(This poem was written on December 4, 2011)
The scene was set in the summer of 1978
President Carter invited Middle East rivals
To Camp David for more than a debate
But Egypt and Israel were the only arrivals
I felt then as I do now
That the PLO missed an opportunity
I could not understand how
How Palestinians could than avoid scrutiny
To dramatize our plight and gain international recognition
PLO member organizations did acts
Like the Munich Olympics’ devastation
I call it as it is, these are the facts
Attending the summit I stated
Would legitimize our struggle
For this I was actually hated
I was in a political toggle
Yasir Arafat had no agenda to hatch
As Israel refused to participate with a PLO delegation
Israel will only accept PLO members if they were to attach
To attach to a Jordanian configuration
There was a call to accept UN Resolution 242
And to amend the PLO charter
In exchange for US recognition and credibility too
But Arafat’s reluctance took us backwards and farther
The outcome of Camp David was a tragedy
Begin offered autonomy after 5 years
Isolated Egypt as if it were a commodity
And thereby dividing Arab unity with shears
In 1980 I advocated for Israeli recognition
When I visited the University of Illinois campus
I was confronted with dejection
Called a traitor, ruffled and put in a fuss
Camp David was not ideal I must admit
But Palestinians did not participate
Its fate could have been refit
I wonder, as I sit here and meditate
Fadi Zanayed
December 4, 2011
8:04 am
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