Uri Avnery
Founder Gush Shalom peace movement, former Knesset member
“What it means to be a Jewish State has been debated every day in Israel for the last sixty years.”
Mohammed Al Madani
Fatah Central Committee Chairman:
“How can we talk about confederation when we are still under occupation. No one here refuses to be equal.”
Sam Bahour
Palestinian businessman:
"For me 'peace' equates to one other word, which I know very well what it means; it's 'equality.'"
Avraham Burg
Former Speaker of Knesset:
“It’s time to transform the conflict… everyone between the Jordan and the Mediterranean would have the same rights.”
Efraim Sneh
Former governor of the West Bank, Former Deputy Minister of Defense:
“I don’t believe [one state] could be non-Jewish and democratic.”
Mazin Qumsiyeh
Professor of Molecular Biology, Bethlehem University, Leader of BDS movement:
“All of these [political arrangements] will not succeed unless they respect human rights.”
Natan Ophir
Professor Emeritus, Hebrew University Jerusalem:
“We need to create a precedent.”
Galia Golan
Professor of Policy and Diplomacy, Lauder School of Government Herzliya:
“The positive aspect of what you’re saying is it’s better than what we have right now.”
Faisal Al Katib
Palestinian peace activist
“If we only think about the past we will not make any progress.”
Yossi Beilin
Former Knesset member, former Minister of Justice, peace negotiator:
“For sure, a Jewish State, for me, the big peacenik, is much more important than peace.”
Omer Bar Lev
Knesset Member, Former commander of Sayeret Matkal, IDF Special Forces:
“Most Israelis don’t understand, don’t know the Palestinians, so they ask themselves “why do I need this engagement?””
Bernard Avishai
Professor of Business and Government, Hebrew University and Dartmouth:
“Seriously, c’mon Joe. Give me a break.”
Munther Dajani
Dean Faculty of Arts, Al Quds University, Jerusalem:
“The Israelis are not interested in a one state solution because it would become a bi-national state; although, the way they are handling it, they are going in that direction.”
Michael Dukakis
Professor of Public Policy, UCLA, US negotiator Cyprus, former Governor of Massachusetts:
“The history of mankind is full of situations where folks who were enemies became friends.”
Jeff Halper
Founder, Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions
“Israel had an opportunity to have a two state solution but Israel chose territory over that… I think it creates an absolutely untenable situation.”
Saeb Erekat
Palestinian Authority negotiator:
“You don’t see me. You need to see the Palestinians, they’re your neighbors and they’re your neighbors to stay, not for this year— for another one thousand years.”
John Mearsheimer
Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago
“The best way to achieve peace between Palestinians and Israelis is with a two state solution… however I think there’s virtually no chance that’s going to happen, in large part because the Israelis are opposed to giving the Palestinians a viable state.”