We zipped home from worship in Trenton on Sunday morning to catch a Zoom conference on the realities of Israel and Palestine in the months since the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas militants. This was presented by Haaretz, a century old newspaper which describes itself as having "a broadly liberal outlook both on domestic issues and on international affairs",and has been summarized as being "liberal on security, civil rights and economy, supportive of the Supreme Court, very critical of Netanyahu's government."
There were individual interviews with a variety of guests, including a former major general in the Israel Defense Forces. There were also panels involving guests with a wide range of perspectives. We watched and listened for two and a half hours and found this hugely informative even though talking heads can sometimes be, well, less than engaging. We were struck by the quality of the hosts, the insights of the guests, and the civility with which they presented their viewpoints. Although some were passionate none were aggressive or talked over others. I'm sure the ones we missed would have been worth hearing as well.
Virtually everyone figured that Prime Minister Netanyahu and his right-wing government has to go. The major general was convinced that this government has no plan, no end game, and that destroying Hamas will be virtually impossible because its funding and leadership is not restricted to Gaza.
Most agreed that international support for Israel is waning, even with a staunch allies, because of the disastrous, vengeful incursion into Gaza following the October 7 terrorism that has killed so many innocent people.
The majority raised the importance of entering back into negotiations for a two-state solution even though Netanyahu insists this will never happen. The Palestinian panelist expressed her conviction that there are two distinct peoples sharing a land "from the Jordan to the sea" and any resolution will require recognition of this.
During the two hours-plus the articulate guests offered that religion is a signficant part of the problem with Islamic and Jewish extremists who hold views that God has given them the land and have an apocalyptic outlook which fuels violence. It was also suggested that religion will need to be part of the solution because if its powerful influence.
There were no simplistic solutions offered but there was a recognition that Israel can't give up on seeking a pathway forward that goes beyond the violence and humanitarian crisis wracking the Occupied Territories.
This is my take-away from what I heard and saw. I am grateful to Haaretz for pulling this together.
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