William Sieghart on the Israel-Palestine Conflict, at 5x15

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William Sieghart on the Israel-Palestine Conflict, at 5x15

15 Mar 2010

Speakers: William Sieghart

William Sieghart attempts to persuade his audience to allay their preconceptions and prejudices as he discusses the “bad marriage” between Israel and Palestine and the real issue facing the peace process: the failure of truly representative dialogue.

“I’ve prosecuted them, I’ve judged them, and I’ve killed them. But I’ve never really met one before.” The words of an Israeli general on the success of a bi-partisan conference encouraging greater collaboration. And this, for Sieghart, is one of the greatest issues of the war. In a sea of narratives, liberal voices not only fail to agree, but also refuse to discuss their respective plights with more radical players. And this is the heart of problem, says Sieghart. Because it is these radical players who are most likely to destabilise any attempts at resolution. Propriety, democratic doubt, and Western responsibility are all pivotal issues, but until Palestinians and Israelis – from absolutely all ends of an undeniably extreme spectrum – are truly talking with one another, the search for peace in this troubled region will remain futile.

William Sieghart

Founder and Chairman of Forward Thinking, an NGO which works with the leadership of all parties on both sides of the divide in the Israel/Palestine conflict