June 26th 2007 - A group of some 25 participants of the current ‘Middle East Peace Initiative’ event being held in Jerusalem were today invited to a meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament.
A National Union Party spokesman, Aryeh Eldad, was the first of three Israeli parliamentarians to address the delegation. He presented his viewpoint that as a ‘revisionist Zionist’ Jews have the right to live in any part of the land of Israel and on no account should relinquish any land west of the River Jordan.
Two other Knesset members, Taleb el-Sana and Ran Cohen made it plain that they had a very different opinion from that of Mr Eldad and they engaged in light-hearted banter over who would translate for whom as their views were diametrically opposed to his.
Mr El-Sana said that the majority on both sides now accepted the 1967 borders and that Palestinians should have continued in dialogue rather than violence after the Camp David Agreement. He stressed the need for dialogue and for the support of a third party that could act as a mediator.
Ran Cohen referred to both the occupation and terrorism as the enemies of both sides and asked the Middle East peace Initiative delegates to petition their governments to encourage moves towards peace in the Middle East.
A question and answer session followed and there were quotes drawn from the ideology of Martin Luther King Junior who had said that meeting your own needs is done by ensuring the needs of others are met and that achieving justice for yourself is by ensuring justice for others.