TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Palestine wants to end its half-decade long conflict with Israel, through the mediation of the United States. Unfortunately, the negotiations which began in July last year has not yielded any results. While attending the second Conference on Cooperation Among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD) in Jakarta last month, Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah gave an exclusive interview to Tempo reporters Natalia Susanti. Excerpts:
How is the situation in Palestine today?
Palestine today is still occupied by Israel. The people are suffering, there is no exit, no mobility to move from one side of the country to another. The Israelis have closed everything. Gaza is under siege and under a blockade since 2007. It's like a big prison for the people in Gaza. They cannot leave. We need the international community to help us end this occupation. We Palestinians yearn to live as a sovereign nation, in our land, with fixed borders to live side by side. We need to have a capital city, to get rid of the occupation forces and live as an independent and sovereign nation with integrity.
Are you optimistic the peace initiative by US Secretary of State will succeed?
As I understand it, Mr. Kerry is committed to this initiative. We Palestinians want to reach a settlement with Israel. But so far, all Israel has done is put up obstacles. We started the negotiations on July 29 of last year and we were supposed to finish it on April 29 of this year. But I see no breakthroughs so we hope that in the coming two weeks, there can be a breakthrough. Our President Mahmoud Abbas will meet with President Obama on March 17 at the fifth talks of the initiative. Our hope there is a breakthrough. What we need is actually simple. We need to get rid of the Israeli occupation, to live like any other nation, an independent and sovereign country, without any Israeli troops. In the past, we showed goodwill, we give all concessions for a peaceful settlement with Israel. But the Israelis gave none of our rights, like the refugees, Jerusalem, the borders, withdrawal from Palestine and our right to water. Right now they control all our water.
Do you see any other alternative?
I must say Mr. Kerry is very serious. He is working with a framework. Up to now, we have not succeeded. I think he is still exploring. We need the pre-1967 border, we need for them to withdraw from the West Bank, and we need to negotiate with regards to refugees. We made a lot of concessions but the Israelis have been breaking them. All we want is to get rid of the Israeli occupation.
Some people in Indonesia say if we want to help the Palestinians gain their freedom, Jakarta must first open diplomatic relations with Israel. Do you agree?
When I arrived here yesterday morning, everyone in Indonesia supported our cause. And they say they will not open relations with Israel until all occupying forces are gone from Palestine. Saudi Arabia doesn't have an embassy there, neither do the Emirates. Most other countries don't have embassies in Israel, most of them being Muslim countries. Conversely, in all these countries, we have embassies. But once there's a peaceful settlement I think all countries will have embassies in Israel and we will not object to that.