The Middle East Institute's George and Rhonda Salem Family Foundation Lecture Series and the Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP) hosted Dr. Husam Zomlot, Ambassador at Large for Palestine, for a discussion about Palestinian politics and strategy.
This past month Palestinians won the right to fly their national flag in front of U.N. headquarters following a 2012 vote by a majority of member countries to grant Palestine the status of non-member observer state.
Despite these achievements, Palestinians are no closer to bringing an end to the occupation and achieving statehood. Instead, their aspirations remain handicapped by an Israeli prime minister who has expressed opposition to a two-state solution and internal divisions between Fatah and Hamas.
Dr. Zomlot discussed the political dynamics within Palestine, the options for achieving Palestinian national goals, and Palestine's relations with Israel, the United States, and the EU. FMEP president, Matt Duss moderated the discussion.
Speakers:
Dr. Husam Zomlot is the Ambassador at Large for Palestine. He previously served as a scholar in residence at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and led Dialogue and Conflict Resolution Programs for the Oxford Research Group. Zomlot completed his PhD in international political economy at the University of London, where he also lectured, co-authored several UN reports, and contributed to published books. From 2003 to 2008, he was a PLO representative to the UK. He has also held positions at Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute and the United Nation’s Office of the Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories.