As calls develop for a ceasefire in Gaza, there may be mounting hypothesis over simply who has the credibility to assist dealer a deal between Israelis and Palestinians.
Mohammed Dahlanthe former nationwide safety adviser and a pacesetter of the Fatah partywas as soon as seen by each Washington and the Arab world as a go-to mediator between Tel Aviv and Gaza. Dahlan has spent the higher a part of the final decade within the UAE, successfully exiled from his homeland and with out an official place in authorities.
In an interview on Nov. 15 in Dubai, Dahlan says that whereas he believes solely the U.S. could make an enduring peace settlement, President Joe Bidens function within the battle dangers a cycle of Palestinian resistance that has no finish.
Hardly ever granting interviews with Western press, Dahlan is now courting the media. A current proposal for a two-year transitional authorities of technocrats in Gaza and the West Financial institution raises questions over whether or not he may make a play for the management.
This interview has been edited for readability and size.
TIME: When you concentrate on what peace might seem like, is there any peace for the Israelis and the Palestinians that features Benjamin Netanyahu?
Mohammed Dahlan: Netanyahu is the largest liar within the historical past of the Israeli individuals. He lies to his individuals, to not us. He destroyed the State of Israel and never the Palestinian individuals. Subsequently, we weren’t capable of forge peace with him previously, and whoever believes they will forge peace with him within the current or future is deluded.
He’s committing this bloodbath towards kids in Gaza to guard his political standing and his place in Israel. He doesn’t care about Israels safety, he doesn’t care about Israeli residents, not to mention Palestinians, and due to this fact he desires this struggle to pull on and on.
As a Palestinian, do you imagine that Hamas needs to be punished for the assault on Israel?
Lets assume that Hamas doesn’t exist; is there anybody in Israel who can get up boldly and say it’s time to give the Palestinian individuals a Palestinian State with the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital? And stay in peace with the Palestinian individuals? If such an individual is discovered, you can see that many of the Palestinian individuals will assist this.
We’re not warmongers, however we defend ourselves bravely. We’re not those calling for killing others, but when others come to kill us, we now have the best to defend ourselves. That’s the reason we’re provoked by the place of the U.S. administration and a few leaders of the worldwide neighborhood after they repeat Netanyahu’s lies that Israel has the best to defend itself. Which means Israel has the best to kill harmless individuals and kids and enter and destroy hospitals? That is how Israel interprets this license that it obtained from the U.S. Secretary of State, President Biden, and leaders in Europe.
However once more, the entire world is watching. Do you imagine that Hamas needs to be punished? Sure or no?
I imply, there may be nothing within the Palestinian battle that may be answered with sure or no. Have you ever heard one Israeli assertion condemning the killing of harmless kids? I’m not speaking about militants in Gaza. There have been none. Secondly, have you ever heard a European official condemning Israeli statements from officers on the usage of gasoline and mass killing on this huge jail that’s the Gaza Strip? There have been none. Subsequently, for any Palestinian or any Arab defending the rights of the Palestinians to say sure or no, we is not going to say it.
Would you take into account being a part of a future authorities?
It’s the worldwide neighborhood who determined that Mahmoud Abbas would stay in energy with out elections. Israel, the USA and the West. They selected our behalf. When Israel and Abbas rejected elections underneath the pretext of Jerusalem, they wished to deepen corruption, deepen the division between the West Financial institution and Gaza, and additional the occupation. This principle failed after Oct. 7, and whoever desires to repeat the identical errors should bear future penalties.
However, sure or no query, would you be prepared to be a part of a future Palestinian authorities?
No, completely no.
Why?
However I’ll assist, if there is a chance to rebuild the Palestinian political system. Then sure, I’ll actually assist as a result of I’ve credibility within the Palestinian avenue I’ve relations with all organizations, which permits them to hearken to me. However personally, I positively is not going to be, and I do not wish to be.
Youre a considerably controversial determine. What are you able to do to assist the Palestinian individuals?
An individual who is just not controversial is just not helpful, that’s my view. Secondly, with regard to the connection I’ve constructed over the previous years, I feel I’ve relationship with all factions. I’ve a relationship with civil society, I’ve a relationship with Hamas, with the [Islamic] Jihad, with the Fashionable Entrance, with all organizations. All of them tried me whereas I used to be not in energy, and noticed that I didn’t quit. Now how can I assist? I assist with cash, I assist by college students, I assist in many issues which were introduced and a big half has not been introduced. I’ll proceed to take action. I take into account it a private responsibility that I’ll fulfill with out being in an official place.
The broader Arab world was trending in the direction of peace and Im speaking in regards to the Abraham Accords. Saudi Arabia was on the verge of signing on to that settlement. Does that imply the area is kind of inclined to peace now given what weve seen?
I imagine that if Israel makes peace with the entire world and doesn’t make peace with the Palestinian individuals, it is not going to have safety, it is not going to get hold of it, it is not going to obtain stability, it is not going to get hold of it. They won’t discover the Palestinian individuals giving in to their will. Quite, we’ll enter a steady cycle of resistance that has no finish.
When Golda Meir used to say that their elders will die and their kids will overlook, our elders have died and our youngsters have turn out to be extra patriotic than us and extra dedicated to their rights than us. I can inform [Israel] nothing good will come out of this. The subsequent era will likely be tenfold extra dedicated to nationwide rights, stronger and with a extra tenacious will, as a result of this era has seen the bombing with their very own eyes. It will be higher to not push them to the revenge that Israel has in thoughts. It will be higher if Europe and America rekindle the hope of independence, in any other case the way forward for Israel will likely be black.
After we see protests erupt the world over, many Jews that I communicate to in the US, in France, in the UK, theyre very fearful. Theyre fearful that they cant ship their children to high school and make certain that theyll come residence safely. Ought to they be residing in this sort of worry?
We’re not towards Jews. We, Palestinians, usually are not towards Jews. We additionally don’t stand towards some Israelis. What we stand towards is the Israeli occupation and the mentality of the Israeli occupation solely.
Is the dialog surrounding a two-state resolution a non-starter?
Israel doesn’t need a one-state resolution and doesn’t need a two-state resolution. It solely seeks to deepen and strengthen the occupation. That is not going to occur and we’ll resist. Nonetheless, if the worldwide neighborhood works with out repeating the previous errors and with out beginning infinite negotiations for the following 30 years, perhaps if a two-state resolution is obtainable to the Arab nations, the Palestinian management and the Palestinian individuals, it might discover a possibility. Nonetheless, that is primarily America’s duty. America is the one which killed the youngsters of Palestine in these 40 days. It’s obliged to supply an answer. The answer could be viable by the way in which. It doesn’t require additional negotiations. We’ve negotiated for 20 years concerning the borders, Jerusalem, refugees, water assets, and a demilitarized state. All the small print are there and solely want political choices..
So in your thoughts, the one people who can transfer this ahead are the Individuals?
We stay in a single state.The 2-state resolution lies within the palms of America, not within the palms of Netanyahu or the Israeli facet. If the U.S. administration has the political will because it had the political will to assist Netanyahu in killing kids, it could impose a two-state resolution inside a report time. I feel that the Arab nations are extra prepared than they have been 20 years in the past to assist this resolution.
Who has the political will, the political credibility, the political leverage to name time on this example and make peace?
Solely the US, solely the US. The U.S., reasonably the U.S. administration, can change in a single day from a rustic that helps crime and homicide to a rustic that makes peace. Solely the US.
