Its hard to find an opening to my story. The tale of a small footnote in the history of our region. I can only write my own private memories of these 3 years of hope and anguish. Is this a tale of triumph. Or defeat. The ending to our story has not yet been written. Was a args this is. They werent believe im not stupid. She said perhaps i should start with one decisive wednesday in july of 1902 professor he has failed call me up with a dangerous proposition to join him for a secret meeting with our sworn enemies the Palestinian Liberation Organization known to all as the p. L. O. Join us fighting shoulder to shoulder with the palestinian revolution against the zionist enemy palestine all of palestine is the era of arab arab emirates. The p. L. O. Was a terrorist Organization Led by. A man many israelis considered hitler successor. Our father believed in Armed Struggle fighting for palestinian freedom he took pride in the slaughter of the athletes at the munich olympics opening fire on School Children in monologues and planting deadly bombs all over israel. The problem was arafats was the only one palestinians looked up to he had the final say in only goshi actions but israel refused to talk to him. I mean america im against a palestinian state run by the p. L. O. Shelbys out of the west you know no negotiations with the reality vision but the goal was well above the most. 9 months before rabin had been elected to lead israel on a platform of peace and security. But as the months went by he delivered neither. With terror attacks on the rise and the Peace Process deadlocked the right wing opposition threatened to overrun him before he even completed his 1st year. In a desperate attempt to renew the peace talks deputy minister yossi beilin decided to act outside the law and set up a secret back channel to negotiate with the p. L. O. He approached his felt in me because we were the perfect fall guys 2 professors who had dedicated their careers to the israeli arab conflict but had no ties to the israeli government. We will enter a strange situation legally the law forbids us to come into contact with the palestinians i think you spoilage if you dont go a quandary ballistic is what are you going for them and toe was very painful i mean moms. Busses all over the world there were barracks there that quite an organization of general. The oslo process which i like to call the accidental channel was neither preplanned nor preprogrammed my own partial involvement began in december 92 when i was sent by the p. L. O. To norway to meet secretly with 2 israeli professors. A mile long flight from international to oslo i thought back on the day i was forced to flee my home in of 2 days when the p. L. O. Was declared illegal. Or left by family and home behind under the oppressive occupation of the israeli army and swore id return the day we were liberated. In the past 25 years rabin had been known to us as the bonebreaker the architect of the iron fist policy of repression. The idea of meeting our occupiers face to face did not appeal to me at all but the freedom of palestine demanded all of us take high risks. The 3 soldiers killed yesterday in gaza had been laid to rest an explosive device was found in a plastic bag under a bench in ramallah the border to gaza was closed and will remain so for a few more days. As we approached the secluded villa hidden deep within a norwegian forest a chill ran through my spine negotiating with terrorists was one thing in theory but now i was just hoping that we had made a terrible mistake. Our 1st handshake was rather tense i scanned the people in front of me and matched their faces to the memories we had prepared back home. Abu allah served as the palestinian minister of finance. Besides you said a court arafats confidant. The youngest of the group was haasan us for a militant communist who was the most aggressive of the 3. The palestinians wanted to know who we were and who we represented but all we could say was that we were 2 professors who were here in defiance of the law. The morning started pay good morning started it. Said only palestinians understand how difficult it was to live in the nuts who patient in no way usually understand how difficult it was to live for them for us to live in these radio capacious and it would have wanted to Say Something more irritating me emote getting me up like this is good sentencings youre not allowed to do if you really think that theres any comparison between israelis and palestinians and the nazis if you ever say peace again im going to stand up and move out it never came back it never came back again and i think this was a very it was it was a very unpleasant stop but it was an important stuff. We knew that all past negotiations had been fruitless and in order to temper being wed have to come up with a completely new offer to be perfectly honest i said were standing on the verge of a new war which will harm both sides. We are serious in reaching an understanding with you and are open for a historic compromise. Until now we have demanded your immediate withdrawal from the occupied territories but we realize it wont happen overnight. Arafat wants to bring up the possibility it was draw from the gaza strip as a 1st step towards peace. His felt and i exchanged glances although we were trying to conceal them. We were stunned. The p. L. O. Was considered an Extremist Group and here was arafats messenger with a Game Changing solution. Now we were left with the most difficult task of all presenting the draft to the decision makers. So i dont care if they send you know his garden on point of course not to meet some p. L. O. People and of the summit things they have this paper and i really want you to look at it and decide what we are going its ok. Then next day i am asking him if she wanted you read the papers and know and. You know they did you read the paper. And then you read it and then he understood that he had something explosive in his head. Been very. Insecure observed the girl ive goes well from my i said think about it go there fred the important fact was they discovered their father. They planned it all about you had many plans like which im all for i take the bait of so full of friends i dont think that any of each member world of has so many plans its already too late as i was in the middle ages. As the wave of terror engulfed the streets the protests outside the homes of rabin and peres had become routine the 2 leaders were stuck between a rock and a hard place they were losing their war against terror and the Peace Process showed no sign of revival. Perhaps the oslo channel was their only way out. With a heavy heart they authorized us to continue the talks as long as we exercised every precaution to keep the news from leaking if it became known we were deliberating with the p. L. O. It would be their last day in office. Now that the leaders were involved we were no longer in the drivers seat that is announced that they also channel would now be led by your use of youre the director general of the Foreign Ministry and joelle singer are rigid military lawyer. No way of bringing a military lawyer. On. For more than a good was really it was the law in the west bank and gaza and i come there to meet was the p. L. O. Terror always there or so from my perspective for you it was like a feel for. As i go into the room and see a war love the 1st time he comes to me and kisses me on those chicks coast is kissing me. On my caught ive been kissed by a tourist and probably thought i just kissed a military former military i mean man dog kiss one another in the United States or in israel. That was the 1st time a man kissed me. Before the 1st round of tax i decided to get acquainted with my counterpart. Where are you from here to jerusalem i replied. Im also from jerusalem he said where is your father from he was born in germany my father is from jerusalem and still lives there he said. We could go all the way back to king david i replied and didnt try to conceal my anger im sure we could argue about the past for years and never reach an agreement lets try and see if we could agree on the future. All right he said and we reached our 1st Mutual Understanding we wouldnt argue about the past ever again. Singur started the meeting by announcing that we had a real concrete proposal for the signed agreement. All traces of our optimistic document were racist and replaced by rabins agenda that would security and defense before cooperation and coexistence rabin had refused to deliberate on the core issues of the conflict demanding to discuss them at a later stage his offer did not include any mention of up rooting settlements dividing jerusalem the return of the Palestinian Refugees borg affinity of borders. As the reading commenced the palestinians astonishment grew. After a few minutes abu alaa turned to us for another quietly in arabic its a massacre. The last round of talks left me more confused than ever despite sinkers humiliating offer it was clear we were not when the big leagues it was no longer an initiative of 2 peace loving professors but rather of her being and parents themselves. All the while the news painted an entirely different picture. Being tightened his fist every day demonstrators were being killed throughout palestine some of them innocent kids who should we believe the reality on t. V. Or yuris promises. The whole the show host 1000 israelis was not in the past. We made the following decisions 1st to impose a closure on the west bank an addition to the closure on gaza. Starting tomorrow there will be no palestinian occupied territories on israeli lap until 5 and i was just out load off of the shore. For the 11th round in oslo we arrived with the proposition of our own perhaps singur and the israeli delegation thought we would surrender to their terms but that would not be the case our revised proposition stated the end goal would be Un Resolution 242. 00 demanding israels withdrawal from the occupied territories. The palestinian proposition enraged me and i responded with hard right opposition we would not acknowledge resolution 242 because it meant retreating to the 1967 borders and we refused to discuss borders at that stage we started believing the p. L. O. Were our partners in this but when we put our cards down the p. L. O. Always backed away from any clear decision maybe people are right to say the palestinians never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity. There was a lot of tension and people were walking out of the room slamming the door was but it was all. You know we knew that. They have desperate to reach an agreement. I just said let them. Let kids we need to let them play out and then well just say no. The israelis dismissed our proposition refusing to discuss the definitive borders at this stage i said to europe you refuse to recognize our national right and insist on retaining all the settlements we prefer to wait another 10 years for a reasonable offer yuri fired back in that case you can keep waiting until the messiah comes. Closer to your ear weve made every possible effort to reach a Peace Agreement with you but unfortunately i now find myself unable to go on i have decided to resign from the talks. The room fell silent a dark expression spread across abu alaa face and he seemed powerless as he rose to his feet and left the room this time it was really over. The jury asked me how i was feeling i didnt hide my emotions. Both sides were stubborn and did not grasp the importance of the moment. I just could not continue this negotiation i told him if you cant cure the onus we must find its cons lets put aside the maps and the agreements and begin by recognizing each other as partners the p. L. O. Will denounce all terror attacks against israel and we will stop viewing you as terrorists and allow our a fight to return to his homeland. I promised yuri i would present his mutual recognition proposal to arafat in tunis perhaps this round of talks wasnt a complete failure after all i descended to a blowing up of this and you left this area many years ago do you think the your dream about your coming back to your home thats my dream all the period so far that go yet and whats to come if that as a citizen and thats too much for me. We will negotiating in all slow dean complete secrecy no one knew about working outside of this really small coop and then when we were in. Suddenly it leaked the story leaked oh. I think wonderful deal may not have a secret talks between the p. L. O. And israel awoke snowbound oslo from a sunday now they grabbed a lot of headlines with little actual information at press that lining up their location and content were on notice the Israeli Embassy is absolutely desolate the security guards swore that they knew nothing of the talks not to mention where they were held but it was our last stop in our search for the secret talks here at the kings palace is ours we can tell they are here either. Here with me in tel aviv as Deputy Foreign minister yossi beilin is the recognition of the p. L. O. By israel official. I know nothing of any such recognition there is no such recognition. The worst thing that could happen was the premature exposure of the channel reporters kept calling me and i consistently denied everything without giving any unnecessary explanations but i knew we couldnt keep up the charade much longer it was only a matter of time until the who hardly used the talks to make rebellion and paris to my traitors who were conspiring with the murderous arafat. Go to the people tell the truth tell them this is our intention to hand the heart of israel over to our fast and establish a palestinian state go to the people before you implement your plan we are trying to beat the clock by reaching an agreement before a prematurely could. Stop the oil slick remember. The mutual recognition option excited the leadership in tunis and i was sent back to oslo with arafat support. It seemed as if the israelis returned with a deep desire to move forward as well. But eventually. Youre sitting there in that guesthouse which the press made out to be a sort of dream cast but thats how the press is simple to shoot a very difficult month several terrorist attacks and youre sitting there talking in a businesslike manner gentlemanly making jokes if youre out of touch so if someone talk as you know new took another we are out of touch we dont want to ignore the present or forget the past were trying to set them aside for the moment and figure out together not how to make the past better but how to make the future better kit to get over as if so we created a bubble we arent out of touch not from what happened to the jews or the arabs not from whats happening now but were applying maximum force to try to get this process moving because. We managed to go clear simply made a. Difference to 5 open issues. And we went back and force and force and ellie in the morning fall we were morning we reached for like remember those 5 years. At 5 am the norwegians printer delivered the final draft of the declaration of principles for peace between israel and the p. L. O. It stated that as a 1st step israel would withdraw from gaza in jericho and grant the Palestinians Authority for self governance. In the 2nd stage which would take place within a year the Palestinian Authority would expand to most of the west bank. And within 5 years a Permanent Peace treaty would be signed addressing the core issues of settlements alice dainian refugees definitive borders and jerusalem. Formula. Of all it was strange there were 15 of us. After hundreds of hours of negotiation crammed inside a small room of people signing our initials and the world knew nothing about the disconnect between the intimacy of a handful of people in that small room and agreement which is such a breakthrough made in such secrecy so they looked as though there wasnt a sense of euphoria or joyful emotions in high but a sort of heaviness the strangeness was a little. I played this week. The 1st time a 5 oclock after we finished pretty good and. It comes to a tip each other. That 3rd we said now we have to stop that he didnt just say but for development for construction for a vacation. But he says start to the day we want it and it must be won by both of us. And that is. We came in with a will yes we know you. And we follow through those of cars and know that you are the neighbors who wish to live. By this many friends but they make the end of our part. In the wrong they denied we also or with great love about d if when that day is the. Good evening israel and the p. L. O. Are not far from a historic embrace and i remember it was a t. V. Set was stations no we jim sweep each film each and everyone was still kenyan. Foreign language was all slow p. L. O. Going to be alone happy days to know enough. To know what i want to. Know i. Was suddenly realized wow. Its talking. 29 years after declaring israel and the illegal state the palestine Liberation Organization has decided to recognize israels right to exist peacefully after decades of calling the p. L. O. A terrorist organization israel finally recognizes the p. L. O. As the legitimate representative of the Palestinian People given the history of the palestinians and the israelis which is a goal so much of the rest of the world. You know were staggering. The last minute negotiations went on for a day and a half. But when the norwegian mediator arrived in jonahs he said he had the historic documents of recognition in his back. Sassed wasnt his doing he said modestly but belong to israeli Prime Minister rabin of p. L. O. Chairman arafat in the one page letter from arafat to rabin the p. L. O. Recognize the right of the state of israel to exist in peace and security in his return letter to arafat rabin says that in view of those commitments the government of israel has decided to recognize the p. L. O. As the representative of the Palestinian People. I want. This is the day i never expect to see the government. Murder her. In the middle east today israeli Prime MinisterYitzhak Rabin will fly to washington for the signing ceremony of the also the agreement between israel and the palestinians Yasser Arafat will write from june as for the signing which will be his 1st visit to america since the p. L. O. Were denied entrance to the u. S. Right wing opponents are calling the signing of the treaty treason while arab opposition is calling it a traitor to the palestinian cause and threats of being made on his life. While in my last meeting with clinton just before of the celebrations started he took me aside and said he wanted to concessions i said mr clinton would give enough concessions and then this outburst said concession one could you prevail on mr arafat to come dressed in a french suit and abandon its military garb i said this was part of the way his people view him so i said im sorry i cant give you that consistent was the 2nd one so he said no hugging no kissing. And i said this is a very tough concession but for peace i do it. They brought the morning shows to the white house today talked there were a bottom of the south lawn work charlie and paula and bryant and katie sure signs that history was about to be made that people. Celebrating ok so that. No way think that so they have to sing it. They said this it was its either that if you do it like whats going on today here. What is going to understand the situation but its still the stage is the fighting. Ladies and gentlemen mr arafat chairman of the executive council of the palestine Liberation Organization is excellent see inside of the Prime Minister of israel the president of the United States thank you its hard you didnt want to come courting he says i. Dont want to say off but im going to convince him to stand up without a fight was clinton and as you saw. The 2 of them always by force. Finally starts shook their hands before offer. It to me into service now i see you do your part to take it you went through the hell no you have to go through for israel do for it why do you think it was. Because it was against the poor law because it is how it was in there because you saw in our father it always but you know i cannot change the past or family about it finally its hard said if you make beers with your enemies not to their friends to everybody there is a season and a trying to win is and has been a time to be both in a time to die. And a time to heal. The weak and the dying to laugh at trying to love and it trying to arrange. You fall off. Of each ladies and gentleman the guy. Has come. The thing with be. Proud. I feel proud but theyre afraid to work on the failure im there for. Because we are still in the beginning the stuff that was sold to mr i should be and i should be but at the same time also on my side. He left me because both of us should work very very very. And we should trust each other. Without a process coming to you shook hands with mr and me it looked like it was your idea not his he he he said that if it but i insisted and i continued my aunt. Now looking at a longer term do you recognize that it was the ready has its way in jerusalem as he puts it will never be the capital of a palestinian state do you recognize that you accept it he said sure its true enough that youre saying yes is that your reasoning it is if it is in or you know exactly what is think. Israel is going to pull back from terrorism they never willing to believe they ever will i think if there is a will there is always if there isnt a will on their side one of those who knows. Some weeks ago nobody was imagining it thats worth and thats a loose end and disagreement not to forget that theyre really in wars at 20. This is ill be a radio from jerusalem and hear the news one month after the historic signing in washington israel and the palestinians gather once again for a round of negotiations this time to implement the 1st stage of the oslo accord israels withdrawal from gaza or generater im going to go she sions will be led by Israeli Deputy chief of staff. And on the palestinian side the bill shot arafats chief advisor. My 1st meeting with general im not shocked was quite pleasant for the man betty modestly came to me and said dr sharp here is my speech and you know i have never given speeches before i am a straight military man so why dont you look at that speech i felt that this was really very modest and very positive starting point but between that 1st meeting and the 2nd meeting which came out after the weekend and so on for 5 days later i went through. Google and other sources to find out about general contract. I found he was part of the Raiding Party that killed 3 of my dearest friends in beirut. And i thought about that and i said im sorry i cannot get myself to negotiate with you i mean. Its very difficult these were very Close Friends of mine their brothers there i dont know i dont feel like its fair to negotiate with you so im unsure hype said but maybe. We are here so that we would never repeat that. On february 19th not because shontayne general shock presented us with the 1st draft of the gaza jericho agreement the draft was clearly pro israeli but promised us rewards we hadnt dreamed of just a year before such as passports and International Airport in jericho and for the 1st time in history democratic Palestinian Elections we were on the right path but our utopian bubble was destined to shatter violently. A lot more than a massacre and have brought dozens of palestinians were shot and killed by a settler during morning prayers on the table the patriarchs of. At 5 am on friday february 25th dr by roof goldstein a religious settler dressed in his army uniform grabbed an uzi submachine gun and opened fire on the people praying at the cave of the patriarchs my. 31 people were murdered during the massacre which ended only when goldstein himself was killed. Along with. The news spread quickly and the violent riots broke out across the entire occupied territories. Israeli soldiers opened fire on the protesters killing 9 palestinians and injuring hundreds more. So if we were of a holy man goldstein quickly established a fan base among the settlers hundreds attended his funeral home and many of them praised him as a hero and a saint oh you know what ill call the feel sorry state shall we urged rabins or clear here in settlers it would be a brave move that could restore the palestinians trust in the Peace Process. But the Army Generals claimed that vacating the settlers from hebrew on could cause a civil war rarely i have seen peres so determined to reach a decision that opposes the military. You know when the shorts say off or say a jew who is a murderer is a murderer you is not what you think you will not see in june who is a nazi is a nazi. By a man who claims to be a jew sneak something behind it and shoots worshipers in it back in a place which is sacred to the arabs and to us. After a clear sighted that im a pulled one and i compare him to the national compare him to arafat and you know i dont want to compare him to anyone compare him to arafats own mother shot off a savage you know plan your madness as you know that arafat made mistakes and i say he made mistakes and seems to that when he stood up and said no more war i recognize the state of israel and its right to secure israel is called taliban obvious lawyer was i dont defend god my lad arafats life is in danger i didnt but then i think. That is why i pity him that said at that that i did not make out that there stargirl he decided to stop the killing but that i never had to and yeah we shot that but were not there im concerned for the children and i know that children need a partner. Who are good at the moment im sure about that there are very good that not only was i there but i want arafat to be that partner to make peace and lead his people to peace has a lot say and i say we need a real partner difficult has it made billions and we need to. Find his tragic history. And mistakes and terrorism laws he should meet with us here and look for a new way and not return to the past over to the rivers of blood to the dead in that and let everything tremble and full length about their later years. The palestinians demanded the settlements be cleared out but israel refused. When all the us signed 82 percent of palestinians supported us supported us and they saw hope and they give every chance to get hope and then with their eyes they continued to see business as usual. Settlement activities intelligence diminishing forms and so on and so on and song this is the land that someone threw up at a stance that why are they building settlements. Our Worst Nightmare had come true arafat was torn between his people and the need to appease the americans and the israelis he was slowly losing his credibility in the eyes of the palestinians he was losing control. Legit and. Whats going on here. Because of your very own from a printer. Computer games that are feeling. Like dog needs electricity. Shift explains delivers facts and shows what the future holds. Living in the Digital World shift. In 15 minutes on t w. In good shape. Now its getting hairy strong and healthy hair has the experience of beauty the causes of it. But what can be done against hamas. From secret tips to hair transplants. Bad hair days dont stand a chance. What secrets lie behind. Discover new adventures in 360 degree. And explore fascinating World Heritage sites the p. W. World heritage 360 getting up now. This is d w news live from then u. S. President elect joe biden says now is the time to heal in america its time to put away the harsh rhetoric to blur check richard c. H. Other again mercenary each other get. Biden delivered the speech in his home state of delaware top to being announced the winner of the u. S. President ial election