This discussion features former Israeli Prime Minister Ehood Olmert and former Palestinian Foreign Minister Nasser al-Kidwa, who advocate for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They express strong support for an upcoming New York conference co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, viewing it as a vital step towards peace. Both speakers strongly condemn the Israeli government's accusations against France, specifically the notion of a "crusade" or equating criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism. They detail their three-stage peace plan, beginning with ending the Gaza war and culminating in a two-state solution with Jerusalem as a shared capital, emphasizing its necessity despite the challenges posed by the October 7th attacks and ongoing conflict. They assert the crucial role of the international community, particularly the United States, in pressuring the current Israeli government and stress the importance of recognizing a Palestinian state as an irreversible political fact. Finally, they call for new leadership on both sides—a new Israeli government and new Palestinian leadership—to enable genuine progress, maintaining a surprising optimism for the future.
Summarizing the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Dialogue:
0:09 Upcoming New York Conference: Former Israeli PM Ehood Olmert and former Palestinian FM Nasser al-Kidwa view an upcoming New York conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, as a "very useful" and "positive development" for the peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the implementation of a two-state solution.
0:33 Call for Israeli Inclusion: Olmert highlights the importance of inviting Israelis to the conference, expressing uncertainty if this has been done.
1:01 Global Alliance for Two-State Solution: The speakers, who have campaigned for the two-state solution for nearly a year, welcome President Macron's involvement alongside Saudi Arabia and other global allies, seeing it as crucial for its "significance, importance, vitality, and relevancy."
2:01 Dismissing "Crusade" Accusations: Olmert calls accusations from the Israeli government that France is leading a "crusade against the Jewish state" and supporting terror "outrageous, totally unacceptable, childish, and irresponsible," reminding critics of France's past defense of Israel against Iranian missiles.
3:22 Distinguishing Criticism from Anti-Semitism: Both speakers emphasize the need to properly define antisemitism, arguing that criticizing the Israeli government is a legitimate political disagreement and not a form of antisemitism. They warn against undermining the fight against antisemitism by conflating the two.
4:48 Peace Post-October 7th: Despite the October 7th attacks and the ongoing war in Gaza, Olmert argues that peace is still possible and necessary, stating that war was inevitable but a political solution is the only path forward.
Stage 1: End Gaza War: Immediate end to the war in Gaza, return of hostages, release of Palestinian prisoners, establishment of an interim security force (Palestinians + moderate Arab countries) to prevent Hamas's resurgence, and complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Stage 2: Two-State Negotiations: Commencement of negotiations for a political agreement based on a two-state solution.
Stage 3: Regional Strategic Agreement: A wider regional agreement incorporating Israel's normalization with Saudi Arabia and existing peace treaties with Jordan, Egypt, and Abraham Accords nations, to shift the balance in the Middle East.
7:36 Need for Israeli Government Replacement: Olmert states that the current Israeli government cannot be convinced to stop its offensive and "has to be replaced soon and sooner the better."
7:57 Role of US President: Both speakers agree that the American president, particularly Donald Trump (if elected), holds "very important" power to influence the Israeli government and bring about change.
9:08 European Actions: Nasser al-Kidwa acknowledges discussions in Europe about suspending the EU-Israel agreement, stating it's up to European nations to decide what actions to take, but stresses that "actions need to be taken" to convince Israelis that change is necessary.
12:13 Importance of Palestinian State Recognition: Al-Kidwa explains that recognizing a Palestinian state is crucial because it creates "irreversible political facts" for recognizing countries and sends "the right signals to both sides" that the two-state solution is the way forward, even if it doesn't immediately change the ground situation.
13:59 Call for New Leadership: Olmert observes a growing interest in political change among young Israelis, particularly in the high-tech sector. Al-Kidwa explicitly states that "without a real change on both sides, without having a new Israeli government and new Palestinian leadership, we cannot make serious progress." He criticizes Mahmoud Abbas's prolonged tenure, asserting the Palestinian people's right to "new faces" and "new blood."
16:08 Enduring Optimism: Despite their status as "two old guys" and the grim situation, both speakers remain optimistic about the future, committed to working towards peace and confident that new generations will eventually take over.