Nova and Beyond

The documentary “Nova and Beyond” included here provides a wide view of the massacre perpetrated by Hamas, as shown at an exhibition in Culver City (L.A.). is more than a story. It tries to give some historic background to the pogroms of October 7; it shows some healing in the “We Will Dance Again” concert in Tel Aviv; it brings the points of view of three thinkers such as Yuval Noah Harari, Bernard-Henri Levy and Thomas Friedman; and it tries to generate a renewed sense of hope looking at the future decades.

Some of the proposed ideas for “after-the-war” may take decades to implement. For example, the development of artificial islands along the Mediterranean coast of Israel and Gaza could accommodate three million residents, industries, health and educational facilities, and Israeli and Palestinian airports. This would free open space for agriculture, parks, and recreation.

Other proposed ideas include small portions of Egypt and Jordan adjacent to an eventual Palestinian state to develop energy farming, industrial parks, and sustainable urbanization. In addition, developing a channel linking the Mediterranean Sea to the Dead Sea could become a reality. Using the 400-meter difference to generate power, the flowing water will raise the level of the Dead Sea back to what was lost to evaporation, and through desalinization, it will irrigate arid areas along the southern border between Jordan and Israel.

On a broader geographic scale, a Mediterranean Express Train could be built stretching from Gibraltar to Tangier all around the Mediterranean. Segments of this train’s rail could run on land or floating structures along some of the coasts, having a minimum impact on the adjacent geography and the sea’s ecology. This approach could facilitate the creation of an Economic Mediterranean Market linking all the countries facing the Mediterranean. Subject to positive political changes in the future, this high-speed train could have extensions to Istanbul, Baghdad, Teheran, Damascus, Riad, and Dubai.

It is hard to think about the future while soldiers and inocent civilians continue to die. Nobody knows what the future will be like by, say, 2050. However, while we can not predict it, we can invent it.