Dr Yair Hirschfeld, Executive director, Economic Cooperation Foundation (ECF), Tel Aviv; one of the two original Israeli negotiators of the Oslo Peace Process

BUILDING BRIDGES IN ISRAEL
23rd November 2005

Dr Hirschfeld spoke to a New Israel Fund audience about his involvement in the Oslo Peace Agreement and the on-going need for building bridges in Israel with its surrounding neighbours. He explained that his work at the Economic Cooperation aimed to maintain and support Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Arab cooperation in the political, economic and civil society spheres.

Dr Hirschfeld was happy to share his frustrations throughout the Bridge Building process. It had been incredible to see the Health and Science communities in Israel communicate with the equivalent Palestinian Health and Science Corporation. Many professionals were also in dialogue with each other. This, however positive it was, proved to be fruitless in terms of real bridge building as they were preaching to the converted.

Subsequently at the beginning of 2000 moves were made to introduce a new system of communication – ‘cross border co-operation’. It prompted the development of human resources where the interaction was “Government to Government” as well as “People to People.”

Dr Hirschfeld said that after Disengagement there was a new move towards a two state solution and for the IDF to leave the West Bank.

Although one is always reluctant to be optimistic, it seemed that the combination of Peretz winning the Labour nomination and Sharon forming a new “centrist” party, it seemed that time was upon us once again to negotiate with the Palestinians and start build bridges once again.