On the Issues Episode 162: Alon Liel and Ziad AbuZayyad
Today we are joined by two guests, Alon Liel and Ziad AbuZayyad. Alon Liel is a veteran of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, serving in various positions, including as Director General of the Foreign Ministry, and as a member of the Israeli negotiating team at the Taba talks with Egypt. He is the author of several books, and is the founder and chairman of the Israel-Syria Peace Society. He is one of the instigators of an Israeli campaign to advance recognition of a Palestinian state by European parliaments and governments.
Ziad AbuZayyad is a Palestinian lawyer, journalist, and politician. He is the co-founder and editor of the Palestine Israel Journal, a former Palestinian Authority minister, and former Minister of State in the Palestinian Authority. Ziad AbuZayyad served as an advisor to the Palestinian negotiating team in Washington, DC in 1992, and was a member of the post-Oslo negotiating team in 1994 that concluded the Cairo Agreement, which led to the establishment of the Palestinian Authority.
In this episode, Alon, Ziad, and Alon discuss the prospects for the release of Marwan Barghouti, a Palestinian political leader who has been imprisoned since 2002. The three discuss Barghouti’s political and peace efforts both prior to his imprisonment and while in prison, the perception of him as a widely uniting figure among the Palestinians, and what conditions in Israel will be necessary to allow for his release.
Alon Liel
Alon Liel has served the Israeli Foreign Ministry in various positions: the head of the Israeli mission in Turkey (1981-1983), the Foreign Ministry spokesman and the member of the Israeli negotiating team at the Taba talks with Egypt (1985–1987), Ambassador to South Africa in (1992-1994), Director General of the Ministry of Economy and Planning (1994-1996), Foreign Policy Advisor to Ehud Barak (1997-1999), Director General of the Foreign Ministry (2000-2001).
Liel is the author of several books, namely Turkey in the Middle East – Oil, Islam and Politics (1993), Black Justice – The South African Upheaval (1999), Turkey – The Military, Islam and Politics (1999), Turkey in the Middle East (2001), Demo Islam, Turkey’s New Regime (2003). He has taught courses at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University on Turkey and the Middle East politics.
Liel was the board member of Gazit Inc. (biggest real estate company in Israel). He was the chairman of the Israel-Turkey Business Council between 2002-2006, and is the chairman of the Global Code Ltd.
Liel was the president of the Jewish-Arab soccer club, Abu Gosh-Mevaseret. He is also the founder and the chairman of the Israel-Syria Peace Society.
Ziad Abu Zayyad
Ziad AbuZayyad is the Co-Founder and Editor of Palestine Israel Journal. He is a former PA minister (1998 – 2002), former legislator and Chair of Law and Constitution in the Palestinian Parliament (1996 – 2006). AbuZayyad was the Head of the Palestinian Delegation to the multilateral talks on Arms Control and Regional Security (ACRS), and a negotiator in post Oslo Accords Cairo negotiations which led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority.
AbuZayyad was the first representative of the Palestinian Parliament to the Council of Europe, participated in numerous conferences on the Middle East, and is frequently interviewed by local and international media on the political situation. He is a weekly columnist of al-Quds Arabic Daily. He is a lawyer graduate of Damascus University, and Member of the Palestinian Bar Association.