Bill Clinton: Young Americans shocked to learn Arafat turned down Palestinian state

Times of Israel ^ | 5 Dec 2024 | ToI Staff

[MinorityRepublican]

Former US president Bill Clinton on Wednesday said young people in America today “can’t believe” that late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat walked away from a Palestinian state during peace negotiations with Israel under his mediation as president.

Clinton added, in reference to the failed Camp David talks of 2000, that having turned down a “once in a lifetime” peace opportunity, “you can’t complain 25 years later when the doors weren’t all still open, and all the possibilities weren’t still there.”

“I think what’s happened there in the last twenty-five years is one of the great tragedies of the twenty-first century,” Clinton told New York Times journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin, in an interview for the newspaper’s DealBook Summit, promoting his new book, “Citizen: My Life After The White House.”

The Times posted a video of the interview to its New York Times Events+ YouTube channel; the video was removed on Thursday, but re-uploaded shortly thereafter.

“All [young people in America] know that a lot more Palestinians have been killed than Israelis. And I tell them what Arafat walked away from, and they, like, can’t believe it,” said the former commander-in-chief.

[riverrunner]

Yasser Arafat never wanted peace he had power form continues war.

Just like the Palestinians’ of today.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

I never liked Bill Clinton, but in comparison to the leadership of the current Democratic party, he looks like a freaking genius.

[Mr. Mojo]

And relatively few Americans or Europeans of any age are aware that the Jews in the Holy Land accepted the 1947 UN partition plan, which was a two-state solution as well, only to see the Arabs reject it and attack Israel from all sides in 1948 with the intent to annihilate.

[CatOwner]

I wonder how many young people today have heard of Arafat’s name, but they have no clue exactly who he was.

[9YearLurker]

Too late. They’re already on to Israel having been an illegal land grab to start with.

[MinorityRepublican]

I never liked Bill Clinton, but in comparison to the leadership of the current Democratic party, he looks like a freaking genius.

Ignoring that he's sleazy, he's a skilled politician. After all, he got elected twice.

[bk1000]

Wait till they find out no one called themselves Palestinian until Arafat came up with it. Prior, they were either Palestinian Arabs or Palestinian Jews.

[MinorityRepublican]

I wonder how many young people today have heard of Arafat’s name, but they have no clue exactly who he was.

Arafat died in 2004. You have students at Columbia University who were not even born yet.

[MtnClimber]

The PLO was always a money grifting terror organization.

[faithhopecharity]

not just the Arafat but every Fakestinian “leader” has rejected peace or anything like it, forever

because, they want it all... and they want to kill the Jews and Christians who are in their way

it would be a miracle if they permitted the Jews and Christians to stay alive as third class “dhimmis”

we saw their true intentions, plans when they attacked 07 October 2023 murdering over 1200 innocent civilians, many in the most save, unimaginable ways, and kidnapping nearly 300 more,

[WKUHilltopper]

Hey Bill...maybe you pissed him off with that cigar you offered him?

[Freeper]

Arafat walking away in the middle of the night after he got more than 95% of his wants was well documented more than 30 years ago. Arafat was in the position at “home” to NOT accept peace. Arafat DIDNT WANT PEACE. Hia visit was only a show for the stupid of the world.

[Roklok]

I remember it well. Clinton gave Arafat everything he wanted and Arafat turned it all down. Talk about calling their bluff. They never wanted peace.

[philman_36]

Golly gee, Bill, you're part of the reason nobody remembers you and your efforts (this is all about you, isn't it).

You continued the dumbing down of America so blame yourself for the ignorance of youths today.

[plain talk]

Not all but many young Americans would probably be shocked if told that a man with dementia was President of the United States.

[fhayek]

Clinton was impeached. It was the end of his presidency, and he desperately wanted to get a Nobel Peace Prize to counterbalance that black mark. He was willing to give Arafat everything he wanted and more, plus a healthy payoff courtesy of the US taxpayer. Arafat walked away. He wouldn't strike the clause in the Palestinian Charter that declared that the state of Israel was illegal.

I consider this Clinton's greatest achievement, though it was totally inadvertent. It established beyond any doubt that neither Arafat, nor the Palestinians in general have any interest in peace.

[Mr. K]

These stupid children today don’t understand that “from the river to the Sea” means they want all of it- no more Israel at all

[SomeCallMeTim]

Billy offered them EVERYTHING ! He wanted that deal so badly.

[deport]

HELP NEEDED