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The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil,    but because of the people who don't do anything about it

Occupation magazine - Activism Home page  back Print  Send To friend `Lieberman will not dissuade us from continuing our interaction with the Israeli society!` Lieberman’s irresponsible decision serves neither Israel’s interest nor the Palestinians` No wonder Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman decided to curtail the movement of Mohammad Madani, Chairman of the Palestinian Committee for Interaction with the Israeli Society. Lieberman is worried by any rapprochement between Palestinians and Israelis the same way he is annoyed by any entente among the Israelis themselves, Arabs and Jews. Since it was founded on 4 December 2012 and its official inauguration in the start of 2013, the Committee conducted direct and indirect meetings. It met with small and large groups of people. The list of those the Committee ran across includes over 70 Knesset members who represent all political parties from the right, left and the center of the Israeli political map. Moreover, the Committee met with various Jewish groups of diverse ethnicities; representatives of Oriental (Sephardic) Jews and Western (Ashkenazi) Jews; lecturers, scholars, researchers, university students and representatives of various civil society institutions. All of these meetings have taken place in broad daylight without any attempt to hide any. In all encounters, the Interaction Committee emphasized on one fundamental issue: genuine, just and comprehensive peace is a strategic interest of the first degree to both peoples, Palestinian and Israeli. It stressed that reaching the long-aspired for peace is not possible without ending the occupation and the creation of the State of Palestine on the 4 June 1967 lines with East Jerusalem its capital, alongside Israel, in addition to reaching a just and agreed upon solution to the question of refugees based on UN Resolution 194 and as stipulated in the Arab Peace Initiative. The genuine peace sought by the Palestinian leadership, under HE President Mahmoud Abbas, is what will bring political stability to all countries in the region, including Israel. We have a few questions to raise. How can PM Netanyahu claim that President Abbas practices political terror? How do we explain statements by the defense ministry that the upcoming showdown in Gaza will be the last? What does it mean to curtail the movements of someone who heads a Palestinian team that indulges in civilized political, social and intellectual debate with all Israelis without exception with the aim of removing whatever obstacles that obstruct mutual understandings of each side’s problems, leading up to achieving the just and comprehensive settlement that brings the Israelis peace and security and the Palestinians freedom and independence? We are definitely sure that Lieberman’s decision will not dissuade us from continuing our interaction with various layers of the Israeli society. We also hope that it won’t deter our Israeli peace partners as well. We all have one common and mutual goal and that is to live in genuine and mutual peace in the region, against the will of those extremists who want us to remain victims of eternal conflict. Links to the latest articles in this section Refusing the war! Demonstration today, Thur. Apris 24, at 7.30 pm, Habima Square, Tel Aviv Refusing the war! Demonstration today, Thur. Apris 24, at 7.30 pm, Habima Square, Tel Aviv Saturday night protests: No to Netanyahu`s war!