Author is the Director of External Relations, Peace Now
For decades, the vision of a two-state solution has stood as a beacon of hope amidst the darkness of the violence, terrorism, war, and of the occupation, offering a viable framework for addressing the legitimate grievances and aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians. Despite tireless efforts and numerous diplomatic initiatives, the elusive dream of a lasting peace agreement remains out of reach.
The historic Israel-Egypt peace treaty, forged in the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War, stands as a testament to the transformative power of dialogue, negotiation, and political courage in surmounting seemingly insurmountable obstacles. It underscores the profound potential of diplomacy in forging pathways toward reconciliation and mutual understanding. 45 years have passed since the peace agreement between Israel and Egypt. After the Yom Kippur War, few could have imagined that Israel would soon sign a peace treaty with its greatest enemy. Yet, 45 years of peace with Egypt underscore a vital lesson: Political agreements with our neighbors ensure our security and existence. Because only a political solution will bring real security.
Today, our country faces one of its most challenging times since its founding. But the real victory will come only if we seize this moment as an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to pursue a political solution that establishes secure borders, freedom, and security for both Israelis and Palestinians. A two-state solution will stand as our victory over the extremists and radicals. For the sake of security, for the sake of our people, for the sake of peace – Now.
However, given the current terrible circumstances, with thousands of people killed in Gaza, and 133 hostages still in the hands of the terrorist organization Hamas, the urgency of the moment demands a renewed commitment to the pursuit of a political solution. This necessitates bold leadership, unwavering determination, and a willingness to confront the thorny issues that have long divided our peoples. This necessitates patience too.
The road ahead will undoubtedly be fraught with challenges and setbacks, but the imperative of peace compels us to press onward with unwavering resolve. Now is not the time for despair or resignation, but rather for renewed determination and collective action. We the people want to live, we the people want a future – we the people want peace.
We are now navigating the deep complexities of the present moment, and now is when we need inspiration from the courage and resilience of those who have come before us, leaders like Begin and Sadat, who 45 years ago, and only 5 years after the Yom Kippur War (the most traumatic one for Israelis, till the 7th of October) understood that peace is inevitable.
The journey toward peace may be long and arduous, but the destination is worth every sacrifice. Now is the time to seize the moment and turn our shared dream of peace into a tangible reality, for the sake of future generations and the generations that have come before us. Now, and not in 5 years.
For six months since this dreadful war started, it’s time to choose. As Israelis, it’s time to fight for our country and our destiny. It’s time to choose: it’s either perpetual war or a political agreement; it’s either illusions of an “absolute victory” that will never come or a reality of security and stability; it’s either messianism or patriotism; it’s either theocracy or democracy. There are no middle grounds. It’s time to accept that on this land we will live or die together. There are 7 million Jews and 7 million Palestinians between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, and I am convinced that the vast majority of us want to live. I am sure that the vast majority of the people here, Israelis and Palestinians, want to see their children grow up in peace, in security, and in equality.
It’s time to choose whether we want to continue living a reality marked by the fundamentalist and radical policies of our government. These dangerous policies that endanger our existence, and that will turn us into a pariah state in the community of nations. We must choose whether we want to change our reality and decide, for the first time in many years (too many years), the bravest and most responsible path, which is the path towards a political solution to this conflict – the two-state solution.
The only possible alternative for Israel is the return of the hostages, the end of the war in Gaza, a change of government, and subsequently, negotiations that allow us to reach a political solution with the Palestinians. This conflict, and this war in particular, has claimed so many innocent lives that the tears shed by both Israelis and Palestinians are more than all the water filling the Mediterranean Sea. It’s impossible not to shudder knowing that tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians have died since the beginning of this war, with thousands of women and children among the victims. A population of over two million people who do not know if they will have anything to eat tomorrow, nor if they will have any reason to keep living after all this finally ends. While Israel destroys Gaza, it also destroys itself. While Israel does not propose a solution for the day after the war, it condemns all of us, Israelis and Palestinians, to live in constant war.
And that’s why the time to choose has come. The time has come to bless this land with life. Because it is more than clear to everyone, even if we don’t want to accept it, that there is no military solution to this conflict. And apparently, only our government refuses to recognize this simple reality. Well, our government and Hamas. Both sides are interested in perpetuating this war. The pro-settler Netanyahu-Smotrich-Ben Gvir government, which a year ago was in the process of destroying the fragile democratic foundations of the State of Israel, which were temporarily saved thanks to the millions of Israelis, who took to the streets week after week to prevent the total destruction of our democracy and our country.
I am proud to have been part of the hundreds of Israelis who protested week after week against the Israeli occupation, or as I am proud to go out week after week, Saturday after Saturday, to protest for the return of our hostages, for immediate elections, and for the end of this war, which must be accompanied by a political solution between Israel and the Palestinians. And we should continue to do so until this country achieves and chooses the leadership it deserves.
Because Netanyahu, Ben Gvir, Smotrich, and the rest of this criminal, anti-Jewish, and anti-democratic government are not the leadership we deserve. We deserve much more than corrupt, criminal, and messianic leaders. We deserve much more than leaders who offer us only death, suffering, and blood. We deserve much more than leaders who prefer to sacrifice 133 Israelis at the hands of Hamas rather than take responsibility for the greatest catastrophe in the history of this country. We deserve much more than leaders who prefer to continue illegally building more and more settlements in the West Bank while communities, kibbutzim in the south and north were completely destroyed and abandoned. The Israeli people deserve a responsible leadership, not this fundamentalist government that aims to destroy the essence of our country.
Six months have passed since October 7th. And as time goes by, the horrors and trauma only intensify. Six months have passed, and it’s time to choose. We can choose peace, because peace is still possible (if you want it).