Khaled al-Hassan is a veteran figure within the Palestinian movement. With Yasser Arafat, he co-founded Fateh­the main within the PLO­over thirty years ago. Today, as chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the Palestine National Council (the PLO parliament-in-exile), he is an outspoken moderate who is not afraid of courageous initiatives. In Grasping the Nettle of Peace he spells out a bold plan for Middle East peace, advocating a radical new strategy based on a Swiss-style confederation of Israel, Palestine and Jordan. Al-Hassan"s views are not official PLO policy: they are an appeal for greater vision from the Palestinian leadership carrying the weight of a man whose commitment to peace is long-standing. Following the start of the Arab-Israeli dialogue, this blueprint for the future could not be more timely. An invaluable section of the book includes important documents and UN resolutions relating to the question of Palestine.