The Way Forward

Standing Together is a Jewish-Arab initiative in Israel striving for peace and equality. This is my English translation of their recent statement, a message originally shared in Arabic and Hebrew, reflecting their hope for a more inclusive and just society.

In the past month, Hamas has perpetrated a horrific massacre. Since then, we, both Jews and Arabs, citizens of Israel, are broken, hurting, and bleeding. For all of us, this is a dark period. The funerals, the mourning, the harsh news—no one in our society is immune to the wave of death and terror that has been flooding us for over a month now. There can be no doubt, and it must not be allowed: Hamas is an enemy of the Israelis, of the Palestinians, and of the idea of Israeli-Palestinian peace. Therefore, first and foremost, it's important for us to say that if there is something that can truly defeat it—it is precisely this peace. That's why, even on the hardest days, we must aim for that. And there is no choice but to say that it won't happen with approaches that are all about revenge. It won't happen with the massive killing of innocents in Gaza, among them thousands of children. It won't happen by claiming that everyone living in Gaza deserves to die.

Humans live in Gaza. They hurt like us. They fear like us. And, like us—they aren't going anywhere. Millions of Jews and millions of Palestinians will continue to live in this land and continue to call it their homeland. We must understand this and strive for peace. Surely, this is not the easy path, but history has proven—it's the path that truly brings long-term security and saves lives. Therefore, our call as a joint Jewish-Arab peace movement is to immediately and once and for all end this eternal war, to stop the killing of innocents, to isolate extremists in both peoples and to move toward the only direction that can ensure true security for everyone living here—an Israeli-Palestinian peace.

When the government of Israel propagates ideas of transfer, when a minister talks about dropping a nuclear bomb, when other ministers express messianic delusions or threaten a "second Nakba," and when people in the media call for the indiscriminate killing because "there are no innocents in Gaza"—we are not just failing to advance our own security, we are strengthening Hamas with our very own hands. When the government refuses to even discuss what the future of Gaza should be, and when senior politicians and military rabbis prophesy about returning to Gush Katif and settling in Lebanon! —this is not policy; this is messianic abandonment of the public in Israel. The orchestrated persecution of Palestinian citizens within Israel, the massive distribution of weapons, the firing of Arab workers, and the conduct hearings of students—are part of the same reckless path to disaster.

It's important to emphasize—Netanyahu has no work plan. He knows there is no real military solution to the conflict, yet he sends hundreds of soldiers to their deaths. All he wants is to survive, so he stirs up trouble, incites, and exploits. Even today, after the terrible disaster that has befallen us, he continues to tell us that we will forever live by the sword. We must replace him and his government immediately.

The Palestinian Authority, willing to negotiate peace, must be supported as a counterforce to extremism and a step towards lasting security.

Our way is different. We, who chose partnership, know there's no such thing as an "evil people." There's another possibility, one that Netanyahu—by his own admission—tried to prevent. A way of partnership within the Israeli society and of Israeli-Palestinian peace, which includes security arrangements, concessions, mutual recognition, and independence for both peoples. A path that has already proven itself in peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan as the only one that brings real and long-term security.

How do we get there? This path has enemies within Israel and within Palestinian society. But the first step must be the understanding that humans live here and beyond the fence and that no life is worth more than another. That here and there are children, and our responsibility is to ensure them a future of life—or we will all drown in blood.

If we adopt this understanding, we can search for the forces with which we can move forward. We demand, first and foremost, to act for the release of the captives. They must return to their homes and their families, who are torn apart by worry. Additionally, we propose an approach opposite to that of Netanyahu and Smotrich: to strengthen the Palestinian Authority, which has already proven that its leadership is willing to reach political agreements with Israel. The Palestinian Authority, with the help of Arab countries and the world, should take control of the Gaza Strip, while Hamas leaders at all levels will be forced to leave it. We must not agree to the situation the government is leading us to, where Israel will control Gaza for years to come—a reality that will surely bring many more deaths. The tunnels will be destroyed, the siege over the Gaza Strip will be lifted, the Strip will be rebuilt from its ruins, and most importantly—all this will happen while jointly embarking on a path to end the occupation and military control of Israel over millions of Palestinians, through a peace agreement and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Only this way can we truly enable the residents of the surrounding areas to return to their homes and rebuild their lives. Only this way can we escape the miring mud of endless cycles of war in which we are trapped.

Enough of the bloodshed and false narratives. It's time to reject the idea that all Gazans support Hamas and that dialogue is impossible.

We know that when this voice is heard loudly in Israeli society, the corresponding voice will also be heard in Palestinian society. In both peoples, there are those who want peace, and we need to reach out and bring the only possible solution, which will come sooner or later.

So, enough.

Enough of the killing of innocents. Enough of the rhetoric that there's no one to talk to. Enough of the dangerous and mistaken assertion (for everyone living here) that all people in Gaza are Hamas supporters. Enough of the distorted priorities of a government that just wants to survive. We need courage, a different leadership, and a political vision.

The memory of October 7th demands this of us.