Milan () – “It is not possible to destroy Hamas, because Hamas is an idea” of “resistance” and if “the mentality” and “the reality that surrounds us is not changed, it does not matter how many Hamas members can be killed, because “New ones will always be formed and in greater numbers.” And continuing with “the logic of occupation […] “You will always go back to October 6 and that is not a good position to be in, for anyone.” This is how Yonatan Zeigen, son of the Israeli-Canadian pacifist Vivian Silver, victim of the October 7 attack that unleashed Israel’s war in Gaza with its burden of death and more violence, analyzes the spiral of violence and terror that bloodies the Holy Land. For , the activist, who has taken up the baton of her mother by promoting an award inspired by her decades of work [el «Vivian Silver Impact Award», que se otorgará anualmente a una mujer árabe y judía] in favor of peace and coexistence, emphasizes that there are “no positive consequences” of the conflict. A conflict that remains unresolved also due to the obvious responsibilities of the international community, first of all the United States and Europe, which must stop “importing our conflict into their countries” and start “exporting solutions.”
Regarding the violence related to the conflict, the Patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins, Card. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who in a reflection posted on the patriarchate’s website upon his return from the Strip, wants to send “a clear message to those responsible. Enough of the killings! The war – says the cardinal – must end and avenues for various forms of aid must be opened, in order to avoid an imminent humanitarian crisis. I hope this nightmare ends quickly. Meanwhile, controversy is growing in Israel over the request by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague for an arrest warrant against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (as well as against Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh). For the magistrate, two of the highest officials of the Jewish State, in particular the head of the Government, are guilty of “crimes against humanity and war crimes.” A decision that, for once, has compacted the political class with harsh accusations against the court, with the leaders of the radical wing Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir in the front row calling the magistrates “anti-Semitic” while pressing for their resignation. accelerate the invasion of Gaza.
Below we reproduce Yonatan Zeigen’s interview with :
Why did you decide to launch the “Vivian Silver Impact Award” and what is the legacy left by one of the most influential figures in Israeli pacifism?
We wanted to create something that had meaning and went beyond her death, continuing her testimony and her legacy as a peacemaker, peacemaker and sharer in Israeli society, as well as enhancing the role of women. So that [las mujeres] have more and more places and roles to influence society. This is what she did throughout her life and it is our duty to use her name and continue her work, encouraging other women to do the same and follow her values and ideals.
What does it mean today to be a “pacifist” in a land torn by conflict and violence?
In Israel and Palestine we have been in a prolonged state of war for more than 100 years. It seems that we have lost the capacity and ability to use different means and avenues in this conflict: the path of diplomacy, of dialogue. And the only thing we have left is military force and political violence, but I don’t think this is constructive. What we can do is change our way of thinking and acting, understanding that if Israel’s interest is security and Palestine’s interest is freedom and a State, non-violence is the only way to achieve it. Military force, on the other hand, is only a harbinger of more violence.
What did it mean to you? hug between Maoz Inon and Aziz Abu Sarah in front of Pope Francis last weekend?
It means everything! It is a true example, it is what we – myself, Maoz and Aziz – who work for peace aspire to. We are not special, we are ordinary people and proof that it is possible to coexist. In this sense it is very important that there are signs of cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians, because our failures, our problems, are the same for all of us. Defeats are common, a detriment to everyone, in the same way that successes benefit everyone, in a destiny that is common.
Also very important, again at the Verona meeting, were the pontiff’s words in support of the Women Wage Peace movement…
Clear! Also Women Wage Peace, which was born in 2014 [tras la guerra de Gaza], is another example of an organization of people who have come together – Israelis, who have been joined by sister organizations in Palestine – and who have raised their voices to say clearly that we need change. It is very important that initiatives like this receive support and legitimacy from the outside world, especially from world leaders and prominent figures like the Pope, who praise the work and message of organizations like this.
After the UN resolution, you said that recognition of the Palestinian state would not be a reward for terrorism, but rather a consolation for the children of the victims. Because?
We are not facing a war between Israelis and Palestinians, but rather a conflict between people who want life and peace and people who want death, destruction. These types of people are present on both sides. For me, a Palestinian state and any kind of solution to the conflict are above all a prize, not terrorism or violence. They are going in the direction of peace and security. Also because there will never be freedom and security without peace and there will be no peace if we continue with the logic of occupation. We must work with the Palestinians to reach a viable and sustainable solution.
After almost eight months of war, what is the predominant feeling in Israeli society: revenge, desire for peace, anger?
The vast majority of Israelis support war because they consider it the only way to provide security to the country. But this is wrong. My mother Vivian used to quote Maslow in the famous phrase “if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” [la ley del martillo]. If we only have the military option, all problems will be seen from the perspective of the use of force and we will be trapped in a situation of permanent conflict, without seeing any alternative to reality, but it is wrong and counterproductive, because it will lead us to more violence and loss of lives.
On a personal level, how did your way of seeing reality and events change after the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas and the war unleashed by Israel in the Strip?
I have not changed my position in terms of ideals, but my way of acting has. I have realized that I must be part of the change, invest in the change. My ideas have not changed, but if possible they have been reinforced, and there is more involvement in this search for peace.
What would your mother, Vivian Silver, have said in the face of the tragedy of civilians in the Strip and what would she have done?
I think she would have been horrified, her heart would have been broken, but I think she would have acted by raising her voice, putting pressure, what I’m doing is what she would have done. She would have loudly shouted ‘not in my name’ the war in Gaza, revenge is not a viable strategy. October 7 is proof that we need peace more strongly, not more wars or the use of force.
Is the return of the hostages or a hypothetical “victory” in the war against Hamas more important for Israeli society?
There is no positive answer or consequence of war, and we cannot get a positive answer by resorting to it. It is not possible to destroy Hamas, because Hamas is an idea. It is an idea of resistance and if you do not change the mentality, if you do not change the reality that surrounds us, it does not matter how many Hamas members you can kill because new ones and in greater numbers will always be formed. If you continue with the logic of the occupation and do not apply a sensible political vision, you will always return to October 6 and that is not a good position to be in, for anyone.
Are the war in Gaza, the occupation, the deadlock in peace talks and the increasingly distant prospect of an agreement the failure of the international community?
Of course. The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is not something we can manage alone, but rather the world itself has invested in the status quo. A reality of war and occupation. If we want change, if the international community itself wants to change reality, it must change its way of acting in the region. We cannot have an international community that says the situation is not good, but continues to guarantee and send money to Israel, to Unwra [Organismo de Obras Públicas y Socorro de las Naciones Unidas para los Refugiados de Palestina en el Cercano Oriente], this is the status quo and nothing changes. Look at what happened in Northern Ireland, where the international community invested time and money for a solution, and then for infrastructure, giving the two sides the opportunity to reach an agreement. In Israel and Palestine there is no money to create peace, only to maintain a permanent conflict, to buy weapons in Israel and for refugees in the Palestinian Authority. They must change the paradigm, the interests, demonstrate that they want to work for a solution and reach an agreement. All this must be done with an international alliance, like the G7, or rather the “P7”: an alliance for peace that works for a solution.
In conclusion, we need the international community, the United States and Europe above all, to stop importing our conflict into their countries and start exporting solutions. Pro-Palestine or pro-Israel demonstrations on either side are counterproductive, they must march together for peace. No one will be free without a solution to this conflict!
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