Beyond Walls, Beyond War

A mother in Sderot hushes her child in a bomb shelter. A father in Gaza cradles his daughter amid broken concrete. Both whisper the same prayer: let them see tomorrow’s sun.

After the recent horrors, hope feels as battered as the buildings. But I hear a reminder from 1993: “Enough of blood and tears. Enough.” Yitzhak Rabin’s words still ring loudly today. Haven’t we had enough? It’s tempting to say peace is impossible – a fool’s dream behind walls and Iron Domes. And yet here we are talking about peace, because neither side can survive or thrive without the other.

Why Two States Still Matter

For decades, the two-state solution – Israel and a new Palestine living side by side – has been the main formula for peace. Lately, cynicism runs deep: only 35% of Israelis and 24% of Palestinians believe a peaceful two-state coexistence is possible anymore. It’s hard to blame anyone for losing hope – decades of failed talks and recurring violence have made the dream seem distant. Yet the two-state idea still matters because it remains the clearest path for both peoples to fulfill their national aspirations with dignity – and neither side has a better alternative.

Security Beyond Walls

For Israelis, imagining security without walls or blockades is difficult. We built them to stop bombers and rockets. But even walls can be breached – as we saw on October 7, 2023. True safety will come not from higher barriers, but from the day we don’t need them. Imagine opening the Gaza gates one day without fear – because neighbors await on the other side, not enemies. Better a good neighbor than a good fence, right?

Hope Beyond War

Two million Gazans have grown up under blockade and bombardment. Ask an ordinary Gazan what they want – it’s not martyrdom or revenge, but a normal life: to work, to travel, to see their children grow up safe, like anyone else. As Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, a physician who lost three daughters, insisted, “Tragedy cannot be the end of our lives. We cannot allow it to control and defeat us.” If he can still choose hope over hate, surely others can too.

Coexistence: Not Naïve, Necessary

Is it naïve to imagine Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace? After so much bloodshed, it might sound that way. But what’s the alternative? Neither side is going anywhere – we share the same land and the same future; it’s literally coexist or no exist. Those who lost the most understand this. Bereaved Israeli and Palestinian parents realized they cry the same tears. If those mothers and fathers can see each other’s humanity, why can’t the rest of us? No one says we must forget the past, but we can learn to live as neighbors instead of enemies. Coexistence is the only pragmatic choice, the only way those parents’ whispered prayers in Sderot and Gaza will be answered.