This past Wednesday, the Korbel School of International Studies held a panel between two leading Israeli and Palestinian peace activists. Aziz Abu Sarah is a Palestinian whose brother was killed in an Israeli jail at age ten. Maoz Inon is an Israeli who had both his parents killed by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.
Since Oct. 7, Israel has sought to eradicate Hamas from the Palestinian enclave. Tens of thousands of civilians have died in the crossfire, and both sides have been unable to agree on peace terms.
The panel started on a happy note, with both Abu Sarah and Inon voicing that they think that peace is possible. They talked about how they have to individually forgive both Hamas and the Israeli government for what the organizations have done to their families.
One of the main topics covered was how Israelis and Palestinians should not see each other as enemies. They argued that people should not choose a side, they should be choosing the future United in a desire for an end to the fighting.
Inon argued that one essential factor for peace is forgiveness, not revenge. He said that revenge will not help end a violent conflict and it is impossible for someone to truly avenge those who have died. For him, waging war on Hamas would not bring back his parents or provide any real sense of justice.
The peacemakers voiced their hate for Hamas and the Israeli government for their roles in extending the conflict.
The scholars argued that both Hamas and the Israeli government are driven by ideological agendas. Inon pointed out that the Israeli government, in particular, views itself as holding moral authority and ethical supremacy, even as the death toll continues to rise.
Extremism on both sides of the conflict has only strengthened since the onset of the war. However, we can only fight extremism with love, Abu Sarah argued: “An idea can not be fought with military force.”
Sarah argued that the recent assassination of Hamas’s leader, Yahya Sinwar, does not mean an end to Hamas or the war.
Abu Sarah used the example of the Taliban to illustrate his point. Even after the U.S. killed the Taliban’s leader, Osama Bin Laden, the organization endured.
Abu Sarah said that Palestine does not need Hamas, the same way Israel does not need Netanyahu. He talked about how many protesters will use the argument “if Hamas is gone, then who will take care of Palestine” and answered that question by saying, “the people.” The power to lead and shape the future lies with the people themselves, not with any single organization or political figure, he said.
As the war continues, Hamas’ recruiting numbers are higher than ever before. Both peacemakers voiced the importance of calling for the end of war over calling for the return of the hostages. To save the hostages, we must stop the war, they argued.
For them, the lack of women in peacemaking discussions is a real concern. Recent findings show that women participating in peace processes leads to better and more sustainable outcomes. Right now the only people in these peacemaking discussions are military generals, whose objectives may differ from ordinary citizens.
“There is no such thing as justice,” Inon said. He talked about how we can not bring “justice” to those who have died. No hate, anger, or further violence can reverse the suffering that Gazans and Israelis have experienced. The only thing that can be done, the scholars argued, is to stop the war.
Inon and Sarah agreed we need to stop relying on global superpowers to put a stop to the fighting. They said Biden has no interest in stopping the war, as he continues to send military resources to Israel.
Both peacemakers did not voice their support for a one or two-state solution. They simply want a solution that would prevent any future conflict.
