June 10, 2009

Palestinian legislator Dr. Mustafa Barghouti

During a Capitol Hill briefing hosted by the Muslim Public Affairs Council on Monday, independent Palestinian legislator and human rights activist Dr. Mustafa Barghouti called on President Obama to reinvigorate the stalled Middle East peace process.

Dr. Barghouti was a candidate for the presidency of the Palestinian National Authority in 2005, finishing second to Mahmoud Abbas. In January 2006, Dr. Barghouti was elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council, and served as Minister of Information in the short-lived Palestinian unity government in spring 2007.

In light of President Obama's message to the Muslim world last week, Dr. Barghouti's message served as an exceptional and timely opportunity to address obstacles and challenges to peace in the Middle East.

"Finally, we have a president that recognizes the right for Palestinian dignity and equal opportunity," said Dr. Barghouti, who added that Palestinians received Obama's speech with excitement.

Dr. Barghouti stressed the importance of the peace process, but reiterated that a peace process must yield solutions, because a never-ending peace process with no peace is simply another round of talks. He also educated the group about final status issues, the peace process, democracy and human rights, and the importance of a unity government.

Expressing the dire state of the Palestinians, Dr. Barghouti said President Obama "will be the last American president who will be able to use diplomacy to negotiate a two-state solution."

Over the weekend, Dr. Barghouti also spoke to more than 1,000 people during several community and interfaith forums in Southern California. During those packed events, he stressed the role that Americans play in "ending the apartheid state of Israel and establishing a sovereign independent Palestine."

MPAC also recently released a policy paper entitled "Seeking An Elusive Peace: Keys for Successfully Advancing Middle East Peace" on Capitol Hill. This paper, which is being distributed to members of Congress and government agencies, offers an analysis of current opportunities in re-defining America's role as a facilitator of negotiations, and analyzing the critical issues involved in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.