Have you lost your minds?

When Samer Sinijlawi and I announced the creation of the Alliance for Two States many of our Israeli and Palestinian colleagues thought that we have totally gone bonkers. How can you talk about a two states solution while the war is continuing in Gaza, when Israel is being accused of committing war crimes and genocide in Gaza, while Hamas still controls that Strip and they are still holding hostages? How could Israelis and Palestinians, deep in trauma and pain even consider that there might be an option of a future of peace between these two peoples? Israeli society is broken and in despair. Israelis talk about not having air to breath. The war goes on, Israelis keep showing up for duty and going to Gaza to fight a war that has no strategic end game other than keeping Netanyahu in power. Demonstrations against the war and the government take place every day but very few of protesters believe that they have any impact on their own government. The majority of Israelis want the war to end for the government to go home. But many Israelis are seriously talking about the possibility that elections in 2026 may not take place by governmental manipulation as Israel’s democracy seems to be withering away and divisions within society becoming more violent in words and in deeds.

The Prime Minister of Israel is speaking about Israeli being Sparta and living by the sword forever. His government is building new settlements every day. Israel is placing millions of Palestinians in cages throughout the West Bank with yellow gates being constructed on the entrances and exits of every Palestinian town, village, refugee camp and city. Israel is ethnically cleansing parts of the West Bank and making plans to annex all of the occupied territories. Smootrich is talking about concrete plans for mass evacuations of Gazans and building new towns for Israelis all along the Gaza coast.

Palestinians in the West Bank are broke and the economy of the Palestinian Authority is broke. The sense of desperation amongst Palestinians in the West Bank is felt in every district of the area. Almost no Palestinian have any confidence whatsoever in the Palestinian Authority and its leaders. In Gaza, almost every Gazan wants Hamas to be out of their lives forever and many wish that all Hamas leaders would simply die. Desperation doesn’t even begin to describe the feelings of millions of Gazans. They have no present and the future has no promise of anything better.

Both sides of this conflict share trauma, despair, anger and pain. Very few Israelis and Palestinians see any partner for peace on the other side. Peace is beyond imagination. Survival is the current mode – while it is clear that Israelis are struggling to survive much more metaphorically than Palestinians who struggle for survival is concrete and severe. Many Israelis and Palestinians tell me that I should forget about talking or thinking about peace for at least another generation. They say to me that it will never come in my lifetime. I am 69 years old and I have been hearing that I will never see peace in my lifetime since I was in my 20’s. I rejected it then and I reject it now. As we all watch the most horrible chapter of our lives unfold before our eyes, I say categorically that the war in Gaza must be the last Israeli-Palestinian war. We cannot and must not continue to do this to each other. Even when this war will end there will be about seven million Israeli Jews and seven million Palestinian Arabs living on the same land between the River and the Sea. That will not change – even if many Israelis and Palestinians, particularly young people dream about finding their future in some distant land.

It would be helpful if we had leaders on both sides that spoke openly about a different reality. It would be very helpful if there were more Palestinians like Samer who say with conviction that we Palestinians cannot deny the historic connection of the Jewish people to the land of Israel. It would be wonderful if there were more Israelis like me who say with conviction that we Jewish Israelis cannot deny the historic connection of the Palestinian people to the land of Palestine. It would be enormously helpful if those voices came from political leaders and not just from civil society activists like us. For decades I have heard from thousands of Israelis and Palestinians the exact same statement: we want peace, but they don’t! Both sides have a perception of self that verbalizes their own desire to live in peace but note that there are no partners for peace on the other side. Both sides are justified in their assessment because what they live on a daily basis drive home dramatically the absence of partners for peace on the other side. No Israeli nor Palestinian can honestly say that their own side, their own leaders, their own society projects to the other side a true desire to live in peace. In the actions and words of many Israelis and Palestinians – particularly from people who call themselves leaders we have an overflowing of messages of we have the embodiment of only a conflictual narrative.

We, both sides in this conflict have educated the young generations to live by the sword, to perceive the other side as illegitimate, unequal in rights and in many cases having no legitimate claim for national existence on the same piece of land that both sides claim as their own. Our political arenas are devoid of significant leaders who stand up and paint a picture of the future of two states living side-by-side in peace. No one considers taking dramatic steps against the tide that have the power to change reality. No one challenges the untenable status quo of endless conflict, death and destruction, yet no one offers an alternative. Israelis and Palestinians don’t meet each other. The physical barriers, the abusive permit systems, the Palestinian anti-normalization campaign, and mutual fear have all succeeded in fostering a complete disconnect between Israelis and Palestinians and this has existed now for decades. It is very difficult to break out of the sense of despair, fear, anger, hatred and loss. Yet that is what we must do.

The international campaign to recognize the State of Palestine will not change the reality on the ground for Palestinians. They will continue to live under the harsh illegal Israeli occupation. But when some of Israel’s best friends recognize the State of Palestine and do so stating that it is an act of friendship towards Israel, there is a new message being delivered to the Israeli people. Recognition of Palestine is not a reward to Hamas terror and crimes, it is in fact a gift to Israel because it sets the path clearly forward for how to end this conflict. When the Saudis and other Arab and Muslim nations reaffirm the commitment that they made in 2002 in the Arab Peace Initiative to recognize Israel and make peace with Israel when there is a Palestinian state next to Israel, this is a gift to the people of Israel to help them to understand that Israel does not have to be Sparta – Israel can be part of a rapidly developing part of the world that it physically exists within but is not part of. Israel’s Arab neighbors are anxious to embrace Israel and to share with Israel the tremendous potential of the region, but they will not do that as long as Israel is at war with the Palestinian people and deny the Palestinian people the very same rights that it demands for itself.

You get what you give

I have been crossing borders from Jewish Israel into Palestinian Israel and into Palestine since 1978. That is a long time. I lived for two years in a Palestinian village in Israel from 1979-1981. Even back then, most Israeli Jews would ask me: aren’t you afraid? I would tell them that I don’t even have a lock on my door. During my two years living there I visited more than 500 homes. I was welcomed wherever I went. I showed my interest in those that I met and they reciprocated by showing their interest in me. I listened to their stories and asked a lot of questions. I didn’t always agree with their politics and often had respectful arguments and disagreements – but they were always focused on how do we create a better future for us all. I have visited almost every major town, city and refugee camp in the West Bank and many of the smaller villages as well. Before mid-2007, I visited Gaza many times and even slept over on occasion. During the 24 years that I co-directed IPCRI – Israel Palestine Center for Research and Information, I organized and ran more than 2000 joint Israeli-Palestinian working groups of professionals on every subject area that concerns the relations between the two sides. I worked with thousands of Israelis and Palestinians over the years and maintain contact with hundreds of them up to the present time.

I think that I have a better and deeper understanding of Palestinian society than most other Israeli Jews. I have always agreed to speak to anyone who was willing to speak with me – even when the zone of agreement between us was very small or even non-existent. I have come to understand that most Israelis and most Palestinians really do want to live in peace and most of them are prepared to make agreements that recognize the national rights of the other side. Every issue in conflict between Israel and Palestine can be resolved – I am entirely convinced of this. Our problem is that we have no starting point and no one to start it. The absence of leadership willing to take risks so that their people will have a chance to live in peace is devastating. In the court of history, our leaders on both sides will be found guilty of not acting in the best interests of their people. Those in Israel who can only talk about defense (which is usually a code word for offence) and those in Palestine who still talk about a viable option of armed struggle are criminally responsible for determining a continuation of death, destruction and despair.

But I don’t despair and I honestly believe that we are closer to heading in a new direction than most of us can perceive. The young generation of Israelis and Palestinians, while they may collectively seem more extreme than their parents will come to the conclusion that staying on the same path is futile. There are and will be more young people who will understand that we don’t have to waste our resources and our lives on fighting a conflict that can be resolved. What we need is the spark to light the fire of hope that will spread rapidly when people of courage on both sides stand together with the same message that mutual recognition of rights and a common desire to live in peace is what we must achieve. This is will be mutually reassuring message that will be heard over the noise of the militarists and those who promise us nothing but continued hatred and mutual fear.

It should be known that on July 9, 2025 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas took on a commitment on behalf of the Palestinian people in a letter that he wrote to French President Macron and to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. This letter was unfortunately not published widely and most people don’t know of its contents. This is one more example of the failure of leadership of Mahmoud Abbas. But the contents of his letter should be the compass for Palestinians for moving forward. His words were a firm undertaking to France, Saudi Arabia and to all of those countries who are considering recognizing the State of Palestine. 

Abbas wrote:

“The Palestinian people is not destined to live under occupation nor are we and the Israelis destined to be at war. We can live in peace and security, side by side, tomorrow if we make the right decisions today. We need to all take the necessary bold and unprecedented steps that set us on that path. I am determined to ensure we uphold our responsibilities and count on your help to mobilize the international community to uphold its own, and ensure Israel upholds its obligations. I hope the Israeli people will seize this opportunity for peace…

There can be no military solution to the conflict, and we reject violence and terrorism and denounce all attacks against civilians, whether Palestinians or Israelis. Israel has to bring to an immediate end its war and aggression against the Palestinian people and to withdraw fully from the Gaza Strip, and to release the Palestinian prisoners. What Hamas did on October 7th of killing and taking civilians hostage is unacceptable and condemnable and Hamas has to immediately release all hostages and captives…

We are ready to conclude within a clear and binding timeline, and with international support, supervision and guarantees, a peace agreement that ends the Israeli occupation and resolves all outstanding and final status issues, leading to an end of all claims, and the achievement of just and lasting peace based on the relevant United Nations resolutions, the Madrid terms of reference, including land for peace, and the Arab Peace Initiative…

The PLO has recognized the right of Israel to exist over 30 years ago, a recognition that binds the State of Palestine to this day, while Israel's recognition of the Palestinian State is long overdue…

The State of Palestine has adopted an ambitious reform agenda and has made meaningful progress in implementing it, revoking the law on payments to families of prisoners and martyrs and implementing a new social security system without discrimination.

We reiterate our constant demand for an international supervision over incitement and hate speech in statements, curriculum, and in official media by both sides.

We are also committed to the organization of presidential and general elections within a year to be conducted under international auspices, supervision and support. These elections will be inclusive and open solely, based on a new party legislation, to political forces and candidates that clearly accept the PLO political platform and the resolutions of international legitimacy and the principle of One State, One Government, One Law and One Gun.”

These words of the Palestinian President need to echoed by Palestinians all over because they represent the only real hope for rapid change. These words heard by Israelis spoken by Palestinians will have to power to change the current dynamic and perhaps some Israeli leaders will stand up an echo words of consent and agreement.

Our future is in the hands of our leaders by what they say and what they do and by what they do not say and what they do not do. We must demand from them – in Israel and in Palestine to change our course and to steer us in a new direction that may very well have the power to draw out the same new sentiments from people and leaders on the other side.

But first and foremost – we have to end this horrible war in Gaza. There is only one person in the world who can do that, and that is President Trump. We need for that to happen today.