The Future for Palestinians

Outside the settlements in the Gaza Strip where Israeli soldiers in riot gear have been prying Israelis from their homes and synagogues, 1.3 million Palestinians are quietly celebrating what they hope will be the start of a new era — an era where they can reclaim the land and beaches that were once theirs and where they can build their society, their government and their economy.

But their lives, and the lives of the millions of Palestinians outside the Gaza Strip, still hinge on what Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and President George Bush do next. Whether Sharon treats the evacuation of the Gaza Strip as a first step or the only step, and whether President George Bush puts his administration behind peace in Israel, or steps aside and leaves the way for more violence.

Hear from an American Palestinian who has been at the center of past negotiations with Israel and two prominent Palestinians in Israel who are more than ready for change.

Guests:

Scott Wilson, foreign reporter for the Washington Post;

Amjad Atallah, president of Strategic Assessments Initiative, which has been working closely with Palestinians to prepare for a resumption of negotiations with Israel. He is former legal advisor to the Palestinian negotiating team in charge of security and border issues. He just returned from a trip to Israel where he worked with the Palestinian Ministry of Interior to prepare for the pullout from Gaza..;
Issa Kassissieh;
Mazen Qupty, a lawyer and owner of the largest collection of Palestinian art in the world. He's in the process of starting a museum of Palestinian art in East Jerusalem.