RAMALLAH, West Bank — A group promoting understanding between the Palestinian and Israeli communities is under fire again by those who say it's doing more harm than good.
The Committee for Interaction with Israeli Society has been criticized since its creation in December 2012. That criticism recently intensified after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas sent an official delegation to offer his condolences on the the death of Brig. Gen. Munir Amar. Amar, who headed the Israel Defense Forces' civil administration in the West Bank, after his small airplane crashed March 25 in northern Palestine.
Leading the delegation was the committee's chief, Muhammad al-Madani, who is also a member of Fatah's Central Committee. News of the visit, reported March 29 by IBA News, has raised ire in the Palestinian street. Also, the delegation’s visit to Amar’s birthplace, the village of Julis in northern Palestine, came just one day after Abbas met with a delegation of Mizrahi Jews at his presidential headquarters in Ramallah.
The meeting has placed a spotlight on the Committee for Interaction with Israeli Society, whose mission is to mobilize Israelis to support the two-state solution. The committee aims to influence members of the Israeli public supporting peace and enlist their help in urging Israeli decision-makers to take serious action to reach an agreement with the Palestinian leadership.
AL-MONITOR All-Access gives you unlimited access to all our journalism, the full Daily Briefing, exclusive interviews, premium newsletters, and live events — for less than $2/week.
