Palestinian and Israeli officials opened a new front in hostilities this week, with both unleashing a powerful public relations offensive.

The Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, attempted to communicate with the Israeli people yesterday through a series of advertisements in Hebrew-language newspapers, promising that a withdrawal from the West Bank, Gaza Strip and parts of Jerusalem would bring them full recognition from the Arab world.

The full-page advertisement, published in Israel’s three largest dailies, outlines the details of the Arab peace initiative. First offered in 2002, the deal promises to grant Israel full diplomatic ties with 57 Arab and Muslim countries in exchange for a withdrawal from lands Palestinians seek for a future independent state.

An aide to Mr Abbas, Saeb Erekat, said that Israelis were not properly educated about the deal on offer.

An Israeli-Arab legislator, Ahmed Tibi, who has joined the campaign, said he hoped the adverts would stir debate in Israel. “I am sure we will take other steps to attack the Israeli public opinion positively, and convince them that this is the optimal tool for putting an end to the occupation and the Israeli-Arab conflict,” he said.

The advert was also expected to run in newspapers in Europe and the US, Mr Tibi said.

Israel, meanwhile, has launched a YouTube channel in Arabic that circumvents traditional media to give Israel’s version of news events to Arab-speakers. Israeli officials have regularly criticised Arab-language outlets, including the television station al-Jazeera, for what they say is unbalanced coverage of the region.

Ophir Gendelman, the Arab media head of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, told one Israeli daily that the YouTube channel was launched to reduce dependency on Arab media channels. “We have a problem reaching out to the Arab audience, and we need to take additional measures to maximise our exposure. The internet scene in Arabic is buzzing, and we wish to establish another communication channel for dialogue. We see it as complementing our current activity in the Arab media.”

State of conflict

1948 The state of Israel is formed in West Palestine, leading to a mass exodus of Palestinians into surrounding Arab states

1967 Six-Day War results in the expansion of Israel into the remaining Palestinian territories, including the West Bank. The Israeli Government begins its settlement programme, housing Jews in Palestinian areas

1993 A meeting in Norway results in the Oslo Accords, in which both sides recognise the other’s right to exist in Israel/Palestine

1994 Yitzhak Rabin, Yassir Arafat and Shimon Peres awarded Nobel Peace Prize for their role in the Oslo Accords

1995 Oslo II is signed, providing a framework for peace talks. Rabin is assassinated by an ultra-Orthodox Jew

1997 Agreement made allowing international troops in Hebron to handle the conflicts between Jewish settlers and Palestinians

2000 Camp David summit hosted by President Clinton fails to reach any agreement

2003 The Quartet (the US, Russia, the EU and the UN) develop the Roadmap for Peace. Progress fails in the face of increasing conflict in Gaza and the West Bank

2005 Under international pressure Israel evacuates Jewish settlers in Gaza and four West Bank settlements

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