Khaled al-Hassan is a veteran figure within the Palestinian movement. With Yasser Arafat, he co-founded FatehÂthe main within the PLOÂover thirty years ago. Today, as chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the Palestine National Council (the PLO parliament-in-exile), he is an outspoken moderate who is not afraid of courageous initiatives.
In Grasping the Nettle of Peace he spells out a bold plan for Middle East peace, advocating a radical new strategy based on a Swiss-style confederation of Israel, Palestine and Jordan.
Al-Hassan's views are not official PLO policy: they are an appeal for greater vision from the Palestinian leadership carrying the weight of a man whose commitment to peace is long-standing.
Following the start of the Arab-Israeli dialogue, this blueprint for the future could not be more timely.
An invaluable section of the book includes important documents and UN resolutions relating to the question of Palestine.