Israel-Hamas War (Part 4): Five Questions as Precursor for Peace

Examining Areas of Agreement for a Two-State Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

One truth is evident from both sides in the seemingly intractable and never-ending Israeli-Palestinian conflict:

There is no shortage of strong disagreement on countless vexing issues for which passions run deep.

Therefore, rather than continuing back and forth arguments which only seem to solidify the sincerely held beliefs of the other side, let’s try to build some semblance of consensus as a precursor for peace — if possible.

Below are five fundamental questions which may serve as a springboard for compromise toward a potential peace plan.

Five Questions

Please respond with “Yes” or “No” answers in the comment section below to state your position.

Please remember that hate only begets hate.

If your answer to the questions below is “No” then please explain why. Likewise, kindly feel free to elaborate if your answer is “Yes”.

Thank you in advance for engaging in a constructive discussion to enhance civil discourse in an open online dialogue — one in which all views are welcomed, and all sides deserve to be heard.

1. The Palestinian people unequivocally deserve their own homeland in the form of an independent and internationally recognized sovereign state (save border discussions for later). Yes or No?
2. The State of Israel deserves unequivocal recognition as the official homeland of the Jewish people (save border discussions for later). Yes or No?
3. The Israeli and Palestinian people both deserve to live in peace and harmony with their neighbors in the Middle East, to the extent practical and possible. Yes or No?
4. The killing and/or loss of life of any innocent civilians is absolutely tragic for all sides and must be avoided. Yes or No?
5. Hamas and Hezbollah are both terrorist organizations supported and/or funded by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Yes or No?
6. BONUS QUESTION: The United States can be an honest broker for peace talks and diplomatic negotiations, in unison with Arab and/or European countries and/or the United Nations. Yes or No?

Again, I respect the rights of everyone to voice their opinions and sincerely held beliefs on these complex issues, regardless of how much the other side may disagree. Please try to engage in a constructive and respectful manner in accordance with the rules of Medium.

There is no need and no place for personal attacks, nasty name calling, harassment, or threatening language by anyone (whether real or perceived, intended or unintended).

Two Anniversaries

I would be remiss without pointing out the following:

First, today (Nov. 7) marked one month since Hamas committed an unprovoked and intentional surprise attack against the State of Israel on a Jewish holiday, resulting in the most Jewish people murdered since the Holocaust.

According to The National World War II Museum:

“The Holocaust was Nazi Germany’s deliberate, organized, state-sponsored persecution and machinelike murder of approximately six million European Jews and at least five million Soviet prisoners of war, Romany, Jehovah’s Witnesses, homosexuals, and other victims.”

The October 7th Hamas atrocities against Israel included the barbaric torture and murder of 1,400 innocent civilians, which served as the prelude to war.

Moreover, Hamas violently took about 240 hostages to Gaza, including Americans and citizens/peoples of countries other than Israel. Nearly all of the hostages are still being held in captivity by Hamas.

Second, this past weekend marked 44-years to the day (Nov. 4, 1979) in which Iran held 52 American diplomats and citizens hostage for 444 days.

This resulted from the violent seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by a large and angry mob of student protestors, as part of the 1979 Islamic Revolution which overthrew the prior pro-Western government.

Please feel free to likewise respond to the above, as you deem appropriate, and in accordance with Medium’s rules of conduct for users.

Final Thoughts

FYI for those following this ongoing series: I had originally intended to continue pointing out what I believe are fallacies and fictions expressed by the pro-Palestinian and/or anti-Israel protestors, per their signs and slogans at various recent rallies around the world.

However, after a week of heated debate and heartache here, I am shifting my approach (for now) in the hope that we can strive for solutions rather than perpetuating age-old problems and/or creating new ones (again, whether real or perceived, intentional or unintentional).

I first got involved with these contentious issues in college per the Jewish Student Union and the campus newspaper (where I worked as the editorial page editor). It’s astounding that not much has changed in the decades since that time. The debates and arguments now still mirror those of the 1990s.

Let’s please try to have mutually beneficial discussions in a manner that is as civil and respectful as possible.

Let’s try to empathize with the other side’s viewpoints and try to understand their positions, no matter how abhorrent we may find them and/or how much we may adamantly disagree.

Yes, I know that’s a tall order, but I’m hopeful we can proceed in this direction to seek at least some potential areas of agreement to the current situation.

Let’s try to put ourselves in each other’s shoes. Let’s try to forge consensus on some basic points and principles to lay the path toward a potential peace which is long lasting.

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