A new colleague from the Palestinian Authority is coming to work at my department. I’m thinking of asking him to grant an interview to this blog. I don’t know if he will agree but in case he does, are there any questions you want me to ask? I think this is a great opportunity for all of us to get informed and educated.
Please leave suggestions about possible questions in the comment section.
Clarissa's Blog 
That would be *wonderful.*
Later I’ll think of more questions, but for now. If there are differences between PA and Gaza in any of the answers, I would be glad to hear positions of both.
1. Their relationship with and thoughts about the West and the Arab countries. This is a very wide question and concerns not only politics but also relationship to Western culture/s. Which parts would they want to emulate and which not?
2. Connected to 1, how do they see the future government of the Palestinian country and its relations with neighbors, including Israel?
3. As a Jewish Israeli, I am interested what people in PA think about two state solution and possibility of real peace with Israel. What are red lines for them? For instance, the Right of Return, Israeli desire for military presence in some areas, etc.
4. This is a sensitive question, but I hope s/he will answer anyway. Many Israelis are afraid that terror will continue even after foundation of Palestinian country, but worse than ever. What is the attitude towards terrorism now on the Palestinian street, and under which conditions future Palestinian state will be ready to leave terror forever and be peaceful neighbors.
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5. How do they view Israeli Arabs and Arabs of Jerusalem? And whether they would be ready to accept them as citizens of the future state, if something similar to Lieberman Plan will be agreed upon?
“The Lieberman Plan suggests a territorial exchange whereby Israel would annex almost all Israeli settlements in the West Bank which are situated in major settlement blocs close to the border, and withdraw from the remaining few deep inside the Palestinian territories. At the same time, it would transfer Arab-Israeli areas to the Palestinian state … All Arab residents of the Triangle would lose their Israeli citizenship. … The plan would reduce both the Arab population of Israel and the Jewish population of the West Bank, creating more ethnically homogeneous states without anyone moving.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lieberman_Plan
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Yes. The conflict is complex but I keep coming back to one element. The question is “Can Hamas be moved to the position where they will admit to the right of the Israelis to exist and support a two state solution?”
I can’t see anyway that a people who suffered the Nazi attempt to exterminate them can make peace with people who do not accept their right to exist. It seems negotiations to end the conflict begin there.
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6, Who should Israel negotiate with for two state solution? What does he think about Israeli goal of weakening Hamas and then (hopefully) negotiating with Abu Mazen? Can Abu Mazen be a true and only peace partner, or should Israel negotiate with Hamas too, wait more time, etc.?
If there is no agreement in the near and relatively far future, what will happen? I hear all the time “Israel should sign agreement now with PA for Palestinian country, it’s last chance for peace, otherwise facts on the ground would prevent,” etc. I don’t see this agreement on the horizon. What then? Will it destroy Israelis, Palestinians, both? Or will it “only” prolong the conflict till signing?
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How can government sacrifice the well-being of innocents for the ideological positions of its leaders? When “securing a better future for our people” involves grievous injury to that people, how can any leadership consider its actions to be just? Can any ideology be more important than the people it represents.
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Not a question, but interesting news. Makes one think again how strong Abu Mazen is. Imagine Israel leaves the West Bank, and Hamas quickly achieves control over it, as they did in Gaza. I don’t think fear of PA losing funds as a result would stop Hamas.
‘Hamas planned intifada to seize West Bank’
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“The discovery of the infrastructure attests to the great danger posed by Hamas’ headquarters abroad given its strategic plan to collapse the Palestinian Authority,” said the Shin Bet.
“Khaled Mashal was aware of this and the Turkish government knew about the operations emanating from its territory. The PA’s security forces received updates about the investigation. Hamas’ plan was the same as its seizure of the Strip in 2007. Al-Arouri is the Mohammed Deif of the West Bank.”
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4560000,00.html
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Notice that it’s Israel revealing the plot, not PA police protecting their Abu Mazen’s government. Some may say “Israel always lies, are you a fool to believe that?” , but Hamas succeeded to take control over Gaza this way and the fact that israel supports Abu Mazen (to a degree deemed desirable, of course) and Abu Mazen’s (in)ability to stand alone are among often discussed topics.
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