School’s Out for Summer – #EndTheWarNow

Belonging to a tradition teaching the value of appreciation for different schools of thought, taught that insistence on marginal extremes fosters destruction. Liberal democracies place limitations on freedom in those margins. Relaxing those limitations, historically, and in our times, enables destruction.

This summer, today, Einav Zangauker, mother of Matan Zangauker held hostage for 666 days, stands in Hostages Square when Witkoff arrives saying, “Our children turn to skin and bones for political survival.” You know whose. Anat Angrest, mother of Matan Angrest, held hostage for 666 days made a similar statement to Gal Hirsh, Coordinator for the Hostages in the Prime Minister’s Office. He responded that the skin and bones is “Hamas propaganda.” Defending himself on X, he claimed defining this as a Hamas starvation campaign, not a denial of reality. I guess there’s a summer school for word choice in some offices.

Anat Angrest spoke of the 2025 Holocaust, though previously reticent to use the term as the daughter of a Shoah survivor. Yet, she invokes it, describing her father vicariously experiencing a second Holocaust through his grandson’s captivity. A term Israelis deliberated applying to October 7, because how could Jews be massacred like this in Israel? A term Israelis deliberate applying to its war on Gaza. Perspectives on a long day called October 7.

In pain and anger, feeling helpless to bring the government of Israel to reason, growing numbers of Israelis invoke the word, confirming they can’t deny hunger in Gaza. Photos from Syria or Yemen, or a Gazan child with a genetic disease, misrepresenting starvation in Gaza, can’t refute starvation in Gaza. It doesn’t alter Israel’s responsibility by presence.

On July 28, 2025, Odeh Hadelin, father, teacher, peace activist from the West Bank village Khirbet Umm al-Khir, participant in the Israeli-Palestinian Oscar winning documentary, “No Other Land,” was killed by a Jewish settler. Following this reprehensible act, the settler was released – insufficient evidence that it was not in self-defense. Complements methods employed by Israeli police and IDF overlooking and enabling settler violence to induce Palestinian abandonment of lands, rather than official eviction. Reports of journalists and international solidarity activists expelled from the village, attempts to remove traditional Muslim mourners’ tent by force.

A government appointing MK Mildwidsky, suspected of rape and witness-tampering as Chair of the Knesset Finance Committee proves it can go lower. Fair trials and public moral standards at times at odds, yet once norms protected strong center ground. The appointment replaces MK Edelstein following his insistence on enforcing recruitment of Haredi men to the IDF – a threat to this government’s survival.

Removing the Attorney General from office requires a committee with two former Ministers of Justice or AGs. The government of Israel is unable to recruit such persons and therefore proposes amending the procedure.

Should we be surprised at this government’s role in death and starvation in Gaza, and out soldiers losing their lives in the process? Should we believe Witkoff’s statement of the day about Netanyahu’s commitment to ending the war, bringing all hostages home? Or should we wait for the next statements about Hamas refusal to reach a deal – and then have someone else to blame? And understand, ensuing warfare and demolition are justifiable?

I place no faith in Hamas, yet when the UK joins France in demanding the establishment of a Palestinian state, I fear September (the UK ultimatum) is far away.

A Palestinian state is not a prize to Hamas. It rights injustice. It calls for good Palestinians, good Israelis, good Jews and Arabs, good world leaders.

It doesn’t entitle Palestinians not to accept a share of historical responsibility for its relations and conflict with Israel. It doesn’t mean anything can be achieved by demanding a tooth for a tooth. It doesn’t mean we can be sure one will recognize the narrative of the other – even if that seems like a reasonable mutual demand. That not necessarily requiring mutual acceptance of the other’s credibility, but allowing its place in the discussion.

I know of evil brought upon my people by others. I know of evil brought upon others by my people. I know there are Zionist Archives in Jerusalem. In this blood-soaked land, there are no Palestinian Archives. That facilitates discrediting their narrative.

I would like to be a Zionist in a democratic, Jewish state alongside a Palestinian state. I know Zionists bought lands from Arabs in Palestine. But I know there was a Nakba. I know our past wars could have been managed differently by both sides. We need to end this war and prevent the next one. Manipulating history in the margins won’t help, neither for the past nor the present.

I would like to be a Zionist confronting my Jewish identity, facing Palestinians in their state and Palestinian citizens of the State of Israel allowed to study their identity. Not a State of Israel threatened by the idea of Palestinians learning about their identity. Not a State of Israel preventing it. A State of Israel strengthened by it.

Before school is back in session, let’s get back to appreciating different schools of thought, respectfully, with moderacy, in Israel and with our neighbors.

Harriet Gimpel,   August 2, 2025