For Palestinians, the last 100 years have brought colonization, expulsion and military occupation, followed by a long and difficult search for self-determination. 60 years after the “Nakba” (the “catastrophe” which resulted from the creation of the state of Israel, the defeat in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and the flight or expulsion of an estimated 700,000 Palestinian refugees who have not been allowed to return home)  and 40 years after the occupation of the Palestinian Territories, there has been no political solution to the conflict, despite numerous United Nations resolutions and peace initiatives.   

The ability of many peace initiatives to make an impact on the dynamics of the conflict has been limited by several factors: the fragmented nature of each society, the exclusion and lack of representation of large segments of each population in the process; and the extreme asymmetry between these societies. 

The failure to reach a political solution has generated a new political dynamic within the various Palestinian groups and political currents in the West Bank and Gaza. Competing and sometimes contradictory visions on the means to end the occupation and the shape of a future Palestinian state have constrained efforts to portray a common vision for the future.

In 2007 there were dramatic changes in Palestine as the political, economic and social conditions continued to deteriorate. Ordinary Palestinians continue to be subjected to the Israeli occupation and its consequences, including check points and roadblocks known as “closures” (“Closures” are a policy of physical barriers and permit requirements used to control Palestinian pedestrian and vehicular movement inside the West Bank), the “wall” (56.5% has been completed), settlement expansion, restrictions on movement, arrests, land requisitions, home demolitions, etc. in the West Bank. On top of that, they have had to face up to internal fighting at previously unknown levels between the two main political factions Fateh and Hamas.

The current situation highlights the need for health and constructive dialogue to reach a minimum level of consensus amongst Palestinians in terms of how they envision the future of Palestinian society.