dignity than those who actually structured our government in the first place. >> you can watch this and other programs online at booktv.org. ..

>> she recede heard degrees from tufts university and is a proud member of our board treasurer. please give her a warm welcome. [applause] >> it is said a privilege to be here all their promises to be a fascinated evening i am pleased to introduce gilad sharon the son of record for a former israeli prime minister ariel sharon on. 71 of the best known and controversy salt of the modern middle east. gilad sharon has just published a biography of his father, it "sharon" the life of a leader" the youngest of three sons and a confidant of his father throw his life. he holds a master's degree of economics and a frequent

columnist for an israeli newspaper. he currently manages his family's farm. now just sit back for a few minutes raleigh offered a short video of the book he has just published. >> i get a phone call from the prime minister the secretary says the prime minister wishes to know how many cows were born today. [laughter] i would deliver the information or the rain amount that fell that day. he would deal with terror and fighting and we have the moment of feeling something from the farm, warm, something from home.

my father story is a unique story. and the biography, he managed to do so many things. and no person and closer-- closer to my father then myself to give myself a unique point* of view. said duty to share the memories about the events that took place before i was born. this is in my father's handwriting talking about the fact he educated as an officer in the army and they were left to die.

>> what is interesting is my father's side so the personal the event combined in the history of the country with the war moving from the one state twos the next 12 look at the full obligations unfortunately the best ilion effort and obligations, and never from jihad in any other organization. nothing came out of it. but they were willing to skip the first pages but to do with the other issues. and my father was no doubt a

legendary leader during his years in the army. >> he knew where he was headed and you know, where you are going. the values that he always believed then to ensure the life of good use to bring more to israel from all over the world it was a blessing. but this is what he believed

in. >> host: and now it is my privilege for the beginning of the evening to begin a conversation with mr. sharon after ask questions we will open it up to your questions. as i told you before i will ask questions and roughly chronological order to you talk about some of the planes. and some of which involve trickery of all is a great deal of bravery in the moments that you are particularly proud of his participation in the birth of a nation and anything he would have changed? >> guest: good evening. i am excited to be here.

i'm sorry would you repeat the question? [laughter] >> host: as the country was born, your father was a key part of the military opposite -- operation. are there things he was particularly proud of for what he regretted? >> my father could have been a farmer he could be a writer with imagination and his abilities to go in another direction to be attacked again and again and was not his first choice he did not think of himself in the year years as somebody to have a military career. his first love was farming i

remember the endless drive driving between the sheep and the cattle. my father had a hard time partying so if it is of two you for a sheep and cows that do not give first to just give another chance. so i would say this was not his first choice. my father as a young officer is the one who lives chosen to lead in order to open the road to jerusalem.iled

this tax failed but he was badly wounded. and left alone in the us battlefield only four survived that day and he himself was left alone on the battlefield. and the story of survival isst w no less than a miracle and i describe it in the book but because of that awful day, may 26, 1948, it became the value for the entire israelire army, we do not leave our men behind.

it is very different today. when we were kids he would take us to where he was lying badly wounded and every day at that place no single time ♪ ♪ root -- around and alone over there to say it is a most remarkable event. >> you covered both of my questions with the one answer. >> guest: it was a long

line. >> host: i will skip ahead. during the six-day war your father commander the armored division and u.s said he had been on a sea calm can you talk about his role house be looked back on the war in the later years? >> >> guest: it is interesting because after the war suddenly all of the terror attacks that we suffered in the 1950's and 60's, were forgotten. ended became part and said suddenly it was forgotten so

those territories where there why didn't they established this day back then? in the center of the country , and within the threat of the elimination the common phrase all was wiped off he was a division commander in the south. and the most difficult one and to break through the main the egyptian and it has

been taught all over thetl world. i why do tell you about my father, six great victory the first day of the war for the entire is really army, he was trading with one of theo roads and he saw is really these soldiers tree bad they and the egyptian and he stopped the vehicle immediately. he went down and sentence the israeli soldier to prison because he said in a war you fight. that is the nature but when a man is your prisoner you

have to act like a humanth being.ac is this is my father. >> host: can we talk about how your father left the military? and his feelings of the conduct of the yom kippur war war? when he left the at military? he gave to interviews to american newspapers. >> 1973? i do not remember those interviews. i was seven. my english now is not that good. [laughter] now? >> host: let's talk about the yom kippur war and how he felt about that. >> guest: but first he did something the first act in the public career he took five small oppositionfi pa

parties to create a big one and by doing that he gave them a real meaning to the israeli democracy after decades, in than baking to form his government the yom kippur war war was a t terrible war the israeli leadership allow that country so they ignored all the prewar science and actually allow of the israeli army however the crossing the suez canal it

was a bigger battle managed to bring the change in the war with the israeli forces 100 kilometers from cairo with no e egyptian force to stop him and that was after being caught by surprise. so this is one of the biggest victories that the adl of the israeli army had ever. he lost good friends of the war his friend was killed right next to him on the crossing site we lost about

3,000 men and for us, you can cv take one and to give 1,000. you can see how our feelingsr about our men are.is this is the yom kippur war. it started as the israeli trauma that ended in a great victory. >> host: your father left the military right after that. >> guest: by the way i remember after he crossed the canal, he called home. he was talking to me and said i am talking to you from africa the lsi for:i was not sure what was going p on in said there are you a prisoner of war?

[laughter] but his voice was usual very self assured and strong after that he left the army beforere the war and is there is a division commander. >> she already made the early transitions what pushed him to make that choice? >> he was serving the country since the age of 17 so it was obvious he was not interested in business or anything like that it was the unnatural way to continue. >> your father was appointed the minister of agriculture but at some point* you say

he saw the agriculturalwo aspects of two sides of the same ploy began you talk about those two areas that seem very different that we we typically do not have politicians who were farmers although it may be jimmy carter but not a lot how they so closely intertwined? they'll have back-and-forth for defense and security and agriculture position. >> november 1977 the egyptian president my father was the minister and the first question he asked while he went down he asked if general share ron was here? and he was answered yes he is. when he was shaking hands year for which my father to

say i was trying to catch you.o it and my father said you have a good chance to catch me as a friend now and they did have a very good relationship i remember one of thee visits my father visited in his palace in cairo and they want to do develop various in the western desert to feed the egyptians as my father to go and to the area to see havel sides sell my father found

himself and the two pilots lourdes true e egyptian jet pil pilots and several years before a lawyer trying to kill him in the canal. and flying there with a jet pilot he got the feeling of what this was about.ut you try to attack my forces and yourself because we want to grow wheat. and of course, the conditions were much better.

israel borders and shaped in some areas by the settlement it would seem and to go backber 21947, november 29, 1947, the u.n. resolution 181, the petition resolution and now to establish two states, the jewish one and the air of one. the jews accepted the resolution. if the palestinian would accept the resolution, they would have the palestinian state today. they could have 63 year-old state but they rejected. they went to war to join by the arab armies.

there would not be a single palestinian refugee. but they chose differently unfortunately.argu one of the arguments today is that resolution in. where have you been all of those years? the resolution was based and another 11937, suggested a different kind of division of the country. one of those criterions was -- of the places that were held by are you familiar? it is a way of living in

israel, communities and ity i for instance, in the cease-fire remaining sell was considered as a part of israel but we do not have a supplement their sell they managed to push us from the area but when you have community you have to defend them so this was the connection. it is a long answer. i am sorry. >> host: a perfect segue because your father was the chairman of the industry and embraced the settlement movement the overtime it seems he appeared to change. kid you talk about his early thoughts and how he viewed the settlements?

>> guest: the settlements were chosen in order to ensure that major three problems that we had. the problem 10 miles wide country come of less than the usual farm in texas, the whole size of the country is less than new jersey. tiny country. i know you are near a lot of airports but the international airport, and with those facilities are concentrated. so if you've the above the

coastline, that was first. but jerusalem is a united uni city. it was like it was to preventing the possibility it could be a city between the two. the third, and this is the scenario because that it would be attacked from these happening in 1948, 67, 73. and sell to protect israel from being attacked the forces from jordan coming the iraqi forces went to syria and they attacked and in the previous source the saudi forcesvi we don't have

any dispute but they joined. but let me surprise year. my father was talking about the palestinian state coming demilitarized but he was talking about that already in the late 1970's. he knew not all summons and was brought from gaza but to keep forever because otherwise our security will be in danger. t hos

>> his opinions did not change over time in terms of the settlement or evolves from 72 wanted to expandome this summit to someone who was willing to do unilaterally give back? that is the common wisdom. >> the gaza strip is one thing and the area he saw as critical for our security should be left in our hands forever. and the past zillion -- palestinians the whole world would give them money. the best in the middle east instead we got rockets and a

tax and sometimes they landed in our form. we live 4 miles from the gaza strip. but regarding the west bank areas there arerd areas that should be in our hands forever because we cannot put our security in to anyone else and that was proven time after time i don't see any change -- changes. this was the principal. if he saw all the places to remain even to lake? no. yes definitely. >> host: moving forward can you talk about thest visit

with your father to the temple mount 2007? >> guest: it was not my father's first visit to the temple.mp it is a free country. added -- to anybody can go whenever. [laughter] >> host: he was not aware it would cause controversy? >> guest: in the negotiations with the palestinians he was willing with the part of jerusalem and the knesset or the israeli public. and so my father was protesting against those concessions. by the way after a few months when the election came, my father won almost

two /1 to approve the israelis did not approve of the concessions. >> host: in the book it was not the sole cause. >> guest: absolutely. >> host: but did your father expect the drama or the after effects and i am not saying that it did but a great deal of international drama. >> guest: he did not see that the let me ask you a question. what is the connection? we did not get into the mosque with the area between what is the connection between that and exploding buses? what is the connection? >> host: i am not suggesting there is one but

it was a grand gesture meant to cause some kind of defect? my interest was afterwards 21 it was not the first time . mount 10.leus since 1967 jews were prohibited to going to the temple mount hundreds of years. the first time muslims christians and jews to goe and pray for those to goac freelyes before 1967 the jews could not go there. >> host: you said your father believed no soldier to be left behind but how would he have felt about the

deal struck last week? >> guest: anybody able to visit and not even the red cross mrs. illegal and immoral and not human we do now leave garmin behind. >> host:. >> host: you think your father would have approved? >> guest: i don't know the conditions are what we could have done or not. this is not the only option for with the jordanians in

the jordanian army and was imprisoned in jordan. my father was commander at that time. so azide describe it to in the book with those still -- soldiers then replaced but sometimes when you have a a prisoner that the red cross is visiting but when it various holding five and a half years, nobody knows what is on, so in order to

break -- bring him back, butav there are a few interesting comments from our countries whose said i wish my country would it take care of the. i wish my country would care about peace so much as did the shooting me in the streets. but it too might be seen as weakness but i do not see it that way. b >> host: i will wrap up one last question to turn it over to the audience but what do think and hope your father's legacy will be? >> my father, of

course, every political support. but not only in israel. three close relations with the arab leaders. because december 2004 said chevron was the only chance for peace. said this after four years of continuous war and i remember the story of king of do love -- abdallah and when my father was a prime minister, they were so close that he wanted to give my father as a president -- president a purebred arabian horse my father told the king in the prime minister's office

basement we have a room for presence that the prime minister gets. what will they do with a horse down there?er [laughter] who would feed the horse? [laughter]su so the jordaniansec dropped the subject for a while but then the israeli paper published and again we were just that close on the diplomatic incident to. why was my father refusing? act see end, the horse was left in the keenness stables the sometimes when i ride my horse, so sometimes they ask me the king's horses. it is beautiful but not a

gift from the king. [laughter]a and prime minister blair what i was to my research for the book and he told me i have huge respect and when i was invited but in july july 2008 he said that this is how he will always be remembered. >>k host: thank you very much. no it is tire for questions. please come to the microphone. please keep your questions

brief. you are entitled to express your opinion but we want to get as many as possible. i will ask you to wrap it up if it goes too long. >> as you word speaking of humanitarian issues, how do take it that that the state does not have the military if it gets that it did have them by the israeli troops. >> saying they would not semi by the of salary. >> guest: not that they don't have any forces but they are for 18 or committing terror. >> you did not answer my question about the curfew of

palestine. >> host: when people have to be in their home to keep people off the streets. >> you are young i don't think you have kids but if yous would have an end somebody take some of this file pulling the trigger aiming at a yellow bus the we do everything to protect our kids. all right? so in the humanitarian countries. >> i am sure your father will be remembered as the massacre with your net

101, another massacre when he was defense minister and theas massacre in 2002 along with a list of the otherof h heinous crimes better to numerous to list. i am curious is there a traumatic experience in his childhood to later turn him into a brutal sociopath that he became during his political career? [applause] >> guest: do i get the impression you do not like l my father? >> that is reasonable. [laughter] >> [inaudible] >> host: to ask a question comes to the microphone yelling through the audience

will not help the conversation. anybody is welcome to ask. >> guest: there was not a massacre unfortunately when orocracies like israel the u.s., sometimes people do get hurt but the difference is that terrorists are looking for civilians. >> women and children were murdered anybody. >> guest: you talk so fast and might english. >> it is not your english shai am concerned about it is your morals. >> host: it really is difficult to understand from the stage. please state it civilly and also more slowly. >> guest: i went to go to the question about that? have the crime and a terrible tragedy but for

those christian arabs who murdered them muslim arabs. >> your commission held him personallyth s responsible that he should never served in government again to when you are wrong about the commission conclusion. they said there is not aally single is re the and vault of our that knew in advance and said day -- he should have known and "time" magazine published an article february 1983 suggesting my father encouraged the christians to murder the palestinians. my father immediately decided to use you. i was with him on the very the trial in new york. and both boards in the united states fell and it

was false, defamatory and act did carelessly. and what you say is wrong. >> both investigative bodies found her responsible and many other incidents starting with the involvement going up while still expanding these elements.s% - and if he was housing minister in the '70s he was expanding the settlements. >> guest: regarding the west bank, why was since it established between 48 and 67?as

why would a palestinian in their own charter of june 19643 years before the six-dasy war? they won't -- wrote an article that they have no wishes to have anyrtic sovereignty over the west becorey gaza. why would they say that? so it is the excuse of another reason to have the jewish state in the area was never accepted. so of course, not the palestinian authority so to have a jewish state. >> host: i will go to another questioner at this point* because you had more than enough opportunity you can come back later.

[applause] >> as a palestinian american, i would like to take the time to thank you for coming today. your father once told shimon onc peres 10 years ago of quote, comex every time you do something you tell me america will do this and that. i want to tell you something very clear, don't worry about american pressure on israel. read the jewish people control america and they know it. what does he mean? >> he never said such a thing. >> israeli radio said that he did. >> it is false. >> you would never say that.

>> it is widely known. >> guest: you believe that i am telling you it is not right. >> host: please come to the microphone if you want to speak. we're happy to hear allsubm viewpoints. >> heid actually said he had to watch to what he would l say to what i know my father pretty well and this is not something he thought were believed or something he would say. >> host: i suspect you have to agree to disagree. >> i would also like to take the time to thank you for coming to the university berkeley recently visitedlest new york and asked if you felt remorse at the refugee camps where thousands of palestinians were slaughtered when it share ron was the defense minister you said now we did not

murder those palestinians but why under his authority did he have those christians enter the camp and not stop the killings? >> guest: first, those for christian arabs who killed muslim arabs and noho jewish were involved. second, it was their own capital, they wanted to free it. it was not our business inside who would rule beverage.dg they were firing at our settlements and towns and cities of the north and the whole calle was being fired four years. the fed gallo they is full of targets but they were looking for civilians. so it was a terrible tragedy. not the first duralast gin lebanon. in 1976 they kill christians

, and palestinians killed christians andy ki negative area -- they all kille each other and nobody seems to care. only when they thought they may get israelis support somehow everybody started to care about that. >> i know it was the christians but sean was the i defense minister and had the power to stop them. why didn't he?t th >> host: speakers at the microphone on 81 he did not think something like that but not for the first time or the last time unfortunately. >> it may be unfair to ask us something he could nots

observe but what you think the future of israel will look like after the year and a half of democratic reforms and what dode you think your father would haverm thought given his history with the countries surrounding israel? >> i am not sure we see democratic reforms the redo see that in egypt for instance, mou barack left with of monetary that are in power and out. it is even less now than it used to be. we can see what is going on, as saudi arabia, women

might be able to drive in four years. that is a big achievement. i am not sure if we will see the western democracy my a radical islamic regimes may i take power? i don't know. so we have to be careful of who we give and what to begin. >> there was an interesting article published this morning or yesterday to discuss condoleezza rices th memoir to be released and it discussed the plans the confidential conversations regarding a potential secret settlement agreement between

the israelis that all americans put your feet on then table here is how we will divide the fed is equivalent at 94% and the the west bank, was said initiated by your father? would he have approved of it based on kiddie met is only of plant in that position with his and capacity to one my father never thought of anything like that. >> host:. >> this is not about your father but your perceptions i think here in the united states i follow that conflict for 30 years or so. i think in the united states, there has been a change in terms of the

american and perception of therm conflict and ibm a larger percentage are starting to feel a certain impatience but to but there is less patience for israel not that people think you are all along and the palestinians are right but the sense it perhaps it is not take advantage of the things that they could to stimulate peace for peace talks -- bayou are probably familiar with j st. developed in response to the longtime traditional

position in the united states called support forone israel now it is more questioning but my question is in israel, is their perception of this feeling within the united states do they feel that and also in israel regarding what itwill should do to move the process? our political feelings and with the israeli people for what is going on? >> guest: i would give a shorter answer.

[laughter] first about the ties between the u.s. and israel, i believe these relationships are strong and a stun mutual values that we share the same of islamic terrorism and i stayed that ties are as strong as they used to be because the base is the same base. regarding to what we canja do, what is the second question? >> do cents or israel cents impatience or, said dennis israel feel of these trends. do you know, about jay st.? >> i do not know about that.

>> are you aware of the lobbying group jay street here in the united states? are you aware of thosezati organizations? >> guest: i think i heard about that one but i am not sure i am fully familiar with their actions but i don't see any decline in the relations like that and i am happy about it. >> the second part the mood within israel what can you tell us about the division?e the breakdown, left, middle, rig ht, for the lack of the peace process. >> there is not a big difference today and to agree for a palestinian state but what would be the

boundaries? fromo be demilitarizedd terrorism and the whole idea to solve the problem in a peaceful way.nk t so i think there is a consensus regarding how it should be conducted. some of them say we should start negotiations right away. for myself, if the palestinians ask my opinion opinion, they can have a palestinian state right now. so what? the restaurants are full, it is a palestinian state? why don't you take it now?it

the years will pass the men they wilpal learn to trust you with no terrorism and the things would be easier. but if you go to the wind to say we want to get everything that we demand why bother negotiating? we could get it all without getting anything. i hope i answered your question. >>et host: i will jump back to people. you may speak again but i want to go to the young woman behind it to give everybody a chance. stay where you are. >> it is more of a comment that you talked about how he was treated in the five years he was imprisoned.

i will tell you something. when arrested he was charged. most palestinians arrested in in out in the israeli jails were arrested a legally. some of them are under 18 years old. [applause] and a half the nine hunger strike over 20 days because they were not treated right for you now have the right to talk about humanity because you do not know what humidity is. [applause] -- humanity is. >> host: would you like to respond? >> guest: you think he was not entitled? . . you. that's right, come up and get in line. and if you want to respond, come back. >> the palestinians in the israeli prisons are not allowed to be visited. >> families go there. >> lies. [laughter] no. i have friends who their fathers have been in prison since they were born, and they cannot visit their parents in jail.

>> so you think that people that are responsible for exploding buses should be out there in the streets? >> not all of the people who were, who are in jail exploded buses. >> and the ones that are responsible for that, do you think that they should in prison? >> at least they should be treated as humans. they don't get medical care in prison. >> oh, they do not? did you see how he looked when he went out and how do they look? >> he was in better shape than they did. >> oh. all right. i mean, so we disagree here. >> i'm going to go to the other side for the next question. go ahead, sir. [applause] >> thank you very much for giving me an opportunity to ask a question. >> [inaudible] >> thank you for this opportunity. i want to ask about the disengagement from gaza. obviously, this was a really hotly-debated issue in israel, and i want to ask now in retrospect now that some time has passed do you still support your father's decision?

would you take it back? i mean, was this politically advantageous for israel? what are your thoughts? >> advantageous -- >> what is the political benefit for israel, the withdrawal from gaza. >> well, there was a consensus in israel that if we would have peace agreement with the palestinians, we would not be sitting in gaza. so the question that was left was should we wait for an agreement that might never arrive, or should we do what is best for us? and he in a great leadership spirit, i mean, he took the decision and executed it. now, people say that the rockets against, that are fired toward israeli towns are the outcome of the moving out from gaza. but the rockets started before.

the first rocket -- [inaudible] near where we live were fired on april 16, 2001. but our ability to fight from gaza was limited. and so if you ask me if it was the right action, i think it was. >> thank you. >> i'm going to go here just because you will get to speak, but i want to give everybody a voice first. go ahead. >> hi. i also don't like you or your father. [laughter] >> speak louder, it's hard for us to hear you. >> a lot of people find it hilarious how the people of israel left the holocaust and created one. how do you feel about that? >> um, the israelis did not take anyone and put them in gas chambers, all right? so, i mean, show some respect. >> i'm not talking about that -- >> oh, you're not talking about that. >> you're killing a lot of

people. they ended up in dead in some way. and you keep recognizing how the people got, or your children got blown up in buses. people of palestine got hurt, too, and you don't recognize that in any way. i don't hear you saying you're upset from their side either or that you want peace. >> i'm upset with every loss of life, but let me tell you when terrorists are intentionally hide amongst civilians so when you fight them, sometimes civilians do get hurt. but terrorists are intentionally are seeking for civilians targets. and this is the difference. >> so are you saying that all the people of palestine are terrorists? >> sorry? >> are you saying all of the people of palestine are terrorists? >> oh, no. and they're not being arrested, as you know. >> yes, go ahead. >> i just want to clarify one thing for the air. i think you need to start differentiating between terrorism and the jihad. a jihad is a struggle, so when

somebody's family gets lost, and they have nothing else, they're inside a struggle, and i think this is where the, you know, the bus bombings do come, and people do commit suicide. so jihad is a struggle because something happened. they just don't call themselves a jihad out of nowhere. but to move on to my questions is, you started off by saying israel in 1948 had this 10-mile radius of a country, and they had ideas of expansion. by expansion you went in there forcefully, and it's in history that it happened forcefully. don't you think that israel was the first one to initiate force and regress the palestinians back and give them less and less and less and less and less and less and less and less and less. [applause] >> land and also freedom? that's question number one. could you, please, answer that for me? >> i think i should refresh your memory. the palestinian rejected the

partition plan on '47. if they would accepted it, the palestinian would have a palestinian state by now. the reason that they have less and less is because they never was happy with what was offered. on 1937 the commission offered them almost the whole country. the jews accepted it, the palestinians rejected it. 1947 they were offered less. jews accepted. open the war a. all the arab army came. why didn't you take it back then? why didn't you establish a palestinian state before '67? this is what your demanding right now. why didn't you do it? >> okay. can i, please, talk? so you guys were -- >> will you answer? >> i will try to give you the best answer that i know just like how you're speaking out of your best knowledge supposedly. so i think the best answer is if somebody was to try to create a country inside the middle of the united states today and even

give up one state, one minor state or city in the united states and try to call that a country, i think we would all stand here as united states, american citizens and fight for that piece of land. >> there was not a state over there. nobody had a country over there -- >> there were palestinians -- >> what are you saying? are you suggesting we had the right for a jewish state? >> i never suggested that, and that never came out of my mouth, and right now you're trying to put words in my mouth, and i never tried to put words in your mouth. i think i'm wasting time with questions, thank you very much, and a letter will be going out to suffolk along with a lot of petitions. i was happy to have you here to try to tell us some truth, but instead we got ignorance and a lot of lies, and i'm very sad about that, and that's all i have to say. [applause] >> i'm going to ask you again here, a duplicate question and then, ma'am, i'll come to you. >> i'm not sure i have such a

great question to ask you, but i'm an american jew. i've visited israel many times, i understand, you know, as a jew what gilad is trying to say which is the basic principles of all of jews are that we give. we want to give. and that i'm so sad to be here today to hear that you don't hear that we want to give as jews, as israeli jews, american jews, palestinians, we want to give you something. but recently on the news i'm reading 81 missiles are being shot out of palestine into the the me give. and we're constantly defending, defending, defending, and it's a continuous argument.

>> [inaudible] >> and what can we do, is my question, to stop the arguing and the fights back and accept that jews, that israel wants to give to you if we could have peace? and i, maybe you can comment. i don't know if it's a question or what, but, you know, i hate to see this beautiful presentation disturbed, you know, by the argument when all we're trying to say is that we want you to have the palestinian state but, please, stop shooting missiles and hurting and shooting school buses and schools -- [inaudible conversations] >> excuse me, sir? sir? thank you. >> but -- >> i want to say -- [inaudible conversations] >> how can you accept the fact that we want to make, to give you, that we want peace, and i was so sorry for the mistakes. but when you're being attacked

as israel has been surrounded, the whole country at one point. when we talk about ariel, he was just a man, a young 17-year-old, too, who had to defend, you know, a country, a state of israel and -- >> gilad shah lid was an israeli -- >> you know, we hear you. believe me. >> ma'am, i need to ask you to wrap up your comment. >> the missile causes a -- >> ma'am, i need to ask you to wrap up your comment. do you have a response before we go to the next question? i need you to wrap up your comment, ma'am. thank you. >> yeah. what i have to say about that, israel won all the wars. this is the only country who won all the wars and still is willing to give up what she want. no other state ever was willing to do that. now, we were with ready to do

what egyptian or the jordanian wouldn't do. the egyptian or jordanian would not give the palestinian a state in the place they were holding, the west bank and gaza, and the palestinian were not demanding that. nineteen years, everybody was sitting quietly until '67. only terrorist attacks against israel. but no one thought to establish a palestinian state. why was that? because what you refer to the occupation, this is the excuse and no t the reason -- and not the reason. because we had terror attacks before. >> we're going to try to get to the last three questioners who are in line. sir, go ahead. >> good evening, sir. i you would would like to ask you a question. we both don't speak good english -- >> yours is better, i guess. >> there's a different between the world fight and the word war. when you win a fight, you don't win a war. when you win the wars, then you

win a fight. now, my question is. >> he's making a distinction between wars and fighting. >> yes. actually, i think you misunderstood and you said war and fight. if we were sitting here, are we all from different religions, and we all respect each other. i have friends who are jewsu muslim, christians, i love them all. and you had the most powerful -- [inaudible] after 1 00 years, not after 75 years, would that make you own this property? yes or no? answer my question, please. >> he is asking, what i believe he is asking, whether simply being, israel's being there for a number of years automatically gives them the right to the land. >> so you deny our right to have a jewish state? >> i don't deny your right to have a jewish state, but not

over other people's state. it's your right to eat, to live, but it's not your right to eat, to go take somebody else's food to live and this person dies. i'm saying if we were all in palestine, you have the ability to kick everybody out after 100 years. does that make you own that thing? own that palestine country? >> this is a little question? i'm not aware, i mean, i don't get your question. >> i want your perception, sir. i want your opinion. i want to hear what you have in mind. >> i think i explained his -- he seems to be asking whether the mere fact of -- >> maybe my bad english, i don't know. >> i don't think it's your bad english. have you made your point? are you comfortable? is. >> yes, explain for him, please. >> he seems, he seems to be asking whether or not the fact that israel has been where they have been for as long gives them the rights over the people who were there prior. >> we jewish state 3,000 years

ago in the land of israel. >> okay. that doesn't -- only jewish did? >> he's asking, was it only a jewish state, or were there other? >> for this question, sir, i'm sorry to cut you, i want to ask this person here. you want a reason -- >> we're going to keep the questions directed here, and you can talk after the program if you want to, okay? >> one second. you can have a state for palestine, palestine not for muslims. not only christians have religious place, jesus and jewish. everybody's religious place s so what religion can take? christians can do that, jews can do that, it's for everybody. >> i'm going to ask you to wrap up now. do you want to respond? >> i'm not sure i get the point, but -- [laughter] i'll take english class and come back. >> go ahead, sir. probably going to get to about

three more questions. we're going to have to wrap up, so go ahead. >> thanks for coming to boston, first of all. i would like to say as a human being looking at the israel and palestinian conflict, i'm not arab. as a matter of fact, my mother's jewish. and looking at that i can see that there's a clear humanitarian crisis in palestine where kids are not being fed where people don't have enough food, and israel is blocking this. you might say you came out of gaza, but your clearly -- you're clearly blocking it. there's a humanitarian crisis here, and, please, don't tell me there isn't a crisis, because that's fact. regardless of the rockets and everything that are being attacked, regardless of that, just because somebody's doing that doesn't mean that the kids in palestine deserve to be hungry and their fathers away from them. not everybody in palestine's a criminal. and this is just from looking at a third party perspective. what do you have to say for that? i mean, clearly, there's suffering, and what is the justification for that? [applause]

>> you know, gaza has a border we egypt. they can get everything from egypt. they get all the missiles, all the rockets, all the explosives, all the weapons. they can get everything they need for egypt. are we responsible for gaza? why don't they take it from egypt? i mean -- [inaudible conversations] >> yes. egypt's prime minister was your best friend, as you said before, mubarak said sharon was the best thing for egypt, so now that that's open -- >> thank you, sir. we're going to end the question there. [applause] i'm going to jump over -- jump over you one more time because i've got someone behind you that hasn't spoken. are these the last two? last two questions. we will get yours in, i promise. >> hi. so i find it extremely hypocritical that israel

considers itself a democracy because if israel is a democracy, then how come palestinians don't have the freedom to vote, the freedom of speech, the idf imposes strict checkpoints upon them? so if all of this is happening, then how do you justify that israel is a democracy? >> israel quote for the knesset, and the palestinian vote for the palestinian authority. let me remind you, in 2006, hamas won big majority to the hamas. it meant a lot. >> no, that's not what i'm talking about. >> it shows how peaceful the palestinians are because i know the hamas -- [inaudible] i learned it. and the idea is the jew has no right at all and that the jihad and the idea of eliminating the state of israel is a religious religious -- [inaudible] how do you say that?

[laughter] >> yes. a religious, a religious tenet. >> it's something you cannot argue about. you cannot go to a religious jew and say, okay, you can keep the shah bat, saturday, but only half of it. so if palestinians vote for hamas, i mean, it means a lot. it say something, don't you think? and they voted for hamas. >> i'm talking about the israeli government. like, why don't, why doesn't the israeli goth give palestinians the freedom to do anything? how come when i went to the west bank to visit my relatives, they weren't able to go to jerusalem with me because they're palestinians, and they can't? and the only reason i could go is because i'm an american citizen? i just don't understand why. >> because they're shooting missiles cop instantly. -- constantly. >> okay, stop, stop. this is a conversation. if you wallet to talk among -- want to talk among yourselves afterwards -- >> [inaudible] >> that's fine. >> you know, if there were not so many people that choose to

explode buses, you know, everything would be much easier. >> [inaudible] >> okay. okay. exactly. >> oh. and also -- [applause] >> thank you, but i'm going to wrap another question. >> let's forget -- [inaudible] it was a long time ago. >> [inaudible] >> the idf went into the gaza strip, killed thousands of palestinians, and on top of that cut off the electricity. people could not even survive in the hospital. >> do you know that they fire rockets on the same power station that provides the electricity? >> and israel also -- >> [inaudible] >> also israel stopped aid, like, stops aid to gaza whenever they want. like, why is this happening? if you want, if israel doesn't want peace, i mean, peace is possible, but you have to work for it. you can't just say palestinians can't do anything. >> that's the end of the question. that's the end of your question, thank you. >> thank you. >> [inaudible]

>> oh. >> thank you, we want to get to the next question. >> in the 1950s and '60s when palestinians had the west bank. why? you know why? because they never recognize our right to have a country. >> idf is a terrorist organization. >> all right. [applause] >> [inaudible] >> it's a quick question. >> last question. >> this is the last question. >> yes, sir. >> i just wanted to know your perception on after hosni mubarak left, what do you feel, how do you feel about the egyptian/israeli peace treaty? do you feel that it's going to fall or it's going to stay together? >> i hope it is going to stay. and i'll tell you something, it's a bit of a problem. i would say that inherited -- not inherited -- the problem that when you make peace with dictatorships as all arab states

are dictatorship -- >> [inaudible] >> you have, you have a big problem with that because when somebody else take power and kills the previous one, so the whole thing is if you do have peace or not. i think peace is important to the egyptians not less than to israel. this is the only way they could have gotten back to whole sinai and billions of american dollars, and why would, why wouldn't there be peace we egypt? i mean, we don't have any border dispute or -- >> [inaudible] >> you've had your say, sir, thank you. we're going to close the program now. >> all right. talk about passion. [laughter] >> yeah, i mean, they -- >> i would like, i would like a big round of applause for everyone who spoke up. >> thank you so much. >> and participated and had the courage to say what they wanted to say. everybody in the room. [applause]

>> thanks, become a member. buy the book, it's still out in the lobby. if you would like him to sign it, please, come up this way. thanks so much, have a good night. >> [inaudible] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible con 11 annual national book festival of the national mall here in washington biographer justin martin presents his book genius of place frederick olmsted.

>> we will get started now. my name is kevin. i'm the national editor of "the washington post," and we've been proud chartered sponsors of this festival since the beginning 11 years ago. i'd like to say on behalf of the library of congress welcome to the festival, and we hope everyone has a wonderful day celebrating the joy of reading here on the national mall. before we begin, i want to say that the pavilion presentation is being filmed for the library of congress website for their archives and why c-span for airing on book tv so please, be mindful of this as you enjoy the presentation. in addition, please do not fill with canada risers in the back of the pavilion and please

silence your cellphone. thank you. >> the author we have today is fabulous. his name is justin martin and he's the author of the widely held biography of the two iconic figures alan greenspan and ralph nader, both of whom i think would be [inaudible] [laughter] and i couldn't think of two different figures than i was asking a few minutes ago and he said that after he had written the greenspan book he didn't want to do more and the agent was thinking out said he wanted to go in a different direction and with ralph nader, he did. greenspan, the mind behind money was chosen with book review as one of the notable books of 2000. ralph nader who was published in

2002 is the definitive biography of the consumer advocate and presidential candidate who sometimes leaves voice messages on my phone asking the post to cover one thing or another, and he also played a controversial rule in the election of 2000. he became one of the experts appearing on cnn and other television shows and the 2006 documentary and unresolvable ban. the latest biography is a less controversial figure at least by twitter standards. genius of place the life frederick law olmstead is the story of a brilliant landscape architect who designed central park and about 50 of her green spaces of the country.

he also was a sailor, scientist, former who had notable shyness of the civil war hero, a life with the of the terrible and eliminating the justin treatment. justin is a former stuff collector of "fortune magazine" and has written publicationss such as newsweek and money andw is a graduate of the university of business and he seems to have been destined to write his current book if he was married at central park which was his greatest achievement.s with that i would say welcome justin martin to the stage. he will be signing books from four to 5 p.m. as well. [applause]

>> thanks, kevin for that really a nice introduction. it is nice to be here will. i'm actually hear just as a fan - degree day going around seeing different speeches. it's been really fun, and my book is called a genius of place, the life of frederick olmsted. he was a pretty restless genius so i thought it makes the most sense to break my speech up into a couple different parts. first i'm going to describe the path that he took to becoming an architect and then briefly describe some of his greatest achievements, some of his greatest designs in the context of how he traveled and how the sexually informs his masterful design and then there will be time for questions of course.

olmstead was born in hartford connecticut in 1822. he was born into a pretty prosperous family. his father was a merchant and as was the habit in that era, olmstead was sent away for his schooling. he entered into a series of arrangements with really poor country parsons. they were besieged and bis said. they had their parsonage duties many of them running small farms on the side to make extra income and that left them very little time and focus for their thirdx$ role as educators. he was mischievous as a boy so he took full what vantage of the situation. he was in the habit of sneaking out, he would wander around÷$ setting the tracks for quayle, wandering around and the bloods. he got very little schooling. he certainly got an appreciatio$ for landscape, particularly the landscape in connecticut. now when he was 14-years-old he got an absolutely terrible case

of poison sumac that spread tohc his ra's and at this point he contrived to get a letter from a doctor the indicated he no longer needed to go to school. he was delighted. but this also meant that at a very young age he needed to find a profession. the first thing that he laid upon that kind of made sense and it kind of was really ill logical. he said he wanted to become a survey year. it was a profession that was available and this was to someone with limited schooling but surveying also requires eagle sharp vision and he had a bout with poison sumac that have gone to his eyes never mind olmsted pressed ahead and a arranged to serve an apprenticeship under a survey year and olmsted proceeded into completely abuse the situation. while pretending to learn the useful trade of surveying, olmstead wandered around,