A foreign correspondent asked me: “What is the most important political issue that the people are now concerned with?” I told him right away: “It is the debate on Gaza that took place at Davos between the Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Israeli President Shimon Peres.” He said: “I was there. It was quite a heated debate where they all attacked the Israeli President.” I said: “This is not what we are concerned with. We have one uppermost question. Should not Amr Moussa have left the meeting with Erdogan? And as we are people who love football, we got divided between those for it and those against it.” “Are you serious?” said the correspondent, raising his eyebrows. “You left all that was said in that debate, which in my opinion was one of the most important debates about Gaza that Israel had to face before world public opinion, and you only got concerned with that question?” he asked. “Of course,” I said. “This is a hundred times more important than Israel having to face the world public opinion, because boycotting Israel is the sole goal,” I explained. He said: “What does this have to do with a boycott. You meet with Israel in all international forums and sit face to face with its officials at the United Nations. And what Amr Moussa told Peres best reflected the Arab point of view. He told him in the face that they have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, and that they do not want peace.” I said: “So what? Let others talk about the Arab point of view and accuse Israel in international forums. We are busy talking to each other, and sometimes more busy accusing each other. We have no time for else.” The man looked at me in disbelief. I continued: “I say Moussa should have left the meeting.” He laughed at me and said: “Again, are you serious?” “You asked about what concerns us, and I have answered you very frankly. So don't make fun of me,” I said. He said: “But what you're saying is funny. Erdogan did not leave because of Peres, but rather because the American journalist David Ignatius gave Peres 25 minutes to speak as opposed to only 12 minutes to Erdogan. So why should Amr Moussa also leave if he had his time in full? And anyway, Moussa stood up and shook Erdogan's hand to praise him for what he did.” “He still should have left,” I said. “But the session had already ended,” he said. “Still,” I insisted. “What good would this do?” he asked. “I don't know, but he should have left,” I said. “Is this really your most important issue now?” he sake. “Indeed,” I replied. “Then you are right. You should keep talking with each other and let others defend the Arab cause against Israel,” he said.
