A week has passed since the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, and Albania has openly positioned itself in favor of Israel.
When asked by journalist Alice Taylor on the “Inside Albania” podcast, Prime Minister Edi Rama explained briefly why Albania holds this position: “Terrorism can never be normalized. Those who view the situation from different perspectives must not forget that those people [the Israelis] fought for thousands of years to have a home and to return there”.
According to Rama, in the conflict over territory between the parties, Palestinians also deserve to have a place they can call home.
“It absolutely makes no sense to return home without finding a solution for others to have their share of that space, to build their homes. We live in a free world, where there is opportunity. But certainly, there is no chance to relativize and normalize the situation, nor to go to the other extreme. The only way to resolve conflicts is to work very hard to achieve peace,” emphasized Rama.
When asked by journalist Alice Taylor if he had met with the Palestinian Ambassador in Tirana after the start of Hamas attacks, Rama responded as follows: “She is a very pleasant woman, and I have a lot of respect for her. She has not asked to meet me. If she requests it, I will meet her gladly”.
While attacks from both sides continue, the casualty toll has risen. Israel has called on 1.1 million Palestinians in Gaza to move to the south of the territory, while the United Nations has considered the mass evacuation request to be risky.
Over 1,300 people have been killed in Israel since the start of the Hamas attacks, while the death toll in Gaza has exceeded 2,000, following the Israeli response.
The Prime Minister also shared a story about the peace efforts between the parties that President Bill Clinton had told him during the dinner organized in honor of his historic visit to Tirana in July.
“President Clinton told me that a few weeks before leaving the White House, he had the best peace agreement on the table between Israel and Palestine. The Israelis agreed to sign it. Yasser Arafat agreed to sign it. A day later, Yasser Arafat called him and said that despite the fact that Clinton had done more than anyone else for Palestine, and that this was the best possible agreement, he would not sign it. Clinton asked him if Arafat was aware that this golden opportunity might not come back to the table, and Arafat said he knew but would not sign it. Look at the terrible tragedy that has unfolded over the years because a leader did not have the courage and bravery to end it,” Rama added, explaining that President Clinton had left him a message to share this story with “his friends in Kosovo” as well.
