it for my children and for our children: A free, independent and sovereign Palestinian state which can live in peace with its neighbors. I have to be optimistic because I believe in the just cause of my people, in their struggle to end oppression and occupation.
