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Press TV has conducted an interview with Ken O’Keefe, a journalist and human rights activist, from London, about Egyptian-brokered negotiations between Hamas and Israel with the lifting of Israel’s blockade on Gaza as a key demand.  

Press TV: One of the news sources that has been close to the talks based on many accounts have said the Israeli envoys during these talks held in Egypt, they actually had nothing to do they were just sitting in their hotel room drinking tea as they were being hosted by the Egyptians.

This is while you have patients in Gaza hospital dealing with life or death, some in comas and in many accounts not given the right to receive medical help. Something doesn’t seem right with what we’re looking at regarding the people who have been wounded – not to mention the 1960 deaths – and how this whole thing is panning out for the poor Gazans.

O’Keefe: Well, this is exactly what the whole peace process has been for those of us paying any attention at all is merely a show, a Hollywood production intended to effectively convince the people of the world that Israel is trying to find a way to peace and it doesn’t have a partner in peace.

So it will go through the motions to make itself look like it actually wants peace, but anyone who pays attention to exactly what is happening between the Palestinians and Israel since 1948 and even previous to that will see that clearly the people that call themselves leaders of Israel – the people in power over there – are conducting themselves in a way which is very, very revealing indeed and makes clear that the ‘last’ goal of Israel is peace.

I also want to get back to what your guest said from Somerset (Bob Ayers, former US intelligence officer) in which he talked about how Hamas, they love to fight and so do the Israelis and they both continue this lust for fighting and that Hamas refuses to recognize the state of Israel and wants it to be destroyed...

Well, I would ask him this... if the black South Africans had been asked are you willing to accept an apartheid racist South Africa, which is dominated by white people, will you accept this? There answer was very clear, no, they would not accept that.

If the Irish had been asked if they were willing to accept an imperialist racist British empire in Ireland, the answer was “no” they would not accept any form of that.

So, Hamas is really no different from the South Africans who resisted apartheid or the Irish who resisted British tyranny, they will not accept a Jewish state of Israel, which puts them in a category of sub-human and allows the Israeli state to treat them as sub humans, torture them, imprison them with no due process of law; and massacre them at will.

Who in their right mind would accept such a thing?

Press TV: You heard Bob Ayers’ definition of the siege. What do you think about that definition?

O’Keefe: Well, first of all I make no apologies at all for being emotional because I am a fully functioning human being and if you’re not angry at the kind of injustice that results in the wiping out of 80 families in this most recent massacre that Israel has committed; the destruction of thousands of homes totally ripping apart families – if you’re not angry or you’re not upset about that then something is wrong with you you’ve lost some of your humanity.

As far as the blockade is concerned - the siege, it is in fact a siege on all fronts, it’s an air, land, sea blockade. And to say it is simply about not allowing people to travel into Israel is ludicrous. I’ve been on a ship that’s traveled towards Gaza that was attacked by Israel; I’ve also been on one that successfully made it, which was an amazing feat in itself. That place is cut off completely.

And unless you have some serious contacts that are willing to be brave the tunnels between Gaza and Egypt, you are stuck there. It is a siege, a full-on siege and it is affecting children more than anyone else.

Of the 1.8 million people living there over half of them are children. They have been put on “a diet” as quoted by Israeli officials and they are malnourished anemic and they have trauma from years and years of terrorism – state-sponsored terrorism – an again I make no apologies for being emotional about this.

I see the Palestinians as brothers and sisters and my brothers and sisters are being violated. If you want to get into the history of why we got to this place I’m absolutely fine with that as well...

The partition plan that was endorsed by the UN, which gave over 60 percent of the land to less than 15 percent of the people, is the origin of this problem. The theft of the land from people who lived there for generation after generation for ions literally is the problem.

It is absolute absurdity to think that people who have been dispossessed of their land and treated as sub-humans for over 60-plus years will accept anything less than full freedom and dignity.

Until there is a state in that region, which respects all of the people – not a Jewish state which affords certain rights to a certain group of people and treats others as sub-humans – until there is, in my opinion, ‘one state’ free for all people Christians as well who are also treated like dogs by many within the power structure of Israel - until there is one state in my opinion not two, which treats everyone with respect we will never see any resolution to this conflict at all.

Press TV: I’m going to tell you what Iran’s leader has said if you’re not aware, this is his most recent statement, Ayatollah Khamenei, saying Israel should pay for the crimes it committed in Gaza by ending the siege of the Palestinian territory. Of course Bob Ayers says this is just not going to happen.

Do you think that there’s a chance that Israel given that there is a UN report – even though many are saying it’s not going to happen – has come out with a panel of judges that they say are going to conduct an investigation, similar to what the Goldstone Report was like, into war crimes committed by both sides.

Do you have any faith in this report and investigation first of all? And if Israel was to be implicated do you think that would be a point for negotiation? And I’m putting that in the context of what Iran’s leader has said that if they wanted to be committed to this that Israel might lift the siege of Gaza?

O’Keefe: Yes I agree with the Supreme Leader wholeheartedly that the very least that is absolutely necessary is the lifting of the siege.

And I agree with your guest that yes Egypt is also carrying out a blockade much to the shame of all Arabs and Muslims of that region Egypt has been a partner to Israel whether it was under Hosni Mubarak; whether it was even under Morsi quite frankly; and now under Sisi as well.

They have not lifted the siege; they have cooperated with Israel; they seem to be best friends and allies in the cause of destroying the Palestinian peoples’ right to live a dignified life.

As far as Hamas and Israel that it’s all up to these two parties – that’s not true at all.

The United States is the one funding Israel; the American people have been lied to for decades about what is really happening and how their tax dollars being used all the while they’re being told like the Europeans as well, you don’t have enough money for social services, education, infrastructure and all these sorts of things, but we do have plenty of money for Israel.

And I can assure you the American people are going to reach a point – they’re already reaching it quite frankly – when they say enough is enough and these traitors within the US Congress and the White House who have been signing blank checks over to Israel giving them the arms that they use to basically torture and exterminate the people of Palestine, this is going to come back on them and all the mouthpieces including intelligence officers and what-not who continue to ignore the fact that the United States is party to massive crimes in Palestine by allowing an armed invader – an occupier – to basically destroy everything that is humane within Palestine. This is a fact.

And absolutely 100 percent if we’re looking for a solution one thing has to be heeded because it’s been absent in this world and that is true and proper international law. The United States and Israel more than any other nations on this planet need to be facing war crimes and crimes against humanity charges.

And until such time as we as people insist that international law is actually heeded and that charges are brought and convictions are achieved, until this happens we will continue to see this kind of impunity, which will tempt a world war and possibly nuclear annihilation.

I am very hopeful that we as people will insist that international law is finally applied.

Press TV: I saw you shaking your head at our guest’s comments Mr. Ayres, what is your response?

O'Keefe: I don’t care what any of these people say I have no question no doubt whatsoever Palestine will be free. There is no doubt in my mind.

Just like the apartheid regime of South Africa and the British empire in most of Ireland did not continue it is not going to be up to Israel.

Despite that Israel has held so much power and has had so much favor for so many decades it will not be able to continue this much longer because the whole world is finally realizing just what an absolute monstrosity this state is.

If it is capable of doing this to the Palestinians, with hundreds of nuclear weapons what’s to stop it from doing it to other people.

So, we will as human beings stop this... we will and Palestine will be free. It will be in my opinion one state free and democratic for all people – not one group of people – all people. That is the solution and it will happen.