December 10th. 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 the palestinian talks begin 40 days after the mexico in hamburg. Luckily, the 4 piece of morning was a full and theyre up and you see blood on the streets and people are saying this is the peace that you promised cuffs and you could not say, dont forget, it was only at the opi. Wasnt there a ceremony . Ira fun in rabin and clint who wasnt going to be 11. 00 in march 94. 00, we headed back to the negotiating table. Since the wave of suicide bombings is really close to border to 2 and a half 1000000 palestinians. Poverty was rising throughout the occupied territories and living conditions, declining. Our people were losing faith in the Peace Process, but i knew we must not give up. These was a good student of the services. Hes also going about the 6 are going to go in the future. Absolutely fast for the prominent arrangements or whatever, but yeah, i was going to sort of go in. Now the trick of negotiating with the palestinians is not to address the main aspects of the prominent alleged if we try to deal with the prominent arrangements, but now the whole thing will fall upon your problem if you know the credo. Now if you dont think it will set off without me, despite the blood and the violence, the process had a force of its own. And in may 94, when we set out to sign the gaza jericho agreement granting the palestinian self rule in gaza. The new song that is told the stage was finally set egypt. President mubarak provided a suitably dramatic setting for the servant in car of the morning of the signing of the gaza. Jericho agreement. Faisal and i were being interviewed in jerusalem, while watching on my broadcast of the ceremony. On my way to the interview, i was held up by Israeli Soldiers at the checkpoints. Someone said to me, this is your idea of peace. Tell the old man not to sign, tell him to come at the checkpoint and sign it here along with the rest of us. I stared at the screen and wondered, is this a celebration of the birth of the Peace Process or its burial . Both sides appear to have sorted out differences over the gaza strip and jericho over the minutes. It was clear that the deal like the state positions, was not going to plan. It is final because the jericho selfwill, if i was sitting there and i see a 5 signing the signing to go commence signing a document, all the documents and then the guy that the system brought the maps. Look, the bam didnt sign close. The camp went back to spare and come in was watching you do the same. So i walk up the stair and i stand next to a beam. And as he begins to sign, i open it. And then i whisper in his ear without show trying not to show any excitement because everything was recalled and, and filled. And i told him, i dont know signing for maps. So he says, so what does it mean . I responded, it means that there is no agreement. Israels Prime Minister examines the documents, foreign minister, shimon peres, and also refused to sign for a while, it seemed as if the entire ceremony was about to collapse. Because we had not been a part of that channel. We didnt fully appreciate what the gaps were between the 2 sides. Israel saw this as a devolution of power as a pal seems prove themselves. How soon saw this says we have to show this is a new day. And as a new day, we have to have all the trappings of state, even if we dont have a formal yet. So immediately they want to, you know, they didnt want controls over across. He wants they want to, they want to meet leaders say, you know, the israelis are out of our lives without going without. If you know that negotiations says no, no, no, i was the one to so i would go to them and says the game is no, they would quit. And to stop it. Mubarak said it probably was a mistake. The son of a bitch. After a brief interval, the p. L. O. Leader was assured that the size of the jericho region was still under negotiation. He signed the document and did a few comments. Finally, with the briefest of and shakes a deal was done at the very last minute. On july 1st, 1904 Yasser Arafat returned to his home and reclaimed his position as the palestinian leader. It was an ambivalent return. He came back and had to govern palestine, which was divided and driven apart. Or perhaps israel brought him back in order to control him. What was the price we had to pay for his return home . Was this one of those minefields . Or was it the 1st step toward peace and the liberation of palestine . As we made our way to promise time, my heart pounded and i was choked with the emotion of the moment. I went to as i never went before kissing and hugging all my relatives and friends. The last time i met my father in jordan, i hinted that i might be coming home soon. He cried and raised his hands, swearing he would prepare a feast on my return. With my sadness was that my father and passed away just 4 months earlier. After waiting for my return for so many years. So when i call during i said, im finally back in march childhood home greeted me with the arab order of welcome and told me he was really pleased to hear my voice. We have become neighbors at last, one week after i return to aboud d. C. , we met once again in taba this time in order to negotiate the 2nd stage of the offload process. Israels withdrawal from the west bank by spread out the map. We had kept secret until then the oslo accord stated, israel will withdraw from most of the west bank within a year. And the palestinians were expecting to receive control over the land immediately. But israel demanded a gradual withdrawal and offered the palestinians full control of only 2 percent of the land. The remaining 98 percent would be controlled by the israeli army. Arafat stared at the map silently and then announced that it was an unbearable humiliation. These are prison camps, he yelled, you want to destroy me. With those words, arafat left the room. What you were suggesting deviates from the signed agreement, i shouted, you keep 98 percent of the land. We wont accept that. You can enforce this approach on arafat and push him into a corner. But remember this, a one sided agreement will not last last it up without saying another word and summoned his driver. We exchanged a polite and cold handshake, and we each went our separate ways. As hours went by, we waited nervously in the hotels lobby. Some israeli reporters informed us that arafat had issued a statement about the talks collapsing. We were all on edge, but refused to cave in or something else. Now is the time to decide, do they want agreement or not . 2 main issues are on the table. Hebron and withdrawal maps are out of so i believe well know in hours or in the days, but where the end of the negotiation at this stage of the final decision. Later that evening, arafats personal assistant came rushing towards me. Arafat asked that you come to our blog room immediately. She said, hes collapsed. I went to our laws room and found him lying in bed, pale as a ghost, trembling nodding in and out of consciousness. Hold on my friend, i whispered. I need you to stay with me. The doctors found out last collapse to be a result of extreme fatigue caused by the many hours of negotiations. But i knew the truth. The map i presented to him had broken his heart there was something very personal making. It wasnt political festival. It wasnt that political ambition. It was a very human theres a symbolic picture of where people live when the israeli attacks in the streets and put on their dances. That thats, that the story of your lives and your heart was there. I mean, that can be your concern, oppressed to people who went out and gave them flowers and gave them olive branches and felt that this was that, this is there and accomplish this is that and up the occupation it was your moment of a moment of trauma as peoples hopes were dashed and then my period i seem to agree on so it was a sad and responsible im a woman. I want day. Im driving to my office and the guards tell me a bus was blown up as we drove there. And the whole square was awash with blood. About bodies was still lying there, body parts, people wailing and weeping. The best news was from fair israel must thousands of people were there and when i walked in, they surround murder and see what youve done to us. Try to see what youve done to us, much as it i had the meeting with you here. And iran we all felt that time was running out and that we had to act fast. We agreed on deliberations that would lead to a permanent agreement, utilizing the same framework we used and osce low, quick, discreet talks and no empty slogans. Mahmoud abbas and i deliberated over the draft for almost 2 years behind the scenes without the wreckage of the taba hotel. We touched on the most sensitive points of the process for the very 1st time, at least theoretically, we had a document in our hands with a comprehensive solution. The withdrawal to the 67 borders, the establishment of a palestinian state, of course, keeping the settlement blocks intact and making jerusalem the capital of both nations. My plan was to set up a meeting with rabin. I told him that i would like to meet with him about the permanent solution. And he said its not possible. So i told him, lets do it when i return from the United States on saturday, nov 11th. No one could have guessed under what circumstances that meeting would take place. On september 5th, we reassembled in taba. I must admit that after our last encounter, i wasnt looking forward to another round of this endless boxing match. It was the nastiest meeting ive ever been in my life. We just wanted to be anywhere. But in that room, as i was leaving the room, i turned around and the israeli and palestinian delegations are talking to each other and having a cup of coffee. I think it underscores the point that part of what happens in negotiations is the humanisation of the other side. You no longer see just the quote unquote enemy, but you see a person and you learn about that persons family and their ups and downs, their happy moments and you get a sense of how committed they are to peace. And you never able to translate that to the public. That evening we improvised a friday prayer service. We lit candles and much to the astonishment of the palestinians. Singer recited the kid who should prayer. We opened with everybody love saturday night and 3 languages. Afterwards. Abu alaa and myself joked around by imitating the peres and arafat conversations. Meanwhile, we taught whos the ass for how to sing my you disha, mama. It was nice to kid around again. Later that night i received a call from jerusalem. A bus had exploded in the center of the capital. I told the government stop the peace talks. We sat and watched the news silently. No one said a word. No one doubted that our palestinian friends opposed to terror and that it was directed towards them as well. 2 days later, a law called me up from his room and asked me to watch the arab evening news with him. We watched images of a 7 year old boys funeral, a boy who had been killed that day by the israeli army. Abu alaa was right when he said that neither side has dominion over suffering. That night a law and i reached the final draft of the osce low b. Agreement as the most wanted them of the also be accords was signed by early severe on the israeli side and as well enough for the palestinians. According to the treaty, the israeli army will withdraw from 6 name cities in the whistle bank besides jericho and elections will the Palestinian Council will take place and much else at the say on this is a day of achievement. The visits are probably in this morning. He achieved the signing of the oslo be accorded the government debated for 5 hours. You know, what the minister has described as an historic meeting about an historic treaty. Are you on your show due today with the help of the israeli army . We rule over more than 2000000, palestinians, and control daily lives through the civil administration, all shallow. This is no peaceful solution or we can go on fighting. We can continue killing and being killed off the government only were not so bad. We can also try to bring a halt to this endless cycle of bloodshed. We can give peace a chance. Shallow i dont think all sins are gathered to protest the ratification of the oslo b. Agreement. And what the nationalist camp calls the forsaking of security and the abandonment of the whole. Let me show you a letter i asked face huge crowd. Is there anyone amongst you the police . Yes, i dont find it, but then all of you say no, but there is someone who doesnt care about your painting has said that, mr. Rabin, i did that, did i . I maybe even john will the president of the United States is majesty king hussein of the hashemite kingdom of jordan, his actual inseam obama, whose new book current president of the arab republic of egypt. It is actually its a good start for me. Prime minister of israel chairman arafat. Please take a good hard look. 1st saw you in your city was even possible. Goes on regular bill just 3 years ago and to our Great Division soldier and surveyed knew what to do to make peace moment possible. These years of hope, when the peace camps felt that they were somehow vindicated, they are bringing to their people the fruits and open the same hotel, a spontaneous get together of the oslo veterans among them, the original negotiators and it was 100, you know them doing this a one day affair, also the one that im just yes, what i am going to miss this, i believe that the process will continue despite of all the difficulties we face, but we see we have both. We have a good little push disperses far away. I concur with that, but well, im what i said and we have not. And theres some good common language around this table if you can see also like the taste highlight is the friendly perception of us where personal guards are let down and on the podium gets her phone number to mrs. Fielitz office chemistry among the women on the sheet and addresses out a fuss for the 1st time in a personal to human what the situation spoke. And theres 3 species me. I are still at the bird we share, but no you are close to be sure each i would think if i was like one post i was valid and looks into you and replies a lot of oh, ive got to i was 3. I interviewed sacra, been at the shimon peres, the yossi beilin, and to their friends. I say to you, throughout the hour we will rally our forces and we will sit still, obviously was we will put an end to those threats. We will succeed. The pyrenees was because theres no nation is much stronger than its government was i was really was who rabin and arafat felt isolated and the hostile environment was the peace camp wasnt going out into the streets to protest was instead they chose to avoid confrontation was the peace opponents, hamas on the palestinian side and the greater israel camp on our side was now on to public opinion. Was the face off wasnt between israel and the palestinians, but between those who supported peace and those who objected to it. Mr. Abiola, why do you like to make the settlers angry as much . What are they accusing me of . Not have cut off forsaking the settlers lifelessly. Why most people said, look, the settlements bowl stop our security. Where is the security at the hall problem today . Fighting the security for the settlers. Do you see the settlers as pioneers . Absolutely not. Do you see them as i see them as people who are implementing their political philosophy. They believe in the greater israel. These days. Some hill near ramallah, bringing 700000 immigrants to israel. Building a society and economy of the tiny settlements surrounded by hundreds of thousands of palestinian in early october, john freedman, a friend of peres, convinced him to arrange a rally in support of the Peace Process. Peres urged robin to accept the initiative, but rabin wondered, would be believin leave their homes in those days, rabin was more pessimistic than ever. If too much is heard in the middle east from the few extremists tonight, the supporters of peace and a huge rally in tel aviv. This is the young israel, tired of obvious service, tired of chasing palestinian stone, throwing children through refugee camps all sides are mobilizing. But this is now becoming one of the most contentious moments in israeli history for the past 5, perhaps no surprise is fighting, and there is a popular no matter what these very normal childhood. It was the happiest day of his life. Ive known him for 15 years. I do never seen him so happy. He has many down there. He didnt know if people would show up or call how they behave. And to his pleasant surprise, the crowd was enormous. And the enthusiasm was incredible. And young men and women jumped into the pool in their clothes and raised him and peace and me to a little so the mission trauma, i had known him for 15 years and i never saw him seeing that was the 1st time i ever saw him seeing loaves i want and we both sang and neither of us so great sing as hard or afterwards he hugged me like he never hugged me before. I never saw him so happy as he was that night by a lot of people allow me to say, im also i want to thank every one of you for coming here to stand up against violence to international peace. Oh, thank god so much. When the rally was over, i started walking down the stairs. My car was parked in front of his car and next to his casket, his driver. I asked him to get sacked. He said today he is gone. He was maybe 10 or 12 meters away from me. Most i got in the car, driver started it. And just as we closed the door, we heard 3 gunshots, strong, emotional content on the floor. Most of them will be the old. Shed get me to call my face. Were now seeing an edited footage from the peace rally. This is what we know so far. They face 3. Shots were fired at Prime Minister nabil fahmy, the jewish Vendetta Group of players to have shot rob. We still dont know the condition of the Prime Minister moments of us in washington. Sheila, most of i went to the hospital layer of bean, the family and Close Friends were there to go. And the hospital director took me aside and said, its a bad situation. Almost hopeless. A few minutes later he came to tell me it was over. She was last layer and i went into the room where he lay on a gurney, covered with a sheet says we saw his face restful, peaceful when there was even a hint of us not cast x. Mile on his lips of troops or a smile of acceptance. I kissed his forehead and left the room, shocked about my meds. I am now because people were fighting each other, didnt organize issue other have a kill each other and saw it was in the play. But then later i saw robins meeting with after i saw meeting after meeting after meeting after meeting i was there every single meeting and i saw how the relationships develop after there wouldnt rabin was assassinated out of 5, told me where its estimated the Peace Process. And i disagreed with him on that. I was not about her and the vigil and its about institutions. Its about have replacements and so on. And me the bloggers for this has happened to me very sesame to express various was was not himself was not himself. He was very said, deeply said who he was already the Prime Minister. And on saturday i came to his home with all the medicine or the material. And i said to him, this is the women that i have it with. I think that we can go for it. You have the exam board though you have a good solution for jerusalem. Everything else. And i think that now is the time. I mean, everybody is so confused including ourselves, but still there is the support for, for peace, even more than before. As a result of that as a nation. And lets use it for his memory and finish the job. And it isnt doing very carefully for 2 hours and then he said not now, not mom. I dont think that people are ready to leave the jordan valley, which was part of the method so that israel should withdraw for the dawn of and i think that today to bring it to the people when with his image will, will it enormously much or what but this is the opportunity i was not Strong Enough to believe it is your biggest mistake reconsider. I did not come again to him with this and maybe it is in me. Maybe it is part of my weakness. Maybe it was just a mistake. I dont know, but if you ask me, were doing great. I dont regret it. I had a head apparently, to fight for for the permanent agreement. On may 5th, 1906. I found myself back in the familiar surroundings of the hilton taba. I wondered about the 3 years that had passed since i 1st met abu allah and all slow since then, our lives had become a combination of promise and anguish. The process was started and withstood tremendous trials since the 1st day and asked lo and up until this Current Exchange in may 961001, 100 days of peace talks had passed. When we said our farewells that day, i never imagined that it would be my last and final meeting with abu alaa in my official role as head of the israeli negotiating team. Ready if i had known it was all going to end, maybe i would have come up with something more intelligent to say to him. But all i said to our boy allow was see you soon, my friend nearly 80 percent of israels 4000000 voters streams of polling stations. Everyone seemed to understand why this all action was important. In suburban, tel aviv voters chose peres. The Peace Process that he would one be in a bloody army or in a bloody war. In the west bank city of hebron. Jewish settlers voted for netanyahu. This one to be give our land, but there are. So of course we are hoping for, but i mean if you know tonight those who support the steps, israel has taken toward peace. Mark playing into the hold, that they may be the ultimate winner. And have told its official up a turnabout in the 1906 elections. The next Prime Minister has been here. He netanyahu can go, he received 50. 4 percent of the dots on that call. While shimon peres received only 49. 00 and a half percent. Its its like someone building a bridge and building and building and building something that could have really changed the middle east and to, make these comes one c. , 100 beats and it was a waste i felt so when it all collapsed because i hailed it already and i felt we can do it, we can do it and then it, it went wrong. And i know its not in my life, but i probably mopey my kids lifetime, maybe the grandchildren. Sure. Sure. Sure. Sure. Sure. Its a very supporters, friends, but the state of israel is embarking on a new path to understand. I well, i needed only to get a belated then and run to the whole room. Get a belated, many of the honest why didnt the little one in the end find that there are going to get to this moment . Well i need an hour to find is a little fun getting well been a long anything as long as its enough just to believe theres a chance for peace between us and the biggest in the least among the girls. And im both done looking, not all followed by the tsunami. No false phone, no dog, there is an ongoing war about to come to, there wont be a good thing in a war that ill know a big story on the victims. No wars, ill finish. Arlos, sneaking up close ropes, was flushed by 5 years after the attack on the bottle climbed later in paris. His son was an assassin and his daughter was a victim. Also, their fathers wrote a book together, a lesson in dialogue and tolerance. At a time when, as long as terrorists are killing, again, focused on your new 90 minutes on t w. Thank you all of the morning because you know, for years a mother in the swallow, smaller these birds moons is no use known lola 4, of whom were using her for her appearance. This is t w. News live from berlin, opposition. Lawmakers in hong kong are resigning 0 mosque, but chinas condemns the decision as a fosse. Their politicians took the step in protest after 4 of their colleagues were expelled from college, also coming up the violence flares in warsaw. Far right protests, a splash with pride police in polands capital city as thousands rally to mark the countrys independence. Germany has recorded a Record Number of new