Gaza ceasefire: 'Instead of just ceasing the war, we need to cease the conflict'

FRANCE 24 English

Visit our website: http://www.france24.com  Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/France24_en

Transcript

00:00We welcome Palestinian peace activist Ali Abu Awad.

00:03Thank you for joining us here on France 24.

00:06Thank you for having me.

00:07The U.S. president stated that the war in Gaza is over.

00:11Listening to what our correspondent there is reporting,

00:14your thoughts on that statement?

00:17Yeah, the war is over and hopefully it will continue.

00:22But the conflict is not over.

00:23So I've been saying like instead of just seizing the war,

00:31we need to seize the conflict.

00:32I think the Middle East now is among a great opportunity

00:36for a new management and a new peace environment

00:40that can be created after all of these efforts

00:43by the international community mostly.

00:46So if the international community was able to seize the fire in Gaza,

00:52then they are absolutely able to put some sort of pressure

00:57for a new management of the enemy.

00:59Can you make peace if hardliners on both sides ultimately don't want it?

01:05Actually, this is where you need to make peace

01:08because you make peace between enemies.

01:11Listen, this conflict is not our destiny.

01:14We have not been born to keep suffering like this way.

01:17It has to have an end.

01:19There is one fact.

01:21There are two identities in that piece of land that we both call home.

01:26And these identities has to be recognized.

01:29And on that fact, we need a new political structure

01:33that will recognize these two identities,

01:35but also to allow these two identities to thrive,

01:39not at the expense of each other.

01:42It has never happened before.

01:43And where should Donald Trump be pressuring?

01:48What should he be doing?

01:50I think the two-state solution is the only solution.

01:54Is he serious about it?

01:56You should ask him,

01:58but I know that the majority of both sides want peace yesterday.

02:03I'm aware of the trauma.

02:04I'm aware of the suffering.

02:06I'm aware of all of these facts of violence, hatred, stereotype.

02:13But this didn't start from the 7th of October.

02:16Since ages, we have been facing that.

02:20And having said that,

02:21this was a very painful lesson to both of us,

02:25Israelis and Palestinians,

02:27to wake up today and say never again.

02:31Never again for the 7th of October.

02:33Never again for occupation.

02:34Never again for humiliation and destructions of human lives.

02:38Today, we have to take responsibility and to lead our destiny.

02:43We need a good leadership.

02:44We need a committed leadership.

02:46We need an international commitment

02:48based on all of these efforts by France,

02:52by the U.S., by the Arabs.

02:54The Arabs now more engaged in the solution

02:57more than any time is.

02:59So it's not about just rebuilding Gaza.

03:01I think we need to rebuild peace.

03:03We need to rebuild the Middle East in a new fashion

03:06where Jews will be acceptable,

03:09but also will partner with Palestinians

03:11without Palestinians fearing or having

03:14to pay the price of their dignity

03:16because of the Israeli security.

03:18And we mentioned Gaza,

03:20but there's also the West Bank.

03:21In the last days,

03:23we saw the Israeli military move into Jenin.

03:26Right now, is the situation improving

03:32or worsening since this truce?

03:36I think it's worsening

03:37because that was our biggest fear.

03:40Even after seizing the fire in Gaza,

03:43what's going to happen in the West Bank?

03:45Extreme settlers are having free access

03:48and free movement to do whatever they want.

03:51No one is seriously stopping them.

03:53Even the Israeli army is struggling

03:55in some places with these settlers.

03:59On the other hand,

04:00Palestinians are living behind gates.

04:03We have never experienced that.

04:05Just imagine that your life starts

04:07at 7.30 in the morning.

04:09Then these gates will close and shut down at 5.

04:13After 5, you are not allowed to move to anywhere.

04:16This is not life.

04:17And what this will produce

04:19is more violence and more hate.

04:22I am a peace activist,

04:24and I have been doing this

04:25for more than 23 years.

04:28But today, we need a political umbrella

04:31to protect all of these efforts toward peace

04:34because the majority of both sides

04:35doesn't want to experience

04:37what they are experiencing.

04:38So it has to be a political management

04:41for this reality, for this environment.

04:45We talk about where the United States

04:46should be applying pressure.

04:49What about here in Europe?

04:50You're here in Paris to attend an event

04:52at the Arab World Institute,

04:54l'Institut du monde arabe.

04:56What message for Europeans?

04:58Can they make a difference?

05:00What should they be doing?

05:02Well, I'm first thankful to all of those

05:05who are hosting me.

05:06I'm bringing a different voice,

05:08not just for hope,

05:09for a realistic, ideological belief of solution,

05:15thanks to Organization Warriors for Peace,

05:19thanks to Hannah Azoulin

05:20as a great activist

05:22who did a great documentary

05:24called Resisting for Peace.

05:26And I'm attending this event

05:28in the Arab Institute

05:29because with one call,

05:32be pro-solution.

05:34We want the world to be pro-solution.

05:36This divide between Jews and Arabs everywhere

05:39is just fueling the conflict.

05:41We want people to stand

05:42and take serious steps

05:44towards solution

05:45because none of us

05:46is going to disappear.

05:48None of us is going to give their right

05:50for freedom,

05:51for security,

05:52for independence,

05:53for recognition.

05:54So what are you expecting?

05:55The other side will disappear

05:58by taking a statement of hate?

06:00It doesn't work.

06:01I am dreaming.

06:03I was dreaming

06:04when President Macron

06:07announced the recognition

06:08of the Palestinian state,

06:10a march of Jews and Arabs

06:12together encouraging him

06:13to do more.

06:14I'm dreaming to see

06:15in the White House

06:16Jews and Arabs,

06:18Muslims,

06:19anyone,

06:20pushing for the solution

06:22because I think

06:23the recognition

06:24of a Palestinian state

06:25is not a threat

06:26on the Israeli security.

06:29And the Israeli security

06:30will never be achieved normally

06:32without a Palestinian independent state.

06:34So with both sides traumatized,

06:35where do you start?

06:37We start with,

06:38as I told you,

06:40political umbrella

06:41that the international community

06:43has to grant you

06:44in a way,

06:45grassroots peace efforts

06:47and there are

06:48tremendous,

06:49amazing organizations

06:50who are doing

06:51everything possible

06:52to do that

06:53and a new leadership

06:55maybe in the region.

06:56We need,

06:57as I told you,

06:58Israel has challenging

07:00in the,

07:02many challenges

07:02in the political level.

07:04The Palestinian authority

07:07is facing

07:08great challenges

07:09by what is going on.

07:11So these are

07:12the three levels

07:13that we need

07:14to act

07:15and build

07:16that new structure

07:18with both national plans

07:20for solution.

07:21It's nice to call

07:22for elections

07:24in the Palestinian territories.

07:25Is it realistic?

07:26Well, listen,

07:29elections is a sample

07:30of democracy.

07:31But what are we voting for

07:33and who we are voting for?

07:39Electing a new Palestinian authority

07:42just by that

07:44will not help.

07:45We need this

07:46to transform this authority

07:48to become a government

07:50that will rule a state.

07:52Then I can call it

07:53full democracy.

07:54The good news

07:55in that

07:56it will bring

07:56new voices,

07:57new energy,

07:59it will promote

07:59a new fix

08:00of the act

08:01and will shape

08:03some sort of

08:04like constitutional

08:05state.

08:08On the other hand,

08:09it will tell

08:10also the Israeli society

08:11that Palestinians

08:12are not sleeping,

08:14dreaming

08:14that Israel

08:15will disappear.

08:16Palestinians

08:17just want

08:17normal life

08:18so that

08:19democratic structure

08:22to have it supported

08:24enough also

08:25by Israel

08:25because Israel

08:27is authorizing

08:27the PA as well.

08:30No one will be able

08:31to create

08:32or to promote

08:33a serious,

08:34effective

08:35leadership

08:36that will take

08:37responsibility

08:37toward Israeli security

08:39without a dignified

08:41leadership

08:41in Palestine

08:43as well.

08:44Ali Abu Awad,

08:45so many thanks

08:45for stopping in

08:46and seeing us here

08:47at France 24.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended