JERICHO (Ma'an) -- Chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat issued a statement on Wednesday alleging his televised address to Israelis asking that they be his "peace partner" was altered.
The negotiations official said of the video that "Unfortunately, my statements were changed and contextualized as if I were apologizing to the Israeli nation. This is the opposite to what I said, I did not say that at all. I was speaking as a negotiator and I mean that as Palestinian and Israeli negotiators we hand been unable to come up with a solution after many years."
He continued, "I never intended to say sorry to the Israeli nation, they are the ones who should be sorry for what they have done to Palestinians and the practices that have humiliated our nation. Palestinians are the nation who deserve an apology."
The video, removed from YouTube but still available on the sponsoring organization's website [2], was part of a series hosting Palestinain officials, in an attempt to "create a consensus with the [Israeli] public and then mobilize the leadership and create a real peace partner," Director-General of the Palestinian Geneva Initiative Nidal Foqaha told Ma'an.
Critics of Erekat's video said he in essence apologized to Israel, when he said in the short message: “Shalom to you in Israel, I know we have disappointed you, I know we have been unable to deliver peace for the last 19 years."
The Washington Post called the campaign "unusual," particularly the point in which Erekat "apologized to Israelis for past mistakes and reassured them that Palestinians are committed to peace alongside Israel."
Foqaha told Ma'an on Thursday that the concern was a "misunderstanding," explaining that he believed Erekat was "speaking in the name of the negotiators, meaning Palestinian and Israeli, and not for us as Palestinians."
On Tuesday, President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad both asked that the NGO remove its photos from the ad campaign, saying the images - part of a collage representing the peace negotiations team - were used without their permission. Neither official has agreed to make a recording for the campaign, though two other negotiations officials made clips launched simultaneously with Erekat's.
Yasser Abed Rabbo warned Israelis of the “dangers for both of us” if talks fail, and speaking in Hebrew, Jabril Raboub said there was a "historic chance" to make peace, and Palestinians had a strong president and prime minister who were willing to make peace. "I think there is a good chance, and this is the time to go forward," he said.
Erekat's Wednesday statement explained his motives for participating in the campaign, saying “I agreed to participate at the media campaign prepared by the Geneva initiative in order to make it clear to the Israeli public - who always accuse Palestinians of halting negotiations - that there is a peaceful solution is based on a two-state solution despite past failures."
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