Jerusalem – Alan Dershowitz, the Harvard law professor who has become one of Israel’s most committed and articulate advocates, on Wednesday emphatically hailed Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad as a potential partner for peace, calling him “the best that Israel has, and probably the best that Israel has ever had.”
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Speaking to The Jerusalem Post immediately after a 90-minute meeting with Fayyad in Ramallah, their first meeting, Dershowitz said Fayyad “genuinely would like to bring peace and a two-state solution, based on his conception of what a two-state solution would look like.”
This, he stressed, was “very different” from Israel’s conception, in matters relating to security, among others. But overall, said Dershowitz, Fayyad’s differences with Israel fell into the realm of “reasonable disagreement.”
“I didn’t hear a single argument that seemed unreasonable,” said Dershowitz, adding, “The same goes for my recent meetings with Israeli leaders.”
Thus, he said, “you have reasonable people [on both sides] disagreeing over reasonable issues.
“Whether that gulf can be bridged is a hard question,” he said. “But we’re in the realm of reasonable disagreement, and that’s a big step forward.”
It was very different from the Arafat era, he said, to encounter “reason and civil disobedience” on the Palestinian side, compared to the previous “unreason and terror.”
Nonetheless, he stressed that his glowing assessment of Fayyad did not necessarily encompass the PA leadership as a whole.
“I don’t think you can generalize from him to others,” he said. “It’s not clear to me that he speaks for the [PA] government, even though he’s the prime minister. But [it is significant] that he’s entrusted with so important a position.”
Dershowitz said he had asked Fayyad “hard questions” about PA support for the Goldstone Report, about Fayyad’s campaign against Israel’s joining the OECD, about PA incitement against Israel, and about his campaign to boycott settlement goods.
The professor, author of The Case for Israel and The Case Against Israel’s Enemies, said Fayyad did not attempt to claim that the Goldstone Report on Operation Cast Lead was accurate, that “he didn’t seem too unhappy” to have lost the OECD battle, and that he condemned incitement.
Himself a critic of the settlement enterprise, Dershowitz said that Fayyad had “a very good point in using nonviolent means” to show opposition to the settlements.
As far as other final-status issues were concerned, Dershowitz said he did not believe Fayyad, “as a pragmatist,” would make “the same fatal mistake that Arafat did and give up on peace over a fake right of return.”
On security, he went on, “Fayyad argued against IDF troops periodically entering Ramallah and in favor of bolstering the internal PA security forces. He makes a persuasive case,” said Dershowitz, adding the caveat: “These aren’t areas I’m expert in.”
Allowing that “maybe I’m too optimistic,” Dershowitz said, “I’m prepared to err on that side. I’m not saying Israel should err on that side… I’m so used to hearing from Palestinian leaders who give me nothing to hold onto.”
Alan, what are you drinking? Fayyad is the continuation of the Arafat era, full of incitement. Abbas is at least semi peaceful.
Alan is a Liberal Jew, the same group he spoke about the other day as traitors.
Kol hakovod to Dershowitz for recognizing the realities of the Palestinian situation and the need for EY to strike a bargain with the current PA leadership. Hopefully, Netanyahu will show the same courage and move ahead towards a peace settlement while there is still some opportunity. Notwithstanding all the rhetoric that EY can “go it alone” and ignore the U.S. and world opinion, thats not a real option .
Avi Dershowitz has drifted far away from his days growing up in Boro Park
Dershowitz just LOVES to see his name in the press and his “pretty” face on TV.
He votes for obama. What you expect!
Wow! What a CHUTZPEH!!
how do you comment on alan dershowitz. you dont know him didnt hear what he talked about or said.
I don’t think Dershowitz asked Fayyad why he presided at a ceremony naming a square in Ramallah after a terrorist who murdered Jews. I guess the reason he didn’t ask the question is because Fayyad’s non-answer would have resulted in Dershowitz not being able to praise Fayyad.
If Dershowitz thinks that any Palestinian official is willing to make peace with Israel, he has become, as my mother a”h would have said, “ousgevept”, meaning senile.
Bottom line, if you want to speak for Israel……. come live here! Otherwise bear in mind that opinions are like rear ends everyone has one and most stink!
Dersh has done more damage then good for sure.
No doubt he was sent in by his left wing handler, to try to do damage from within, as a “Jew”, where the nonJews failed.
He has been like this for ever. He cannot be trusted and should not be cheered.
since Reb Moshe Hirsh died recently we need someone to replace to continue the dialog with the palistinians. i’m happy that Mr. Dershowitz came foward to replace Rabbi Hirsh
When will people realize that we have to follow torah & torah says E.Y. belongs to the Jews. Shulchan Aruch also says that you are not allowed to give it away to the goyim.