Guest Contributor Samuel Blanes Targett speaks to Saeb Erekat, Palestinian diplomat who serves as one of the most prominent spokespersons and foreign policy experts for Palestine. At the time of the interview, he serves as the chief of the Negotiations Department of the PLO.
Q: Since your earliest days as a public figure, you have been a vocal advocate for bilateral co-operation above all between Israeli and Palestinian leaders. What moment in your personal or political life first led you to realize that negotiations were the path to follow?
A: This is not about negotiations, it is about liberating our country. No matter the chosen strategy of resistance to the tyranny of the occupation, eventually anything would lead to a process of negotiation. Perhaps the end of South African apartheid is the best example: there was armed struggle, BDS and sanctions worldwide, extensive work at the United Nations, yet all of this served as a vehicle to create the conditions for a negotiated solution. This is why it is not about believing in negotiations or not, it is about believing in the possibility of ending a conflict; and the only way to do that in a lasting manner is through an agreement. What do I mean? Our right to freedom is not up for negotiation, international responsibility should not be conditional upon negotiations, yet how future relations between Israelis and Palestinians will look after the end of the occupation will have to be settled in an agreed document that sets the road-map for implementation of international law and UN resolutions.
Q: You have been a key player in Palestinian negotiations since 1995. What do
you believe has been the single most challenging moment you have faced in this time,
and if given another chance, would you handle it differently?
A: Though I wasn’t involved in Oslo, I was involved in the arrangements for its
implementation. Before, I was part of the delegation to the Madrid Conference
and the Washington Talks. I was lucky to be close to President Yasser Arafat,
who trusted me with many of the files though I did not have the official title
of chief negotiator. Perhaps the most challenging moment was the Camp David
Summit in 2000 when I was asked to write down the response of President Arafat
to the US/Israeli proposal, which was basically about giving up our sovereign
rights in Jerusalem and the prospects of an independent state. President Arafat
did what he had to do, but while writing the response I was tearing up. When he
asked me why, I said “because I feel like I’m writing your death sentence”. I
won’t forget that moment, ever. President Arafat acted as the great leader he
was, and I wouldn’t change a comma of our response.
Q: Which aspect of your job do you believe would be most surprising to those not intimately familiar with the Israel-Palestine conflict?
A: Having to deal with more than one item at the same time. We don’t have peace
negotiations today, so my work deals a lot with protecting our positions and
creating leverage, making our position stronger. There is a huge disparity
between the occupier and occupied, and this is not conducive to a successful
peace process. We need to build alliances in order to protect and advance our
rights. A lot of our work is behind the scenes, but some of the results are
beginning to come out. If Israel and the US keep moving towards further
annexation, then they’ll find a few surprises here and there.
Q: Your own experience negotiating at the highest levels is extensive; but what strategies do you believe are most effective for ordinary citizens (whether they be Palestinian, Israeli or otherwise) seeking to support the peace process in their own way?
A: It’s about interest. Palestinian citizens are very frustrated with
negotiations, because effectively these have failed. Yet they are way more
prepared for a just and lasting agreement than Israeli citizens. Why? Because
most Israelis today, while expressing that they believe in peace, don’t pay any
consequences for the policies that their government is conducting. As long as
Israeli citizens, especially settlers, don’t realize that there are
consequences to their actions, then they will continue doing what they are
doing. Supporting a peace process, from a rational choice perspective, means
supporting self-interest. Netanyahu says “I build in the settlements and my
diplomatic relations are flourishing”, and you know what? This is partially
true. He gets some European diplomats in Tel Aviv telling Israelis that, no
matter what they choose, Israel will remain a preferential trade partner for
them. Look at the Trump administration. They sent them settlers as US diplomats.
So why would they see ending the occupation, which is the goal of any
meaningful peace process, as being in their interest? This has to change.
Q: The Palestinian leadership has been criticized, both at home and abroad, for its advanced age and perceived insufficient representation of young perspectives. What are your thoughts on this, and what role do you believe Palestine’s youth should play in the political arena and the peace process more generally?
A: Palestinian youth has to be better represented, and hopefully we’ll have
elections. This is not about old or young, this is about having a dynamic
national movement that eventually is a combination of all. But nobody can deny
that our youth are totally under-represented and this has to change. Palestine
will benefit the most from their potential.
Q: Recent elections in Israel have seen increased involvement from its Arab community, and it seems as though the formation of a unity government is likely. What opportunities does the current political situation offer, in your opinion, for the prospects of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process?
A: I don’t think there are many opportunities in Israel. Everyone in the
Zionist camp, with the exception of Meretz, talks about settlements and
annexation of occupied territory. But hopefully things will change.
Q: Finally, what is the most important lesson you have learned in your many
years as a negotiator?
A: Study well, prioritize your interest and think of the interests of the other parties, including the mediator or facilitator. Always know your BATNA [best alternative to a negotiated agreement], and develop it well. Think of the benefits of an agreement and do your best. Never forget the people you are representing. Don’t give up, try to be creative yet never compromise on your basic principles, including your dignity.