Saeb Erekat, the veteran Palestinian peace negotiator and one of the prominent figures in its leadership since the early 1990s, has died after contracting the Coronavirus
Erekat, a deputy for Jericho in the occupied West Bank, was a prominent advisor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and also worked with Abbas’s predecessor, Yasser Arafat, who served as Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization
Uncompromising in his exasperation over Israeli control over Palestinian life, the former US-educated journalist and academic was well known for three decades from diplomatic and media circles for condemning what he ultimately described as apartheid, directing his criticism in a choppy voice for brands
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The 65-year-old underwent a lung transplant in the US in 2017 and has been in poor health since then. On October 8, he announced that he had been diagnosed with Covid-19 and later said he had « difficult symptoms » / p>
After his transfer to Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, doctors said that his condition had deteriorated and became critical, he was put on a ventilator and one of his top aides announced on Tuesday that he had passed away.
After studying politics in the United Kingdom and the United States, Erekat was a major player pushing for the principle of the two-state solution, according to which the state of Palestine would be established side by side with Israel in early peace negotiations. He wore a black and white keffiyeh scarf tied as a symbol of the Palestinian nation that Clockwork
Many officials from across the spectrum, including Israeli politicians, commemorated his life Tzipi Livni, the former Israeli foreign minister who sat across the table in front of Erekat, said she mourned his death
I wrote on Twitter, « He dedicated his life to his people. » « Being sick, send me a text message: » I did not finish what I was born to do. « My sincere condolences to the Palestinians and his family. We will miss him.
“I didn’t finish with what I was born for,” recently sent Tzipi Livni, a former Israeli foreign minister and one of his key negotiating partners, “I overcame a lung transplant, and I’m going to defeat this Covid”
Erekat witnessed the exciting beginnings of that ambition being realized. In 1994, his hometown, Jericho, was handed over by the Israeli forces to the Palestinian forces in what was expected to be the first stages of a final deal
“It’s a cheerful feeling partly, but I also think we’re just getting started,” he told The Guardian in May 1994. It was time for planning, hard work and belt-tightening. We can’t afford to fail.
Three years later, Erekat was more pessimistic, telling the Los Angeles Times that the hard-line new Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, considered the peace agreements signed by his predecessor as a « poisoned dagger in his heart that he must pull »
“I think Netanyahu’s ultimate goal is to push his tanks into the Palestinian territories,” Erekat told the newspaper, “To be honest with you, I think the worst is coming”
What followed was the bloody second intifada, and many failed attempts to revive the peace agreement and permanent Israeli control over the occupied West Bank, which Erekat referred to as the « colonial occupation of settlers. » The Palestinians who live there now reside in semi-enclaves – urban areas that enjoy Some form of autonomy, but in the end the Israeli forces control their lives.
Despite being in his mid-60s, Erekat was a younger member of Abbas’s senior leadership team, who was criticized by Palestinians for being undemocratic and failing to bring about real change.
During the last years of Erekat, Netanyahu, with the encouragement of Donald Trump, announced his intention to annex large swaths of the West Bank, a move seen as a fatal blow to the ideals of two states.
After Trump recognized the disputed city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in 2017, Erekat said the message was clear: “The two-state solution is over. Now is the time to transform the struggle for one state with equal rights for all who live in historic Palestine.”
Despite his persistent pessimism, Erekat remained a prolific voice, including the two-state solution, holding regular conferences with reporters in Jericho
During one of his recent meetings, in May, the politician warned that Israeli aspirations to annex lands would push future generations of Palestinians to abandon the idea of a negotiated solution.
« I am one of those who promised the Palestinians, that once we recognize Israel, once we renounce violence, once we accept the two-state solution, once we negotiate, we can obtain our independence, » he said
« Who will be the Palestinian during the next thousand years, given my experience and what we have done, and who will be willing to sit with the Israelis at the table? »
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World News – African Union – Saeb Erekat The veteran Palestinian peace negotiator dies, at the age of 65
