Hilik Bar: Israeli President Reuven Rivlin Has Led Efforts to Recognize the Sufferings of the Armenian People

“Armedia" Information Analytical Agency introduces an exclusive interview with the Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, Secretary General of the "Israeli Labor Party" Hilik Bar.

 -It is quite a long time that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues and during the recent months the situation escalated even more in the result of which a lot of people were killed from both side. First of all I would like you to comment on the main causes of the recent escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? What did Israel pursue to achieve by its actions undertaken so far?

-The root cause of the most recent round of fighting is undoubtedly the genocidal, fundamentalist religious extremism of Hamas, an organization that is cut from the same cloth as ISIS¹. Hamas kidnapped and brutally murdered three of our precious young boys, and Israel conducted a manhunt in the West Bank for the perpetrators. Islamic Jihad and other extremist groups in Gaza took this opportunity to start firing rockets into Israel, and Hamas, completely isolated diplomatically even in the Arab world, sensed a moment of political opportunity. They began firing rockets too, and Israel had to respond, because it is intolerable to have more than half of Israel's population living under rocket fire. As it says in Ecclesiastes², there is a time for peace and a time for war. No nation can sit back and accept rockets being fired at its cities, at its women and children. Aggression must be responded to severely, it cannot be acquiesced to. However, in the long run, the only way to achieve the strategic goals of not just Israel but also the Palestinians is through peace talks. And now we work on this direction.

 -In these days the indirect talks for prolonging the ceasefire continue, however, the sides do not manage to come to common terms on the negotiation table to achieve a permanent truce. What are the main contradicting issues around which the sides cannot agree upon?

-I must tell you that the parameters of a peace accord are known. Everybody acknowledges and agrees upon about 98% of the terms of an agreement. There are issues of some dispute, such as precisely which West Bank settlements would be abandoned and which would stay, and there will have to be a special arrangement around the Old City of Jerusalem, but ultimately the basic formula of a two state solution and most of the details are known quantities. 

The last talks broke down for two reasons: firstly, in our view as the Opposition, the current Israeli government did not apprehend the importance of reaching an agreement with the Palestinian Authority as soon as possible. They didn't approach Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas with the respect and seriousness he deserves as a partner for peace. But secondly, Abbas made an error in forming a national unity government with Hamas. Hamas is a terrorist organization devoted to the destruction of Israel and the genocide of the Jews. Israel should not negotiate with Hamas until it disavows violence and accepts the two state solution. Until then, Israel was right to pull out of talks as soon as Abbas brought Hamas into the mix. I sit as the head of the largest caucus of the Knesset, the Caucus for the Resolution of the Arab-Israeli Conflict, and have taken members of the Knesset to Ramallah to meet with Abbas many times, but when Abbas signed the unity agreement with Hamas, I ended contact with the PLO.

- How would you comment on the Israeli settlements in the occupied territories? In your opinion, do those settlements contradict to the norms of the International Law? If Yes, what are the Israeli official arguments against the responses of the Palestinians and the International Community towards this issue? 

I am not a spokesman for the government - I'm in the Opposition - so I will give you our views.

In my view, these questions are to be resolved between Israel and the Palestinians in negotiations. You have to remember that the vast majority of settlers live very close to the Green Line on relatively small amounts of West Bank territory. That means that a peace agreement can include provisions enabling Israel to annex a small portion of the West Bank, incorporating a majority of the settlers. The remaining settlers should be given the option of becoming Jewish residents of the new Palestinian state, or relocated to within the final borders of Israel.

The Palestinians won't sign an agreement that they are not prepared to sign. That's why it is unhelpful to dwell on the interim legality of the settlements - a peace agreement will establish a new status quo which both parties are satisfied with. Politics will drive legality. But at the same time, you should note that Labor opposes the establishment of new settlements and, for that matter, any action by Israel which would jeopardize peace negotiations.

- It is known, that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has given rise to the problem of the Palestinian refugees. The question of their right to return has been discussed a lot during the peace talks. What is the position of the State of Israel, should the Palestinian refugees be given the right to return? If No, doesn’t it contradict to the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees? If Yes, under what conditions, is Israel ready to give the refugees the right to return and where is it going to settle these people?

-The answer is that the new Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza can declare whatever they like in this regard. They can give everyone a right of return - but to the Palestinian state, not to Israel. This is a central component of the two state solution, and pretty much everybody serious acknowledges this basic reality.

-Is the position of the Israeli side concerning this question perceived and encouraged by the International Community, particularly by the mediators of the settlement of the conflict?

-Yes. Even the Arab states recognize that there will be no "right of return" by descendants of refugees into Israel.

 -The settlement package of the conflict presupposes some compromises. For the sake of peaceful settlement of the conflict, is Israel ready for compromises and in exchange of what will your country do that?

-There will be many painful compromises. The West Bank - Judea and Samaria - is the cradle of the Jewish people. It is heart-wrenching that we will have to give up most of it, including Hebron where our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their wives are buried. And Jerusalem has been the eternal capital of the Jewish people for millennia, but we are also prepared to come to special arrangements regarding the Old City, and most people recognize that the Arab neighborhoods in the east of the city will become the capital of the new Palestinian state. Israel is ready for these compromises and more, but the Palestinians will also be required to make many compromises, like giving up the "right of return" which we discussed earlier. I think the secular moderates, like Abbas, are ready to make those compromises. The biggest obstacle on their side are crazy extremists like Hamas who are fellow travelers with ISIS - with such people we cannot have a meaningful discussion.

 - Of course, Israel has its own formula for solving the conflict? What is the official position and approach towards this question?

-As I mentioned, the basic formula is accepted by pretty much everyone - including the entire Arab League. That formula is the two state solution. The Palestinians will establish a state on most of the West Bank and Gaza, and the new state will live in peace side by side with Israel.

 -The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has lasted for rather a long period of time. What does this mean, what a psychological affect does it have on a common Israeli?

-There are enormous scars from such a long conflict. Almost every Israeli has lost a loved one or knows someone who has. You can't imagine what it's like for more than half the population of your country to have to run to bomb shelters within 90 seconds - many of them have only 15 seconds to dash for cover. Can you imagine raising children in that environment?

I think Israelis have a pretty healthy attitude to this. We recognize that life is short, and we try not to dwell on the pain of this conflict. Instead, we try to focus on the good things in life -and there are many good things! Israel is a wonderful place - we have built a first-rate country, Startup Nation, that is the envy of the region, and has one of the best economies in the world. All on desert dunes. The whole country was sand and swamp a hundred years ago, and yet despite the conflict and the challenges, we built something truly great.

The Palestinians have also suffered greatly during this conflict, and it is my fervent wish that we will sign an accord and live side by side with them in peace. That way we can both enjoy this wonderful land without the misery of war and suffering.

- Like Jews, Armenians have also seen a lot of difficulties. In 1915 the Turks organized Genocide against the Armenians, but now not all countries recognize and condemn this fact.

1 Islamic State of Iraq and Syria

2 Ecclesiastes is one of 24 books of the Hebrew Bible and is among the canonical Wisdom Books in the Old Testament.