Gershon Baskin, an Israeli negotiator involved in the talks, backed up claims that despite repeated attempts by Israel to engage with Hamas diplomatically, the Gaza-based group continues to deny it is holding Mengistu, leaving negotiations in a deadlock.
Gershon Baskin has been involved in talks with Khaled Mashal, leader of the Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas, to secure the release of Avraham Mengistu.
Gershon Baskin claims that the 2 Israeli citizens being held captive in the Gaza Strip are not a valuable asset like a captured soldier, and they are not a high-value bargaining card.
Israeli negotiator Gershon Baskin, who has been involved in the efforts to return Mengitsu, claims that Hamas officials had told him they had freed the Israeli when they concluded he suffered from a mental illness.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu still believes that the establishment of a Palestinian state next to Israel is an Israeli interest. He has stated, since the elections, that he does not want to see Israel becoming a bi-national state and therefore a peaceful, democratic Palestinian state that recognizes Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people and acknowledges Israel’s real security needs is in the interest of the State of Israel. That is also the position Read more
Instead of predicting the non-resolvability of the conflict, why aren’t Israel’s leaders doing everything possible to find a way to resolve it?
Elisha Baskin, daughter of Gershon Baskin, was the researcher and associate producer of National Endowment for the Humanities historical documentary titled 1913: Seeds of Conflict, about the origins of the Israeli-Arab conflict, focusing on the late Ottoman, pre-WWI period.
Let’s begin to think of what can be done that can improve life for people rather than making it more difficult.
Temporary moves by Israel to ease life in Gaza, while positive in their intent, must take into account longer- term policy imperatives, which must include the demise of Hamas and other extremists.