Book Review: Ahmed Qurie, Peace Negotiations in Palestine

What is it about?

Ahmed Qurie, known also as Abu Ala, served in key positions in the Palestinian leadership, including as prime minister from 2003 to 2006. In this book, the seasoned politician covers the period between 2000 and 2006, highlighting some of the milestones of this period: the second intifada of 2000; the September 11th attack on the USA in 2001 and its repercussions for the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization), including the Israeli re-occupation of much of the Palestinian territories; the election of Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) as prime minister in 2003; Qurie’s own period in government; the Israeli evacuation of Gaza; and the 2006 elections which saw the rise of Hamas to political power. Qurie presents these events from a very personal point of view with no pretension to present a balanced perspective. History is often open to interpretation, and Qurie’s partisan analysis sheds important light on the wide divide between Israel and the Palestinians. The divide is not only about material assets: territories, Jerusalem, holy places, rights of refugees. Rather, the divide also relates to the understanding of important concepts, such as sovereignty, responsibility and peace. This is a sombre book for those who believe that the differences between Israel and the Palestinians can be reconciled in the near future.

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Why is it important?

The book sheds important light on the divisions among the Palestinians themselves. We learn about the strained relationships between Arafat and Abu Mazen (pp. 112, 141-142, 186); between Abu Mazen and Abu Ala (pp. 141-142); between Arafat and his security chief Major General Nasser Yousef (pp. 150-154); and the tensions between Arafat and Abu Ala (pp. 143-156, 178-179) - although Qurie is careful not to disparage his colleagues.

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