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Gershon Baskin can be optimistic when all others are profoundly depressed, which is how he’s managed to stay in the peace biz so long.

Gershon Baskin, discussing the Role of Third Parties in Israel and Palestine, indicated a lack of effective mechanisms for resolutions of disputes, dealing with breaches of agreements and encouragement to implement agreed upon solutions as major failures of the Oslo process. Development of these mechanisms is, according to Baskin, a major task for the third party in the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Gershon Baskin claims that Israel has complained that the Arab peace initiative doesn’t take into account changes that have happened on the ground since 1967, but with the the Arab League agreeing to the principle of territorial swaps, they have in fact adopted what was the position of George W. Bush in his famous letter to Ariel Sharon.

Gershon Baskin maintained a secret channel of communication with the deputy foreign minister of the Hamas government, Dr. Ghazi Hamad, who explains the far-reaching change in attitudes under way in his movement and the unchanged approach of not recognizing Israel.

Gershon Baskin addresses the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation of the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa

Gershon Baskin claims that what the Obama visit did was to put the Palestinian issue back into the consciousness of everyone and if the [recent Israeli] elections removed the issue from public debate, the Obama visit brought it back.

Gershon Baskin paid tribute to Froman, hailing the rabbi as someone who always strove to achieve peace. He shared his passion for peace and his willingness to go to the ends of this earth to convince people that we can make peace and that we must make peace in this land.