Palestinian Authority (PA) intellectual and legislator Hanan Ashrawi told American students, "You cannot hold peace [as a] hostage and say, 'Until every single Palestinian becomes peaceful, I'm not going to have talks. You have to talk in order to bring about peace."

Speaking at Emory University in Atlanta, she revealed that PA Arabs are witnessing the "deconstruction of Palestine" with unemployment at 50 percent and most of Gaza Arabs dependent on welfare and charity.
 
She also praised former American President Jimmy Carter as a "prophet" who believes that peace is possible in the Middle East. His recent book Palestine: Peace, Not Apartheid angered a wide segment of the public for being anti-Israeli.