Introduction

"I bought an El Al ticket. Destination Ben Gourion airport. Tel Aviv. Israel. 60 years ago, my mother was born a few dozen kilometers away. In Haifa, Palestine. So begins the story of the return of Ziyad Clot, grandson of Palestinian exiles.

His Journey and Role

In Ramallah, he accepted a position as legal advisor to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and became a negotiator, taking part in the talks that were to lead to the creation of the Palestinian state by the end of 2008. But he soon came to terms with the obvious: "The peace process is a spectacle, a farce, played out at the expense of Palestinian reconciliation, at the cost of bloodshed in Gaza. And despite myself, I''m becoming one of the actors in this drama."

The Inside Story

The author plunges us into the heart of the peace process, revealing the pretenses, behind-the-scenes maneuvers of the parties and the internal and international rivalries that help fuel the fantasy of a two-state solution. This edifying account, steeped in personal history, shows how and why negotiations to create a Palestinian state came to nothing.

Vision for the Future

For the former negotiator, a peaceful solution to the conflict can only be found through a single state in which Palestinians and Israelis will have to live together. This hybrid country, "Israeltine," is already here.