Israeli and Palestinian speakers promote coexistence
The speakers addressed what both described as unprecedented trauma for their peoples.
An Israeli peace activist and Palestinian political leader drew sold-out audiences in Sydney and Melbourne last month with a message of coexistence.
The New Israel Fund Australia brought Dr Gershon Baskin, the veteran negotiator who helped secure Gilad Shalit’s release, and Samer Sinijlawi, Head of International, Israeli and Diplomatic relations for the Fatah shadow leadership, to present their shared vision for ending the current war.
NIF Australia’s Michael Chaitow said the tour attracted unprecedented interest, including many newcomers to the organisation from across religious and cultural backgrounds.
“I’ve had people come to me at both sold out audiences, say they’ve never heard of us before, say they’ve never been to an audience of ours before and that they loved it,” Chaitow said.
“We have had members of the Muslim community come up and thank us for our work. We have members of the Jewish community come up and thank us for our work.”
The speakers addressed what both described as unprecedented trauma for their peoples.
Baskin said Israelis were “experiencing the kind of trauma that we as Jews have not experienced since the Holocaust,” while Palestinians were enduring “a trauma which is worse for them than 1948.”
Taking moral responsibility
Sinijlawi, making his first visit to Australia, demonstrated the personal cost of pursuing peace through his actions following October 7.
The Palestinian leader made headlines when he visited Yarden Bibas during shiva for his wife Shiri and two children, who were killed while in Hamas captivity.
“I am a person that went to where it happened, and I condemn the atrocities of Hamas in front of cameras,” Sinijlawi said.
“From a moral point of view, I felt that I need to go to Yarden Bibas and offer him my condolences, and also deep from my heart, on behalf of my people, ask him for pardon, because we killed his babies, we kidnapped them.”
The visit became a powerful moment that went viral on social media, but also drew fierce criticism from extremists on both sides.
“When he hugged me, I couldn’t hold my tears, because for him, it was very important to listen to these words from a Palestinian. And for me, I could feel the guilt,” Sinijlawi said.
“It was a very human moment, and I couldn’t hold my tears, he couldn’t hold his tears.”
The Palestinian leader faced attacks from his own community, with critics asking, “what about our kids?” and accusing him of betrayal.
Meanwhile, Israeli extremists attacked Bibas for hosting “a terrorist.”
“Sometimes the extreme powers, their voices become very loud. They are less in numbers. We are much more in numbers. We need to make our voices louder than their voices,” Sinijlawi said.
Peace advocates killed, survivors continue mission
When asked about peace activists from kibbutzim like Nir Oz, Kfar Aza and Beeri who were killed on October 7, Baskin emphasised that survivors remain committed to peace.
“The people who are alive in Nir Oz are dedicated to building Nir Oz. They tell us today that from Nir Oz will come the peace,” Baskin said.
He pointed to a recent conference in Cyprus where 100 Israelis and 100 Palestinians came together, led by figures including former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former Palestinian Foreign Minister Nasser al-Qudwa.
“We had survivors from Nir Oz. We had the daughter of Oded Lifschitz, who was killed in Gaza, who should have come home alive, but he didn’t. She was there together with Ayla Metzger, whose father-in-law was killed on October 7,” Baskin said.
Mathematical reality
Both speakers emphasised the mathematical reality facing the region, with Baskin noting that “when this war is over, there will remain 7 million Israeli Jews and 7 million Palestinian Arabs between the river and the sea.”
“Israel will never have security if the Palestinian people don’t have freedom, liberation and dignity, and they will never have freedom, liberation dignity if we Israelis don’t have security,” Baskin said.
Sinijlawi rejected being labelled simply a peace activist, describing himself as “a mainstream Palestinian” who had been imprisoned at 15.
“We are here to reflect the real stories of Israelis and Palestinians, to let the people understand what’s happening, and to give people hope that Palestinians and Israelis are able to coexist,” he said.
The pair have abandoned secret negotiations in favour of public dialogue.
“We’re out in the open, in the sunlight, showing everyone that we can do this, that we have the courage to stand up together,” Baskin said.