Day 483 Of The War: Hopes For A Better Future

Yesterday was a good day, full of hope and ending with beautiful music. In the morning I attended Givat Haviva’s convention for “Common Society,” previously known as “coexistence.” It took place at the impressive Rabin Center, located on the banks of the Yarkon River. Although the venue is in a very busy area of northern Tel Aviv, it feels like an oasis.

The talks were especially important, as we are still at war and very much living in the shadow of October 7. In the middle of the discussions, the moderator of the first session, Tal Schneider, announced that Agam Berger had been released and transferred to Israeli territory.

Arab Israelis are much more exposed to the death and suffering in Gaza, and they are also victims of the extremist right-wing government—especially Itamar Ben-Gvir and the police, who serve his agenda. Still, Givat Haviva remains a symbol of hope, where Arabs and Jews, as citizens of this country, can live and work together.

Interior Minister Moshe Arbel attended the convention and spoke with rare compassion. “It is our responsibility to take care of the well-being of Arab society, and we must give them hope,” he said. These words, though seemingly ordinary, are considered revolutionary within the context of the government in which he serves.

The discussions were difficult, but seeing the commitment of the speakers and listening to two twelfth graders from the International School in Givat Haviva—one Arab and one Jewish—gave us all hope. Hearing how they managed to work through their differences was truly inspiring.

In the afternoon, I was fortunate to attend the dress rehearsal of the opera Otello, thanks to a friend’s invitation. It is a rare privilege to witness a dress rehearsal, and there is something incredibly intimate about watching a production just moments before it reaches perfection. Somehow, it felt particularly fitting to watch Otello on the same day as the Givat Haviva convention.

Throughout the day, we had heard discussions about dialogue and ways to resolve even the bloodiest and most painful conflicts. Otello shows us how easily chaos can be sown, and how the hearts of people can be poisoned by lies and rumors. Verdi’s sublime music, both for the orchestra and the singers, combined with the beautifully precise staging, acting, setting, and lighting, created the illusion that evil can be a stylized, structured opera. But watching Otello after October 7—on the day when three hostages return home after 482 days—was a reminder how messy and chaotic war truly is, how easily hatred is instilled, and how much work we must do to build a peaceful future.