We are an Israeli and a Palestinian who forged an “unlikely” friendship when the world expected us to hate each other.
One of us lost his parents on October 7, the other lost his brother during the first Intifada. It was this mutual loss, this pain and this shared vision that brought us together.
We recognize that our loss, but also our friendship, is the result of the absence of peace. We are unusual, but by no means unique. We are part of a community of Israelis and Palestinians who have different nationalities, religions and narratives. But a shared identity: that’s called a peace builder.
We have often been marginalized by many – both at home and abroad – as being “naive”. But last week, at the G7 summit in Puglia, world leaders finally acknowledged that what was truly naive was to imagine that any strategy to end this horrific conflict could succeed without people like us at the forefront.
Before that, we had become accustomed to being called “naive” because we believed that more war, suffering, and loss would not make anyone safe or free. While generals and activists who believe that a new wave of violence and a new generation of bereaved and traumatized people – after a century of nothing but that, will bring security or liberation – are considered realists. Why, after so many years of this formula’s failure resulting in escalating violence, death and destruction, are its proponents not those who are labeled “naive” or worse?
It is not naive to know that the only path to justice and equality is peace. The route is simple. We must create hope when hope is hard to find. We must amplify the voices of peacemakers. We must show that we are not divided by nationality, ethnicity or race. We are divided between those who believe in justice, peace and equality and those who do not – yet.
Our plan is to let go of our bitterness, our hatred, and our desire for revenge. We both embarked on a journey of forgiveness. Hatred is a corrosive force that leaves an inner void. This causes physical and emotional illness, with nothing able to quench the thirst for such desire. We understood that forgiveness, unlike reconciliation, is a personal choice. This is a decision we make not because the perpetrators deserve it, but because we prioritize our common humanity over animosity. We forgive because we refuse to allow others to exploit our pain to justify harming innocent people.
Even if we are willing to forgive the past and the present, what we cannot forgive is a dark future, locked in endless violence. We are not condemned to an eternal cycle of violence. We believe we can change our reality. And it is this hope that we cling to every morning and that gives us the strength to accomplish our mission.
We are aware of the deafening language of the bombs and the fear and anger in the streets. We are angry too, but we turn our anger into fuel for our activism. We cannot allow the sound of weapons to be the only language spoken. We cannot stand idly by while thousands of people suffer the same losses and suffering as we do. Our voices must be heard. We offer an alternative vision of this territory, from the river to the sea, and know that it can be achieved in a few years.
We are fortunate to be part of a community of Israeli and Palestinian peacemakers – some of whom have experienced loss like us, and all of whom are as sincerely committed as we are – who have been working tirelessly for a long time.
World leaders, who for too long have allowed the status quo to fester at a distance, aware of the seething beneath the surface but distant enough to ignore the smell of rising smoke, would be naive to think that we can return to conflict management. , provide weapons to “keep the peace,” and build broken piers to feed starving children.
However, finally, last week we saw a glimmer of hope. Let us hope that the “free world” finally listens to us and recognizes the urgency of new and inclusive ideas.
After years of ignoring the conflict, with four of the last five G7 communiqués not mentioning it at all, last week the G7 released its communiqué which included unprecedented new language prioritizing peacebuilding through civil society as an essential element of any diplomatic resolution to the Israeli problem. -Palestinian conflict.
Over the past month, we have joined the Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP) to lead a united global coalition to demand this new approach from the G7. The call, taken up by more than 350 NGOs, His Holiness Pope Francis and members of the British and European parliaments, was simple: do not talk about peace without the Palestinians and Israelis who have devoted their lives – like us – to peace. search for peace. .
And they listened. For the first time in history, the G7 released a communiqué focused on civil society peacebuilding and the vital work of local peace NGOs, which are absolutely essential to helping resolve this conflict.
We would like to thank these leaders for finally doing the right thing. For having finally recognized the essential role that grassroots organizations must play in any long-term sustainable peace process. For ensuring that peace is not an afterthought. While each previous round of Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy lacked a “bottom-up” strategy, this new policy represents a real turning point.
But it’s only the beginning. G7 leaders must now work with us to turn this policy shift into real progress. Develop strategies capable of delivering on the promise of this new policy shift that will allow us, the peacebuilders, to take the initiative in shaping a new reality, where the horrors and injustices of recent months can never be allowed to happen. reproduce.
Our call for peace comes not from naivety, but from a deep understanding of the cost of conflict. We have tasted pain, experienced loss, and witnessed devastation. Nevertheless, we remain convinced that a future in which Israelis and Palestinians coexist in peace and equality is possible. We model what peace between Israelis and Palestinians can look like. If we can reconcile, work together, and care for each other, we know our nations can too. We look forward to working with G7 leaders to ensure this vision becomes a reality.
The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Tel Aviv Tribune.