Date: 26.01.2009

On Monday, January 26th, Geneva Initiative held a conference at Tel Aviv University in cooperation with the TAU Student Union. The conference, which addressed the political situation after the war in Gaza, featured GI Chair Yossi Beilin, Likud Knesset candidate Maj. Gen. (ret.) Yossi Peled, and former Mossad Chief Ephraim Halevi.

Ma'ariv journalist Maya Bengel moderated the discussion, which explored the possible road "from Gaza to Geneva" and ways of advancing the peace process, on hold since the IDF operation in Gaza.

Almost 200 people attended the conference, among them both studetns and senior university faculty.

The three speakers each presented his own view on the future of the political process.

Dr. Beilin said the peace process opposite representatives of the PLO must be advanced immediately. Should the reality in Gaza not change, a peace agreement would first me implemented in the West Bank, with the Gaza Strip joining the independent Palestinian state once a new reality comes about. He expressed his hope thatspecial U.S. Envoy George Mitchell will hear the positions of both sides and offer his own mediating solutions. Even a rightist Prime Minister, he said, would be unable to ignore U.S. bridging offers to advance the peace process.

Ephraim Halevi said Hamas' power could no longer be ignored. In the new reality, the PA could not retake control of the Gaza Strip, but Hamas is too shattered to control it itself. The only way to move towards a two state solution would be to allow Hamas and Fatah to form a national unity government. Arab states could help them in the unity process, but Western governments must not get involved.

Yossi Peled said the operation in Gaza succeeded in regaining Israel's power of deterrence. He explained that by showing that "the Jews had gone crazy," Israel proved that there's a price to be paid for attacking the Jewish state. He said Israel could not negotiate with an entity that refuses to recognize it, but agreed that Israel mustn't intervene in internal Palestinian affairs. He also agreed that an internal Palestinian solution may be the only path to a solution, and said a solution will require territorial concessions on Israel's part.