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

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.

“You can’t complain 25 years later when the doors weren’t all still open, and all the possibilities weren’t still there,” Clinton added, reflecting on the lasting consequences of the failed talks.

Clinton explained to the audience that the Camp David summit had represented the best chance for peace in the region, and yet it collapsed just six weeks before the end of his second term.

"All [young people in America] know that a lot more Palestinians have been killed than Israelis. But they don't know the history behind that," he noted.

The former president also paid tribute to Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated by a Jewish extremist in 1995 for his role in pursuing peace with the Palestinians.

“The first and most famous victim of an attempt to get the Palestinians a state was Prime Minister Rabin,” Clinton remarked, adding that he had loved Rabin “as much as I ever loved another man.”

Clinton’s comments were framed within the context of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, particularly following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which led to the current war.

Clinton noted that the attack, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 Israelis and the taking of hostages, has politically benefited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by drawing attention away from domestic challenges.

Regarding Netanyahu’s political longevity, Clinton observed that the Israeli leader had “stayed in office longer than I thought he would,” acknowledging the complex political dynamics that have allowed him to survive in power despite controversies.