A round table discussion on the developments in the Palestinian arena, chances for the national reconciliation process, and ideas and initiatives related to such issues with respect to the peace process, was held at the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs’ Headquarter on 28^th November 2018 with the participation of  Major General Mohamed Al-Masry who is the Director of the Palestinian Center for Strategic Studies in Ramallah together with Professor Ahmad Rafik who is Professor of Political Sciences at Al-Quds University and a group of Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs members,.

The discussion included three levels:

1-    The Palestinian level which includes two points: the First one is related to the current division among Palestinian Parties and the Second related to building of the political system as a entire structure that can protect the Palestinian Issue.

2-    The Palestinian-Israeli level which is not considered to be a part of the Arab-Israeli conflict any more but basically a Palestinian-Israeli conflict due to a number of reasons of which the most significant are: the signing a number of states (Jordan and Egypt)  peace treaties with Israel by, progression of Arab region towards normalization with Israel, and the Israeli internal changes as reflected by the rise of the extreme right.

3-    The international level and what is being said on “The Deal of the Century” and the attempts made by the U.S. to pass it amid international concern about other issues related to countering terrorism and illegal migration.

– The discussion was concluded with emphasis on the presence of political personages who do not want to achieve reconciliation and resolution of tension among peoples of the same nation.

– The Palestinian Authority probably sees that the solution does not in the 2011 document  but in the 2017 document. And the Egyptian Leadership is now working on reconciling visions of both documents.

– The decision of boycotting U.S. Administration was wrong, and it would have been better off to reject the proposed solution without boycotting.

– Both parties have erred and the past must be forgotten starting from today as there are major hazards threatening the Palestinian issue, which are of greater importance than Fatah and Hamas, and facing such hazards requires cooperation between both parties.

– The Arabs must be aware that Israel is not just the enemy of Palestine alone, and the Arab Countries must unite on the basis of an Arab project as there is an Arab peace agreement that we can proceed from in negotiations with Israel as this Entity is not only a risk to Palestine alone but to all states of the region, where Egypt comes first as Egypt is the largest, leading, and most well-armed state in the region.