Hassan Asfour, a prominent writer, thinker, and former Palestinian Minister of Negotiations Affairs, said that the late President Yasser Arafat did not make a mistake in his adherence to the issue of Palestinian sovereignty over Jerusalem during the Camp David negotiations, stressing that “there are no prophets in politics,” and that any negotiating path is not without mistakes, but the essence of the position was patriotic and responsible.
Asfour explained, during an interview with journalist and media writer Samir Omar, on the “Secret Session” program, broadcast on the “Cairo News” channel, that Arafat entered the peace process with a real will, and accepted unprecedented personal concessions, considering himself a “hostage of peace,” despite his symbolic status as one of the most prominent leaders of the liberation movements in the world, and the second Arab leader after Gamal Abdel Nasser in terms of international influence and symbolism.
The prominent writer, thinker, and former Palestinian Minister of Negotiations Affairs added that signing the Declaration of Principles agreement was not a Palestinian mistake, but rather constituted a turning point in history that established the recognition of Palestinian rights on a political, not religious or ideological, basis.
Asfour stressed that the experience demonstrated the existence of real differentiation between Israeli governments, stressing that the only group that expressed an actual desire for peace was the camp of Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres.
