Become a Member
World

Bill Clinton: Young Americans have no idea that Arafat turned down a Palestinian state

Clinton reflected on the 2000 Camp David talks and its lasting impact on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

December 6, 2024 16:25
2173206646
Bill Clinton has shared reaction of young Americans learning Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat turned down a historic opportunity for peace (Image: Getty)
1 min read

Former US President Bill Clinton has expressed disbelief over the reaction of young Americans when they learn that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat turned down a historic opportunity for peace and a Palestinian state during the 2000 Camp David talks.

In an interview at the New York Times DealBook Summit, promoting his new book Citizen: My Life After The White House, Clinton described how many young people in America are “shocked” when they hear about Arafat's rejection of a deal that would have granted the Palestinians a state with a capital in East Jerusalem and 96 per cent of the West Bank. “I tell them what Arafat walked away from, and they, like, can’t believe it,” Clinton said.

He went on to emphasise the significance of this decision, referring to it as a "once in a lifetime" opportunity that Arafat rejected.

The deal, negotiated with US mediation, included a proposed resolution for Israeli settlements in the West Bank, a key issue in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.