Jerusalem (AsiaNews/Agencies) - With the collapse of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, hundreds of thousands of young people across the Middle East are talking about reconciliation online, a former Israeli peace negotiator and founder of the Facebook movement said on Monday.
"Young people in the Middle East want peace talks to succeed," Uri Savir said. His site is a "very innovative public diplomacy tool that will in time influence governments." Ultimately, "The peace process continues online".
The Facebook group, which has backing from celebrities like Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and Sharon Stone, has attracted almost 500,000 followers from around the region, including youths in the Palestinian territories, Egypt, and Muslim countries that have no relations with Israel.
The group will hold an annual virtual peace conference on Sunday that will include video presentations by Nobel Peace laureates Israeli President Shimon Peres and Desmond Tutu as well as senior EU, US and Palestinian officials.
Letters written by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and former U.S. President Bill Clinton will be published on the site.
"The young generation in the Middle East is sick of the decisions of their leaders and are very disappointed that the talks stopped," Savir said. "They have a say in this because it is the young people who are sent to the front lines if there is a war," he added.
The 'Yala Young Leaders' group has an online university that teaches peace and reconciliation studies with lectures by officials with real experience in negotiating conflicts in Northern Ireland, South Africa, Rwanda, the Balkans as well as between Israel and the Palestinians and elsewhere.