Tonight at Harvard they had a panel on the "road to peace after Gaza," with former State Department official Nicholas Burns, who described the Israeli elections as a "hung election," moderating between Shai Feldman and Rashid Khalidi.
Khalidi said there was a "glimmer" of hope that there would be progress on achieving a Palestinian state under Obama, but this means talking to Hamas. "Try not talking to the IRA in northern Ireland. Try not talking to the Provos. They'd still be killing each other."
Later he was more pessimistic. He said he had "grave doubts" whether the "inexorable processes" that Israel has set in motion since the early 90s, when Palestinians mingled in Israeli life, could be reversed. Not just the occupation, but the administrative/military structure around it. "One in 11 Jews now lives on land taken since 1967." Both peoples still generally want two states. But how do we get there? As for one state, neither really wants that. And how do you get there?
Briefly Khalidi became passionate. In Israel proper there are 1 million Palestinians, while "the rest are helots with no rights." Inevitably they will "rebel… again and again." As for the wall, it separates Palestinians from Palestinians…
Deeply dispiriting. Especially as this was served up with the Harvard spirit of balance. Though Feldman agreed that Gaza was "a large prison" and the only way things would change would be through American "leverage."
(Phil Weiss)
