Palestinian Diplomat to Speak at Middle Eastern Conflict Seminar
A public seminar on Israel-Palestine relations will be held at the European Commission Representation to Estonia on Friday.
One of the main speakers will be a high-level Palestinian diplomat, Afif Safieh, a press release said. A member of the Palestine Fatah Revolutionary Council and a deputy commissioner of international relations, Safieh is also the former Palestinian ambassador to the UK, Russia and the US.
Also speaking at the conference will be Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet, Israeli Ambassador to Estonia Dan Ashbel, and Israeli writer Udi Aloni. The event will be opened by MEP Ivari Padar.
One of the event's organizers, Jörgen Siil, said Estonia does not currently have a substantive debate on the Middle Eastern conflict.
“People's opinions are generally black and white, and they unfortunately do not really want to listen to what the other side has to say. I think the balanced lineup of speakers at the seminar will provide for a diverse discussion,” Siil said.
The seminar begins at 13:30 at at Rävala Puiestee 4, the European Union building. The working language will be English, with simultaneous interpretation in Estonian. The event is being organized by the Social Democratic Party's delegation in the European Parliament.