A dialogue in Gaza on the chances of peace with the new Israeli government and international funding's effect on Palestinians

Gaza – Thursday 25/6/2009 – Pal-Think for Strategic Studies, in cooperation with the German Friedrich Ebert foundation, organised within the project “Enriching political discussion” at the Grand Palace Hotel a dialogue session dealing with the subjects of the new Israeli government .. is there still a chance for peace!! and the effect of international funding on the Palestinians, attended by Mr Omar Shaban, head of Pal-Think for Strategic Studies, and Dr Osama Antar, director of Friedrich Ebert programmes in the Gaza Strip, in addition to a number of economists, politicians and intellectuals. The development researcher Mr Taysir Muhaisen presented a working paper entitled “The new Israeli government .. is there still a chance for peace”, in which he pointed out that the current Israeli government is the largest in Israel's history and that if it does not push the region into the furnace of a ferocious war, it will at least not conclude any peace agreement, and that the fall of the government as a possibility would most likely be for reasons relating to internal conditions and not to foreign policy.
For his part, the economic adviser Mr Yusuf Shaath presented a working paper on “The effect of international funding on the Palestinians”, in which he addressed the channels of international funding and its methods, pointing out that the funding channels are confined to the National Authority and the non-governmental organisations, and that international assistance has led to strengthening the Palestinian people's orientation towards peace and coexistence.
Omar Shaban, head of Pal-Think, affirmed in an address of his that there is a challenge facing the Palestinians if they remain divided without a vision, and that a reconciliation agreement must be reached, pointing out that other discussion sessions would be held to address various other issues that concern Palestinian society and the region.