Transcripts For DW Peace Talks 20240711

Hard to find an opening to my story. The tale of a small footnote in the history of our region. I can only write my own private memories of these 3 years of hope and anguish. Is this a tale of triumph or defeat the ending to our story has not yet been written. The president ducks begin 40 days after the mexico in hamburg . Exactly the 40 days of mourning was a full hour. And when theyre up and you see blood on the streets and people are saying, this is the peace that you promised us. And you could not say, dont forget, it was only at the o. P. Wasnt there a ceremony . We are all fun and rubbing and clean, wasnt it beats why . Why . In march 94, we headed back to the negotiating table. Since the wave of suicide bombings is really closed, the border to 2 and a half 1000000 palestinians. Poverty was rising throughout the occupied territories, and Living Conditions declined. Our people were losing faith in the Peace Process, but i knew we must not give up. Recently do have the 6 years. Hes also going about the 6 are going to go in the future of slieve fact for the prominent arrangements or whatever it was. Yeah, i was going to sort of go in. Now the trick of negotiating with the palestinians is not to address the main aspects of the prominent to enjoy because if we try to deal with a prominent arrangement, now, the whole thing will fall upon your going to the clinton camp 30 percent over that. And despite the blood and the violence, the process had a force of its own. And in may 94. 00 when we set out to sign the gaza jericho agreement granting the palestinian self rule in gaza. That is something you can see months of talks, but stage was finally set to egypt. President mubarak provided a suitably dramatic setting for the ceremony in cairo, the morning of the signing of the gaza, jericho agreement, faisal and i were being interviewed in jerusalem, while watching a my broadcast of the ceremony. On my way to the interview, i was held up by Israeli Soldiers at the checkpoints. Someone said to me, this is your idea of peace. Tell the old man not to sign, tell him to come wait at the checkpoint and sign it here. Along with the rest of us, i stared at the screen and wondered, is this a celebration of the birth of the Peace Process or its burial . Both sides appear to have sorted out differences over the gaza strip and jericho. But within minutes it was clear that the deal, like the stage positions, was not going to plan even just fine. If you fell through it when i was sitting there and i see how far signing the book, signing could go commence signing a document. All the documents and then the guy that the system brought the maps look the bam didnt sign close the can went back to spare and have been, was walking through the saying why walk up as they are and i stand next to a beam. And as he begins to sigh and i open it, and then i whisper in his ear without show trying not to show any excitement because everything was recalled and, and filmed. And i told him, i dont know signed a maps. So he says, so what does it mean . I responded, it means that there is no agreement. Israels Prime Minister examines the documents, foreign minister, shimon peres, and also refused to sign for a while, it seemed as if the entire ceremony was about to collapse. Because we had not been a part of that channel. We didnt fully appreciate what the gaps were between the 2 sides. Israel saw this as a devolution of power as a power seems prove themselves. How soon saw this says we have to show this is a new day. And as a new day, we have to have all the trappings of state even if we dont have a formal yet. So immediately they want to, you know, they didnt want controls over across. He wants they want to, they want to immediately say, you know, the israelis are out of our lives. Would have been without father. If you know that negotiations says that he says no, no, no, i was with barak, they want to be serious. So i would go to them and says the game has said no, they would quit. And to stop it. Mubarak said it probably was a mistake. The son of a bitch. After a brief interval, the p. L. O. Leader was assured that the size of the jericho region was still under negotiation. He signed the document and did a few comments. Finally, with the briefest of and shakes a deal was at the very last minute on july 1st, 1904 Yasser Arafat returned to his home and reclaimed his position as the palestinian leader. It was an ambivalent return. He came back and had to govern palestine, which was divided and driven apart. Or perhaps israel brought him back in order to control him. What was the price we had to pay for his return home . Was this 1. 00 of mine fields . Or was it the 1st step toward peace and the liberation of palestine . As we made our way to palestine, my heart pounded and i was choked with the emotion of the moment. I went to as i never went before, just singing and hugging all my relatives and friends the last time i met my father in jordan, i hinted that i might be coming home so he cried and raised his hands, swearing he would prepare a feast on my return with with my sadness was that my father and passed away just 4 months earlier. After waiting for my return for so many years. So when i called yuri, i said, im finally back in my childhood home. He greeted me with the arab order of welcome and told me he was really pleased to hear my voice. We have become neighbors and asked one week after i returned to abu ds, we met once again in taba this time in order to negotiate the 2nd stage of the osce low process. Israels withdrawal from the west bank by spread out the map. We had kept secret until then the oslo accord stated, israel will withdraw from most of the west bank within a year. And the palestinians were expecting to receive control over the land immediately. But israel demanded a gradual withdrawal and offered the palestinians full control of only 2 percent of the land. The remaining 98 percent would be controlled by the israeli army. Arafat stared at the map silently and then announced that it was an unbearable humiliation. These are prison camps, he yelled, you want to destroy me. With those words, arafat left the room. What you were suggesting deviates from the signed agreement, i shouted, you keep 98 percent of the land. We wont accept that. You can enforce this approach on arafat and push him into a corner. But remember this, a one sided agreement will not last last it up without saying another word and summoned his driver. We exchanged a polite and cold handshake, and we each went our separate ways. As hours went by, we waited nervously in the hotels lobby. Some israeli reporters informed us that arafat had issued a statement about the talks collapsing. We were all on edge, but refused to cave in or something else. Now is the time to decide, do they want agreement or not entirely when the 2 main issues are on the table. Hebron and withdrawal maps are of so i believe well know in hours or in the days. But where the end of the negotiation is almost at the stage of the final decision later that evening, arafats personal assistant came rushing towards me. Arafat asked that you come to our room immediately. She said, hes collapsed. I went to our laws room and found him lying in bed, pale as a ghost, trembling nodding in and out of consciousness. Hold on, my friend, i whispered. I need you to stay with me. The doctors found out last collapse to be a result of extreme fatigue caused by the many hours of negotiations. But i knew the truth. The map i presented to him had broken his heart there was something very personal and east making. It wasnt political festival. It wasnt that political ambition, it was a hit, very human. Theres a symbolic picture where people went to israeli attacks in the streets and put on their dances that that acts that they stirred your lives and your homes. There are you that can do your kids from a place to people who went out and gave them flowers and gave them olive branches and felt that this was, that this is their and their conflict. This is that and of the occupation. It was her moment. And moment of trauma, as peoples hopes were dashed and then magical. Im some to every i saw it as a sad and responsible im a woman. I want day. Im driving to my office and the guards tell me a bus was blown up as we drove there. And the whole square was awash with blood and bodies was still lying there, body people wailing and weeping. The best news. I wish i will fail to show you must thousands of people were there and when i walked in, they surround murder and see what youve done. To us, try to see what youve done to us, much as it i had the meeting with the year and ron we all felt that time was running out and that we had to act fast. We agreed on the liberations that would lead to a permanent agreement, utilizing the same framework we used and awe slow, quick discreet talks and no empty slogans. Mahmoud abbas and i deliberated over the draft for almost 2 years. Behind the scenes without the wreckage of the taba hotel, we touched on the most sensitive points of the process, the for the very 1st time, at least theoretically, we had a document in our hands with a comprehensive solution. The withdrawal to the 67 borders, the establishment of a palestinian state, of course, keeping the settlement blocks intact and making jerusalem the capital of both nations. My plan was to set up a meeting with rabin. I told him that i would like to meet with him about the permanent solution. And he said its not possible. So i told him, lets do it. When i returned from the United States on saturday, nov 11th. No one could have guessed under what circumstances that meeting would take place. On september 5th, we reassembled in taba. I must admit that after our last encounter, i wasnt looking forward to another round of this endless boxing match. It was the they asked ts meeting, ive ever been in my life. We just wanted to be anywhere. But in that room, as i was leaving the room, i turned around and the israeli and palestinian delegations are talking to each other and having a cup of coffee. I think it underscores the point that part of what happens in negotiations is the humanisation of the other side. You no longer see just the quote unquote enemy, but you see a person and you learn about that persons family and their ups and downs of their happy moments. And you get a sense of how committed they are to peace. And you never able to translate that to the public. That evening we improvised a friday prayer service. We lit candles and much to the astonishment of the palestinians. Singer recited the kid who should prayer. We opened with everybody love saturday night in 3 languages. Afterwards. Abu alaa and myself joked around by imitating the peres and arafat conversations. Meanwhile, we taught, whose eos for how to sing my you disha mama, it was nice to get around again. Later that night i received a call from jerusalem. A bus had exploded in the center of the capital. Tell the government, stop the peace talks. We sat and watched the news silently. No one said a word. No one doubted that our palestinian friends opposed to terror and that it was directed towards them as well. 2 days later called me up from his room and asked me to watch the arab evening news with him. We watched images of a 7 year old boys funeral, a boy who had been killed that day by the israeli army. Abu alaa was right when he said that neither side has dominion over suffering that night to a law and i reached the final draft of the osce low b. Agreement is going to let them know he also be accords, were signed by early, severe, on the israeli side and as well enough with the palestinians. According to the treaty, the israeli army will withdraw from 6 name cities in the whistle bank. Besides jericho and elections will the Palestinian Council will take place and much else at the say on this is a day of achievement. The visits are grubby and on this morning of the signing of the oslo be a court of the government debated for 5 hours. You know what the minister has described as an historic meeting about in a story are your own or showed you today with the help of the israeli army. We rule over more than 2000000, palestinians, and control daily lives through the civil administration. All should show. This is no peaceful solution or we can go on fighting. We can continue killing and being killed already or not so bad. We can also try to bring a halt to this endless cycle of bloodshed. We can give peace a chance. I dont think all sins of gathered to protest the ratification of the oslo, the agreement, and what the nationalist camp calls the forsaking of security and the abandonment of the homeland. I did show a little love. I asked this huge crowd. Is that anyone amongst you the police . Yes, i dont find them over you say no, but there is someone who doesnt care about your opinion, 7 that mr. Rabin. I dont do that. Did i ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States is majesty king hussein of the hashemite kingdom of jordan is excellent. Seem obama, whos mubarak, president of the arab republic of each other. It is actually, its a good start for me. Prime minister of israel chairman arafat. Please take your good hard look the saw in your city once we both blows on the eager bill, just to eat sugar into our Great Division soldier and serve a new way to do there to make peace moment. Most of these years of hope when the peace gaps felt that they were somehow vindicated, bringing to their people the fruits. I dont go in the same hotel, a spontaneous get together of the oslo veteran. Among them, the original negotiators and then with a 100 you will more than you think know its a one day off, you know, the one that im yes, yes. When i am optimistic, yes, i believe that the process will continue. Despite of all the difficulties we face, but we have both, we have a good political push this process for all and i concur with up, well what i said and we have no choice and there is some good common language around this table. If you can see also like the days highlight is the friendly perception of us where personal guards are let down and on the podium gives her phone number to misses out of this chemistry among the women on the sheet. And you address out a fuss for the 1st time in a personal toe with humor what the situation spoke. And the story is specious. Magique. I are still up to believe. Sure, but knowing that you are close to be sure each i was if i was not one post i was valid and looks and take you and replies a lot of oh, ive got a i was 3, i later yet sacra and the shimon peres. The yossi beilin game and to their friends. I say to you throughout the arab leaders, we will rally our forces and we will serve. See obviously was we will put an end to those threats that we will succeed. Was god because theres no nation is much stronger than its government was. I think it was you was through rabin and arafat felt isolated and the hostile environment was the peace camp wasnt going out into the streets to protest was instead they chose to avoid confrontation was the peace opponents hamas on the palestinian side. And the greater israel camp on our side was now on to public opinion, was the face off wasnt between israel and the palestinians, but between those who supported peace and those who objected to it. Mr. Udell, of why do you like to make the settlers angry as much . What are they accusing me of not have cut off forsaking the settlers life split once people said that the settlements bolster our security. Where is the security look beautiful . A problem today. Vital security for the settlers. Do you see the settlers as pioneers . Should . Absolutely not. What do you see them as i see them as people who are implementing their political philosophy. They believe in the greater israel. What is dying . Isnt it these days . Some hill near ramallah bringing 700000 immigrants to israel and absolving building a society and economy of another tiny settlement surrounded by hundreds of thousands of palestinian in early october, john freedman, a friend of peres, convinced him to arrange a rally in support of the Peace Process peres. Urged robin to accept the initiative, but rabin wondered, would be believin leave their homes in those days, rabin was more pessimistic than ever. If too much is heard in the middle east from the few extremists tonight, the supporters of peace. And the huge rally in tel aviv, this is the young israel, tired of obvious service, tired of chasing palestinian stone, throwing children through refugee camps all sides are mobilizing. But this is now becoming one of the most contentious moments in israeli history. For the past 5, perhaps the surprise is fading, and there is a popular momentum for peace. It was the happiest day of his life. Ive known him for 15 years. I do never seen him so happy. He has many downs. He didnt know if people would show up or call how they behave. And to his pleasant surprise, the crowd was enormous. And the enthusiasm was incredible. And the young men and women jumped into the pool in their clothes and raised him and peace and me to a little so i had known him for 15 years and i never saw him seeing that was the 1st time i ever saw him seeing bam, from of those im up and we both sang and neither of us so great seeing as the hard go afterwards he hugged me like he never hugged me before my much lower. I never saw him so happy as he was that night. I have a good deal allow me to say, im also new norcia. I want to thank everyone of you for coming here to stand up against violence. I feel no peace. Thank god. So when the rally was over, i started walking down the stairs. My car was parked in front of his car and next to his casket, his driver. I asked him to get stuck. He said there he is. He was maybe 10 or 12 meters away from me. The most. I got in the com drive, i started it, and just as we closed the door, we heard 3 gunshots Strong Enough more much of the old. She got me to call my place. Were now seeing an edited footage from the peace rally. This is what we know so far in the face, 3 shots were fired at Prime Minister rabin, the jewish Vendetta Group of players to have shot, rob. We still dont know the condition of the Prime Minister moments of i should also mention possible. I went to the hospital layer of being in the family and Close Friends were there to go and the hospital director took me aside and said, its a bad situation. Almost hopeless. A few minutes later he came to tell me it was over. She was us i lay and i went into the room where he lay on a gurney, covered with a sheet. Says we saw his face restful, peaceful when there was even a hint of a sarcastic smile on his lips of troops or a smile of acceptance. But i kissed his forehead and left the room, shark about ahmeds i am just people who are fighting each other, they dont go on as each other, have it kill each other and saw it wasnt a play. But then later i saw robins meeting when i have a crisis meeting, after meeting after meeting after meeting, i was there every single meeting and i saw how the relationships develop after there wouldnt rabin was assassinated out of 5, told me where its estimated the Peace Process and i disagreed with him on that. I was not about her and the vigil and its about institutions. Its about have a replacement and so on. And me, the bribe is for that has happened to me very sesame of a Peace Process. Paris was was not himself, was not himself. He was very said deeply said he was already the Prime Minister. And a on saturday i came to his home with all the maps and all the material. And they, i said to him, this is the women that have it with one. I think that we can go for it. You have the exam board though you have the solution for jerusalem. Everything is. And i think that now is the time. I mean, everybody is so confused including also, but still there is the support for, for peace, even more than before. As a result of that as a nation. And lets use it for his memory and finish that up. And listen to me very carefully. For 2 hours and then he said that not now, not mom. I dont think that people are ready to leave the jordan valley, which was part of the math. So that israel should withdraw for the drama of and i think that today to bring it to the people, women with his image will little receive much award, but this is the opportunity i was not Strong Enough to tell him it is your biggest mistake reconsider. I did not come again to him with this and maybe it is in me. Maybe it is part of my weakness. Maybe it was just a mistake. I dont know, but if you ask me where there are rape, i dont regret it. I had, i had apparently, to fight for him for the permanent agreement on may 5th 1996. I found myself back in the familiar surroundings of the hilton taba. I wondered about the 3 years that had passed since i 1st met abu allah and also low. Since then, our lives had become a combination of promise and anguish. The process was started and withstood tremendous trials since the 1st day and asked low and up until this Current Exchange in may 961001 100 days of peace talks had passed. When we set our farewells that day, i never imagined that it would be my last and final meeting with abu allah, in my official role as head of the israeli negotiating team. If i had known it was all going to end, maybe i would have come up with something more intelligent to say to him. But all i said to abu alaa was, see you soon, my friend nearly 80 percent of israels or 1000000 voters, dreams of polling stations. Everyone seem to understand why piss on election was important. In suburban tel aviv voters chose peres. The Peace Process that he would one be in a, bradley army or in a bloody war. In the west bank city of hebron. Jewish settlers voted for netanyahu. They just want to be give our land, but they are obvious. So of course we are hoping for binyamin if any tonight, those who support the steps israel has taken toward peace, are clinging to the hold, that they may be the ultimate winner and have told the shah. And should watch on the opposition, its official, a turnabout in the 1906 elections. The next Prime Minister is binyamin netanyahu. And you know, he received 50. 4 percent of the dots on that call. While shimon peres received only 49. 00 and a half percent. Its its like someone building a breach and building and building and building something that could have really changed the middle east and to, make these comes one c. , 100. 00 beats and it was a waste i felt so bad when it all collapsed because i hailed it already. And i felt we can do it, we can do it. And then it went wrong. And i know its not in my life, but i probably mopey my kids lifetime. Maybe the grandchildren us should shoot us should be a comma. Its a very supporters friends. The state of israel is embarking on a new path to understand i but ended on the folkloric to get a belated let the land run for the good of a lady. The honest man. Why didnt her dad going to announce this to the on the air blended the old lady to the disharmony well, i needed the art to get the airship is a little funny the candidates could come well i feel it in the end badly enough to believe theres a chance for peace between us and im going to stand among the girls and ill go down the can no false. Ronaldo is an ongoing war. But going to do a good thing in war though, mobic going only begins more wars opening the nose smoothing the close ropes half hour. My mom was coming and there was a man running again. Whats going on here . Oh, no house of your very own from a printer. Computer games that are healing. My dog needs electricity. Shift explains, delivers facts and shows what the future holds. Living in the digital world, shift in 15 minutes on d, w. One of them were child soldiers. Now theyre learning how to process trauma. Well go just one of the many projects initiated by her will current goal to better the lives of the Somali People meet the 2020 sermon, africa prize winner to 77 percent to 30 minutes. D, w happiness is for everyone, schumann penises are very different from primates. You know, we have a totally ridiculous romanticized view of nature and their theory that this is climate change, regular sex, how to encourage books. You get smarter for free to double your books on what a bit of this is do w. News live from berlin . Thousands of Donald Trumps supporters gather in washington d. C. To rally against the results of a u. S. President ial vote. 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