Son of late Israeli Prime Minister advocates
Middle Eastern peace

By Bill Keran
The Metropolitan

Menachem Meir, son of late Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, said his mother would support the peace talks underway ÷ yet still far from being finished ÷ between Israel and Palestine.

ăThis was her great, great dream, to have peace with the surrounding nations,ä Menachem Meir said. He spoke Sept. 24 to a group of about 70 students and faculty members at a museum on campus dedicated to his mother.

The Golda Meir Museum House, just south of St. Cajetanâs Center, is the house that she lived in  from 1913 to

1914 when she lived in Denver with her older sister. The house was moved to Auraria in 1988.

ăIn various ways (she) tried to come to terms and some form of peace agreement with our Arab neighbors,ä he said.

ăFor her this was the most important thing in life. She felt that this was really important, that two peoples find a way to live together. She always believed that Israel or Palestine should be divided as a Jewish state and an Arab state.ä

That was how it was 50 years ago.

Now Israel and Palestine are fighting over land both claim is rightfully theirs. Israel has stalled on the peace talks because of suicide bombings claimed by Palestinian terrorists.

As of Sept. 29, Israeli and Palestinian leaders agreed to resume peace talks. The biggest hurdle to peace now is

Jerusalem and the question of whether it should have an Arab segment, Meir said.

ăI donât see anything wrong with the part of Jerusalem that is now Arab being their capitol,ä said Meir, who added that his view is considered to be liberal.

Menachem Meir, who lives in Tel Aviv, is the director of the Israel Conservatory of Music.

He is a renowned cellist and author of the biography, My mother, Golda Meir.