An important conference on the 25th anniversary of Oslo Accords was held on October 22-23, 2018 at Sao Paulo University, in Brazil.By CSP Conlutas Communication Workgroup
The London-based Middle East Monitor, Common Action Forum together with Sao Paulo University Arab Studies and International Relations organized this third conference.
The first conference was organized in London. The second and third editions were held both in London and Sao Paulo.
Sixteen panelists from ten countries addressed the audience bringing a plurality of opinions on the lessons of Oslo and the perspectives for Palestine through both resistance and diplomatic means.
Here you can watch brief interviews with some panelists.
Azzam Al-Tamimi:
The conference is a good sign. Intellectuals from all over the world are meeting to talk about Palestine on the 25th anniversary of the Oslo Accords. I am required to talk about my vision for the future. In fact, they asked me to present Hamas’s vision for the future, even though I am not a Hamas spokesman, but because I wrote a book about Hamas, so people in some areas regard me as an expert on Hamas. I will present a futuristic vision of the issue.
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Dr. Ramzi Baroud:
I think it is more important to talk about the Oslo agreement after 25 years, what has succeeded and what has failed, has this agreement died or not?
We must talk about the most serious issue now, the subject of resistance in Palestine.
When I say resistance, I do not mean weapons and Kalashnikov, I am talking about the concept of resistance itself, because “Israel” will not give us anything without struggle.
To put demands on “Israel” and to seek it through the United Nations will not, in fact, bring us anything.
What have we benefited from Oslo and this game of begging and claim?
On the contrary, we have lost more land, the number of settlers has increased from two hundred to six hundred thousand, and the number of settlements has increased dramatically.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been arrested, and thousands of them have been martyred.
And we still call on Israel to abide by the Oslo Accords and other international agreements.
I think that the Palestinian people have given us the answer now: tens of thousands in Gaza, and on the borders of Gaza are facing “Israeli” snipers.
Unarmed men, women and children are standing up day after day since March 30 until this moment.
This is the real resistance, this is the message they are trying to send us, and we must understand its content.
Our understanding of this message does not mean that we look at them as victims, but rather that we should regard them as real fighters.
Because without these people and these resistance fighters in Gaza, the Palestinian cause would have melted, damaged and disappeared long ago.
This is the resistance that makes us feel that there is still a real war against Zionism and Israel.
Without this resistance, speech is empty of its content, and it is at our expense and the expense of our land and our revolution in the benefit of our opponents.
Resistance first and foremost as a concept, a heritage and a real strategy on the ground.
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Dr. Mohammad Masalha
This conference, as I said, is the third one.
This time on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Oslo accords.
The Oslo accords and their impact on the question of Palestine and the future of the Palestinian people are main issues.
I think that the discussion on this issue by politicians, academics, parliamentarians and specialists on the Palestinian issue is very important, especially that Oslo has left a great impact on the Palestinian people.
Bringing the impact of the Oslo accords on the Palestinians to the Brazilian people and the Brazilian elites is very important.
Many historical friends like the Brazilian people believe that the Palestinian cause has reached a solution and that the Palestinian people have taken their rights through Oslo accords.
We make it clear how negative this impact has been on the Palestinian cause and on the Palestinian people.
Now Trump is trying to take the issue of Jerusalem and the issue of refugees away from the negotiating table.
On the ground there are very significant effects on the Palestinian issue, of course negative effects.
Therefore, I believe that the participation of the Brazilian people, elites and supporters of the Palestinian issue on the evaluation of Oslo after 25 years is very important.
The presence was excellent, and the quality of audience such as journalists, parliamentarians and academics influential in Brazilian public opinion was also very important.
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Dr. Daoud Abdullah:
This conference is to review the Oslo accords after 25 years.
As you know, this agreement did not fulfill the promises made by the signatories in 1993.
Thus let the experts, diplomats and academics review these accords and check whether they are still valid as a solution to the Palestinian question or not, and what are the alternatives.
Seminar Addresses Oslo Accords and Perspectives For Palestine!
