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Glimmers of hope: Elders talk peace in Washington and London

Mary Robinson Lakhdar Brahimi Ernesto Zedillo Jimmy Carter Martti Ahtisaari Israel-Palestine
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A delegation of Elders met with US Secretary of State John Kerry, who announced last Friday that Israelis and Palestinians had agreed to discuss the resumption of peace talks. Martti Ahtisaari later praised Kerry’s efforts to restart the peace process, saying that he was “impressed by Secretary Kerry’s tireless commitment to bringing Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table after five years of stalemate.” L-R: John Kerry, Ernesto Zedillo, Lakhdar Brahimi and Jimmy Carter.
Several Elders also met with Barack Obama's National Security Advisor, Susan Rice, while in Washington. Later that week, Jimmy Carter reported that both Kerry and Rice had assured him that the current Middle East peace efforts have the full support of the White House – and that there are even “glimmers of hope” within Congress. The former US President also expressed hope in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. “Both leaders are ahead of their respective governments,” he said, “but I think they are with the majority of their own people, who want to have peace.” L-R: Ernesto Zedillo, Martti Ahtisaari, Susan Rice, Lakhdar Brahimi, Mary Robinson and Jimmy Carter.
At a discussion at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, one of Washington DC’s leading think tanks, Lakhdar Brahimi spoke about the urgency of pursuing a political process to end Syria's brutal civil conflict. In an Elders press release the following day, he said: “There is no military solution to the Syrian crisis. Sending more weapons to Syria will only deepen the conflict. The flow of arms to both sides must stop. “Media has been reporting over the past months about one side or the other having the upper hand. But neither side is in a position to win the war. And in the meantime, the killing and destruction continue. “We must get out of this vicious cycle through a political process. It is extremely difficult to bring together those who have been killing each other for two years. But more and more people, including the Syrians, are recognising that the only solution to the Syrian catastrophe is an inclusive dialogue with all the countries that have an interest or an influence in this crisis.”
After travelling from Washington DC to London to continue their discussions on Middle East peace, the Elders met with British Foreign Secretary William Hague.
While in London, the Elders were interviewed by CNN's Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour. In response to a question about the Palestinian ‘right to return’ in any eventual peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians, Lakhdar Brahimi stressed that the principle must be recognised – allowing for compensation to be agreed where return is not practically possible. “Palestinians are mature enough, responsible enough and realistic enough to know that not every single Palestinian who was thrown out of their homes and their villages, that their descendents will be let back into Israel. I think they accept that. But the injustice has to be recognised.”
During a public debate at London think-tank Chatham House, the Elders spoke further about their meetings in Washington and their expectations of the renewed peace efforts. In response to a question from the audience about the Palestinian parties Fatah and Hamas, veteran negotiator Martti Ahtisaari pointed out that isolating Hamas is counterproductive to peace. “I have always said – and my only experience is – that you have to talk to everybody if you want to find a solution. Those who in past conflicts have been branded as terrorists are now serving as peace negotiators.”

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