Palestinian-Israeli peace failing because of negotiators, says Interpeace

Peace processes between Israel and the Palestinians continue to fail because they are negotiated between parties that do not sufficiently represent the people on whose behalf they speak, says the head of an organization experimenting with a unique form of peace building.

Scott Weber, Director General of the Geneva-based International Peacebuilding Alliance (Interpeace), is expected to make that argument at the World Economic Forum in Sharm Al Shaikh.

"Peace accords most often fail because they have no ownership. They tend to be either power sharing arrangements or a discussion among a small elite. Therefore people often say 'that's your peace accord, not ours'," he says.

Weber says there is a need to sidestep the politicians and identify and engage the groups that have significant behind-the-scenes influence, in order to bring them together in negotiation with those they are in conflict with.

According to Interpeace, the group has done that in Israel by identifying the traditional religious Jewish population, the Palestinian citizens of Israel, the settler (colonial ) movement, the peace camp, and the wider "core" of Israelis that can be swayed, as the main groups there that have not been involved in the peace process.

The first step, Weber says, is to have each group find common ground which will be the basis of any negotiation they might conduct with another party to bridge the gap of their differences.

Interpeace started with the Palestinian citizens of Israel, or 1948 Palestinians, a largely unorganized group which constitutes approximately 20 per cent of Israel's 7.2 million population.

Interpeace helped organize the Palestinian-Israelis into issuing a single document that clearly identifies the group and its relations with the Israeli state. The document was issued in 2006.

The document, The Future Vision of Palestinian Arabs in Israel, demanded that the Jewish state officially recognize the Nakba, recognize Israel's Arab citizens as an indigenous community and consider compensating them.
"That document sent shockwaves through Israeli society," says Weber, noting that it served as a wake up call for Israelis at a time when a debate about the state's Jewish character was taking place.

Another group that interpeace is in the process of engaging in dialogue is the ultra-orthodox community of religious Jews that have a significant amount of influence in Israel and often a radical approach towards peace with the Palestinians.

According to Weber, the spiritual leader of the ultra-Orthodox Israeli Shas party, Rabbi Ovadia Yousef, known in the Arab world for once calling for the annihilation of Arabs, has personally expressed interest in learning about the peace process, which it has refused to participate in or legitimize in the past.

"They are a very large group in Israel that have a moral influence that is unique in Israeli society. They have very strong views that they should no longer be excluded from these processes. They want to prepare themselves to be able to contribute effectively to the process"

Shas, which currently holds 9.5 per cent of the Knesset seats , Israel's parliament, and four seats in the Israeli cabinet, plays a major role in the collapse or stagnation of peace processes by threatening to pull out of government if it gets the impression that too many concessions will be made.

On the other hand, two groups from the Palestinian side were excluded: political prisoners and Hamas.

"Fatah doesn't sufficiently represent all the Palestinian people, and Hamas needs to be engaged".

Weber says actively engaging such groups can help them better define their position and even play a role in moderating it. "Excluding them makes them more extremist and irresponsible".