Dialogue with Israel should be based on Palestinian interests. When the Israelis initiated meetings in Europe that were funded by the Europeans, the Palestinians sometimes didn't understand the intent of the meetings and we didn't ask ourselves the right questions about the relations with Israelis. We were literally followers. This creates extremely negative reactions. Part of the people become "traitors" who work for Israel and part become nationalists who are against normalization. Can I free anything from Israel if I don't meet with the Israelis? I can't. The idea for the creation of the IPCC was the creation of a Palestinian agenda, for the issues of peace, development and social and economic mobility.
Rami Nasrallah
2
Civil Society
Please tell me about the International Peace and Cooperation Center.
A group of young people founded the IPCC with the goal of creating change according to a Palestinian agenda. We had always expected to receive land, money or help. We never anticipated our needs or our demands. Because we all appreciate the significance of Jerusalem, we have made it our focus. There was never a Palestinian vision for what we wanted in Jerusalem. We didn't know what we want. We had to found a think-tank that deals with the issue of Jerusalem, and even the viability of dialogue with Israel. Dialogue with Israel should be based on Palestinian interests. When the Israelis initiated meetings in Europe that were funded by the Europeans, the Palestinians sometimes didn't understand the intent of the meetings and we didn't ask ourselves the right questions about the relations with Israelis. We were literally followers. This creates extremely negative reactions. Part of the people become "traitors" who work for Israel and part become nationalists who are against normalization. Can I free anything from Israel if I don't meet with the Israelis? I can't. The idea for the creation of the IPCC was the creation of a Palestinian agenda for the issues of peace, development and social and economic mobility. We would have liked to change society's structure, but we focused on the issue of Jerusalem. The IPCC was the first time a Palestinian team sat down and produced a number of studies about Jerusalem. Such knowledge is important. We can't present the facts of the conflict drawn on a map without knowledge. We should deliver our message in an effective way. The West doesn't regard our issue as a just, historical one. We should be able to send that message to the world.