Given the brutality of the recent conflict in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, it has become increasingly difficult to imagine a durable peace. Yet, that remains the aim of a remarkable grassroots organization called Combatants for Peace.
Children and their families wait in Al Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip, for the green light to begin their journey back home to Gaza City and the northern areas, after 15 months of displacement.
UN News: Is the political class in Israel and Palestine listening to what you’re saying?
Mai Shaheen: We had a big solidarity campaign in August, and we were joined by members of from the Knesset. We hope to have more changemakers in politics.
Elik Elhanan: I should point out that the politicians that support us in the Israeli system are from the very far left of the political map. These are the Jewish and Palestinian members of the Communist Party and the coalition around it. Unfortunately, in mainstream Israeli political system, we have a lot of silent support, but few of them have the courage to support us openly and vocally.
I think that is because they believe we, as Israelis, need more unity, strength and togetherness. I think what we need is a principled opposition. We can see that in the popular reaction to our work both in Israel and in Palestine, and I hope that politicians both in Israel and around the world will follow.
UN News: The idea of a two-state solution, an Israeli and Palestinian state existing peacefully side by side, has been the United Nations position for decades. Is it still possible?
Mai Shaheen: The real solution is everybody living freely on one land, like in America or Europe, with Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, non-believers all living together freely and respectfully.
Elik Elhanan: Reality changes and perspective changes. In Combatants for Peace, we began building a joint political language for Israelis and Palestinians to function together in a single political system. This experience has changed me. I like sharing my political landscape with Palestinians, with their experience and their intelligence and their particular understanding of history and politics.
We don’t have a position paper on this subject. That is a job for others, possibly people in this building. We are here to say that the solution is through negotiation, and a peace process, not through violence, war, ethnic cleansing and genocide.
Anything is better than what’s going on now.