Harry Wall, director of the Jerusalem Chapter of the Anti Defamation League, spoke to about 40 students and community members last night about the future of the Middle East peace process.
In addition to discussing the future of the peace process , Wall spoke about the effects of terrorism and the implications of the upcoming elections in Israel in shaping the peace process.
Israelis and Palestinians began taking initial steps toward peace 30 months ago in Oslo, and Wall said the results have benefited both parties.
"The peace process legitimizes all of the Palestinian's aspirations," he said. "Arafat was recast as a world leader, and that gives more legitimacy to his own authority."
For Israel, the peace process has brought changes in both political and economic standing. Economic firms have flocked to Israel since the peace process began, Wall said. American Express, AT&T, Pepsi and investment banks have all established offices there.
"Israel now has two times as many relationships with other countries than they did five years ago," he said. "A country that was once outcast and isolated is now being embraced."
Wall said President Bill Clinton helped Israel gain world recognition by inspiring other world leaders to pay their respects to assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
Terrorism will play a significant role in the May 29 elections in Israel, Wall said. Polls show that the two candidates running in the election, Prime Minister Shimon Peres and Likud leader Benjamin Netahyahu, are virtually tied.
"Basically, the election will be decided by new immigrants, Israeli-Arabs, young people who are voting for their first time and by what the Hamas terrorists do," Wall said.
Peres lead in the polls two months ago, but his popularity has declined since the recent terrorist attacks throughout the country. If further terrorist attacks occur, Peres' support could continue to drop, Wall said.
"Results of the election are particularly important to the peace process because these are probably going to be the last few years during which there will be a focus on the peace process," he said.
Wall said the two candidates have markedly different views on which direction the Israelis should take in achieving peace. Peres wants to continue the process according to the Oslo Accords and would support any agreement that can be reached with Syria, including the return of Golan Heights, which Israel took in 1967.
But Netahyahu believes in honoring the Oslo Accords, but only if the Palestinians follow through as well. He also supports coming to peace terms with Syria but does not advocate the return of Golan Heights to Syria, he said.
"The person who is elected to the office will determine the direction in which the peace process will take," he said.
He said the Mid East's potential for nuclearization gives the outcome of the process great significance.
