RN Announcement: Sharhabeel Al-Zaeem joins International Advisory Board
01/02/2012
Right to Nonviolence welcomes lawyer Sharhabeel Al-Zaeem to its Board of Advisors. "This is a significant, decisive link between the Arab Spring and the Middle East nonviolent revolution" says RN Chairman Chibli Mallat. “Sharhabeel is a model lawyer citizen in the midst of tragic daily life in Gaza. His stature, dynamism and expertise bring the spirit of the Middle East nonviolent revolution into the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict.”
Sharhabeel Al-Zaeem is the founder and senior attorney of Al-Zaeem & Associates, the most prominent law firm in Gaza, offering diverse legal services in six European languages to leading Palestinian and foreign entities. Notably, the firm has also represented more than 1,000 clients before Israeli military courts. Considered the foremost expert in commercial law in Gaza, he is recognized as an authority on arbitration, alternative dispute resolution, and protection of intellectual property. Actively involved in both social and economic development in Gaza through his service to numerous institutional boards, Mr. Al-Zaeem secured funding in 2005 from the World Bank to participate in the drafting of the Public Procurement Law for the Palestinian Authority. He served as a legal advisor to the Palestinian Delegation in the peace talks of Oslo and Cairo, work that he continues through extensive involvement with the peace process and participation in ongoing legal committees. Admitted as attorney-at-law to the Gaza Bar, he is member of both the Palestinian and American Bar Associations, and serves on the organizing committee of the select Yale Middle East Legal Studies Seminar (MELSS). Mr. Al-Zaeem holds a B.A. in Law from the University of Alexandria, a Master in Regional Studies from Al Quds-Abu Deis, and a Master in Law from Al Azhar University. He has completed a number of certificate courses at leading organizations in both the US and the UK as well as a certificate course in mediation and dispute resolution at Harvard Law School, and is currently a lecturer in law at Al Azhar University-Gaza.
Mr. Al-Zaeem shares some thoughts on the situation in Gaza and his belief in nonviolent resistance in the following exclusive interview with RN.
Attorney Sharhabeel Al-Zaeem: Interview with RN January 2012
How do you see the situation in Gaza in the light of the Arab Spring?
I believe that the Arab Spring had a very positive effect on Gaza. The situation has changed a lot since the beginning of 2011. We have seen more regular crossings in Rafah, which means that Egyptian policy changed. Moreover, internally the leadership of Hamas became more reasonable, leading to the reconciliation signed into an agreement in November 2011.
You have articulated a human rights argument for a ‘federal Israel-Palestine’ notably as co-author in 2011 of a detailed response to Netanyahu’s ‘foundations for lasting peace’ speech. [1] Is this a serious discussion within the Palestinian leadership or an intellectual exercise?
I believe that this is a serious discussion since we are losing all other alternatives as a result of the measures being taken unilaterally by Israel; therefore I do not think that a viable Palestinian independent state is a future choice anymore. I think that many Palestinian leaders are realizing this and seeing the one-state solution as the only future option.
What should be the priorities for RN on the Israel-Palestine front?
I think that the RN priorities should be focused on keeping the parties negotiating and engaging in a serious dialogue rather than leaning towards unilateral steps accompanied by violent action from both sides.
“Only free men and women negotiate…..the Palestinian leadership is still at the end of the day occupied by Israel and its caprices.”[2] This was written by a young blogger in Gaza. What would you say to the increasingly vocal and overwhelmingly youthful impatience with the Palestinian leadership?
We fully understand the suffering of the overwhelming majority of the Palestinian people. Young women and men eager to live a normal life vent their frustrations daily into such powerful statements, but we should not lose hope and will continue our faith in peace until such caprices are a thing of the past. There are several ways and means to pursue this option. (link to full interview)