Secretary of State John Kerry returned home [June 29] after yet another round of Sisyphean efforts to resume negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. It remains unclear whether Kerry still believes a breakthrough that will ultimately lead to a diplomatic agreement is even feasible, but it looks like Palestinian Chairman Abu Mazen is quite pessimistic. Acting out of sheer desperation, the Palestinian Authority chairman has spent the last few months tackling the problem by waging an information campaign in the Israeli streets. In keeping with that, he decided to create a Palestinian Committee for Interaction to initiate meetings with Israelis, where the other side — his side — could present its views. This was, in effect, intended to be a practical response to the many people in Israel, who claim that there is no Palestinian partner for peace, and that Abu Mazen is the real obstacle.
The story of this committee could serve as an allegory for the diplomatic stagnation in the region over the past few years. The Supreme Steering Committee is headed by Muhammed Madani, a member of the PLO’s Central Committee. Other members of the committee include millionaire Munib al-Masri, Hanan Ashrawi and others.
