Enduring hell for hostages and victims' families. War, a cruel furnace, inflicts terrible agonies. Yet, its heat can birth seemingly impossible changes.As in post-WWII Western Europe, old enemies embraced peace. Can Gaza's war jolt Israelis, Palestinians to end their century-long conflict over the land from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River?
The widow of Muhammad Abu Shaar
Watching a grief-stricken woman beside Muhammad Abu Shaar's lifeless body, inaccessible Gaza intensifies the pain. Israel and Egypt block journalists. Her name, elusive; her plea to the heavens echoes desperation. "You died and left me. What are we supposed to do, God? For God's sake, my beloved, get up! Our children are here with you. Get up." Tragically, an airstrike, their shared shelter in Rafah, erased them—Muhammad, Nour, and Aboud.
At Yonatan Zeigen's Tel Aviv home, family photos reveal his peace advocate mother, Vivian Silver. During the Hamas attack on Be'eri kibbutz, Yonatan hoped she was a hostage. Amid air raid sirens, WhatsApp exchanges unfolded—initially laced with black humor, turning serious as the massacre unfolded.
"She wrote, 'They're inside the house, time to say goodbye,'" he recounts. "I replied, 'I love you, Mum. I'm with you.' Her last words were, 'I feel you.' And then, that was it, the last message."
The following day, her kibbutz house, a charred ruin, spoke of the tragedy. Weeks later, investigators found Vivian Silver's remains in the safe room's ashes. Yonatan, a former social worker, now champions peace, spurred by his mother's tragic fate.
"They killed my mother because we didn't have peace. So, to me, this just proves the point that we need it," he asserts. Reflecting on the catastrophe, he sees a potential for societal change worldwide, expressing hope for a better future.
Issa Amro, a Palestinian activist in Hebron, West Bank, navigates a city steeped in religious significance, revered by both Muslims and Jews for its ties to Prophet Abraham. Long a flashpoint, Hebron draws attention from Israeli soldiers who view Issa as a troublemaker.
He shared that post the October 7 attacks, he faced detention and beatings, reflecting the ongoing tensions near the Jewish settlement at the city's core.
Similar to Yonatan Zeigen in Tel Aviv, Issa Amro sees the war as a potential turning point. He envisions two paths: one leading to deeper conflict and worsened conditions, the other as an opportunity to resolve the longstanding issues—conflict, occupation, and apartheid. With the failure of security solutions, he emphasizes that only peace can pave the way to a better and secure coexistence for Israelis and Palestinians.
The prospects for peace
Though the end seems distant, every Gaza conflict concludes in a ceasefire. Past deals, lacking resolution, ensured the cycle persisted. The scale of destruction demands a departure from the norm. Palestinians, Israelis, and influential external powers acknowledge the imperative for a fundamentally different approach to finally address the century-long conflict.
The Israeli government faces a diplomatic clash with the United States over post-ceasefire plans. President Biden criticizes Israel's "indiscriminate bombing" in Gaza but continues to support Israel. Biden seeks a return to talks for an independent Palestinian state, the goal of the failed Oslo peace process. Netanyahu, prioritizing total victory over Hamas, rejects Biden's plan, aiming to prevent Gaza from becoming "Hamastan or Fatahstan." Domestic politics drive Netanyahu's stance, appealing to right-wing Jewish nationalists amid criticism for security lapses.
Yonatan Zeigen, son of the late peace advocate Vivian Silver, believes his mother would have opposed the war, viewing it as a cycle of vengeance. He sees an opportunity for peace to re-enter Israel's political discourse.
Peace activists in Israel, discredited post-Oslo's collapse in 2000, are gradually regaining prominence. Yonatan notes the shift: "Absolutely. You couldn't even say the word. And now people are talking about it."
In Hebron, Issa Amro, the Palestinian activist, describes a worsened reality since October 7. Life for Palestinians is now marked by heightened restrictions, increased violence, and intimidation. Basic necessities are scarce, and the collective punishment within the confined area compounds the hardships.
Walking through Hebron, Issa Amro engaged in a verbal exchange with Israeli soldiers. One, clad in combat gear, armed with an assault rifle and pistol, and wearing a black mask revealing only his eyes, listened as Issa emphasized the necessity of peace, asserting there's no military resolution. Despite intervening, the soldier refused to disclose his name during the conversation.
Expressing the challenges, an Israeli voice insists on the difficulties of growing up amid perceived Palestinian violence, making a case for skepticism about peace. Despite the desire for a peaceful future, achieving an independent Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel demands sustained diplomatic will.
The failed Oslo format prompts consideration of alternative approaches. Senior Western diplomats suggest tying Palestinian independence to a broader Middle East transformation, including Israeli recognition by Saudi Arabia. The blueprint, reminiscent of the 2002 Saudi peace plan, could be revitalized through an expanded Abraham Accords, contingent on a Palestinian state.
The ambitious idea hinges on new leaders, both Israeli and Palestinian, willing to champion the project. American mediation, requiring impartiality, adds complexity. Compromises on cherished beliefs, particularly regarding territory, are essential, inviting political storms. Historical incidents, like the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, highlight the risks leaders face in pursuing peace.
Amid these complexities, the urgency to end the Gaza war looms large, with nightmare scenarios if it escalates. The multitude of factors underscores the formidable challenges, leaving the possibility of peace in a precarious balance.
