PUERTA DE ORIENTE Gaza, Vivian Silver’s son affirms that the truce is positive, but there will be no peace without new leaders

Israel and Hamas are ready to sign a ceasefire and the release of some of the hostages, but the end of the war is still far away. In statements to Yonatan Zeige, son of the Israeli pacifist who is one of the victims of October 7, speaks of “issues of power and interests” behind the agreement, starting with the change of the American administration. The historical precedent between Israel and Egypt is the reference point to overcome the conflict with the Palestinians.

Milan () – Reaching a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza “is a question of power and interests” and, regarding the timetable to reach the signature, after more than 460 days of war, there are “many variables and complexities”, but the decisive factor is “Donald Trump. His return to the White House” has unblocked the situation. This is the analysis made by Yonatan Zeigen, son of the Israeli-Canadian pacifist Vivian Silver – victim of the attack on October 7, 2023 that triggered the conflict in the Strip, with all its burden of death and violence – of the agreement that is about to be signed to end the military escalation. However, he goes on to say in this interview with it is not possible to aspire to a lasting peace and a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict “with the current leaders”, and it is more urgent than ever that there be “new political actors.”

The agreement between the ideal and the real

“Yeah [el presidente saliente Joe] Biden would have liked – the activist points out – he could have pressed for an agreement to be reached sooner, avoiding all this bloodshed.” “He had the power to do it. That said, in principle, any ceasefire and any life that can be saved is something meritorious and worthy of support.” “I don’t think it is an ideal agreement. What’s more, in an ideal world – explains Zeigen – we would never have entered Gaza or ventured into this war, and we would have made a negotiation. brief to reach a complete agreement. And to build – he continues – the foundations of a diplomatic process that will put an end to the conflict.” This, he warns, “is what should have happened after October 7, 2023, but we do not live in an ideal world and I think our government prefers to continue the war. In this sense, any hostage returning home from Gaza is a good thing. Why is it happening now? Because Trump has arrived, because Trump will be in the White House.”

After 465 days of war, more than 46,500 dead in the Strip and almost 110,000 wounded since the conflict began, in addition to the 1,200 Israeli victims of the Hamas attack and hundreds of hostages, never have the parties seemed so close to a truce. An objective that is about to be achieved thanks to the mediation of Qatar, but above all of the United States of the outgoing Biden administration and his successor Donald Trump, who will begin his term on January 20.

One of the central points of the agreement would be a list (between 1,300 and 3,000) of Palestinian prisoners who would be released in exchange for the return of at least 33 hostages by Hamas. The Israeli government, which is scheduled to meet today to discuss and approve the terms, however, has reportedly vetoed the release of some prominent detainees, including Marwan Barghouti, head of Fatah’s armed wing, and Ahmad Saadat, head of the Fatah Front. People for the Liberation of Palestine, who orchestrated the assassination of Israeli minister Rehavam Ze’evi in ​​2001. The truce would last at least 42 days, is divided into three phases and also includes the withdrawal of the IDF (Israeli army) troops from the Philadelphia Corridor, a strip of land between Gaza and Egypt. The second phase, which will begin on the 16th day of the agreement, will require additional negotiations focused on the release of all remaining civilians and soldiers. Finally, the third, long-term agreements, includes discussions on the creation of an alternative government in the Strip. The return of a million Palestinian refugees to the north of the Strip is also on the table, but there are no sure indications about the end of the war, which remains an unresolved issue, as does the release of all the hostages.

The path of reconciliation

Yonatan Zeigen, who has taken over from his mother by establishing an award inspired by her decades of work [el “Vivian Silver Impact Award”, que cada año se otorga a una mujer árabe y judía] in favor of peace and coexistence, addresses the issue of the “conditions” for reconciliation. “Mutual trust must be rebuilt. “It is a question – he says – of conscience and of laying the foundations, the conditions so that this can be verified.” However, at least for the moment, in some sectors of the Israeli leadership the “need” to “continue the conflict” seems to prevail. But if we continue the war, our minds will also end up believing that this is a necessary condition, thinking that “absolute good” is only on one side and ‘absolute evil’ on the opposite side”, according to a logic that imposes the stronger. In reality, the activist points out, “if we have as a reference and as an objective to end the conflict, then we will be able to think about different educational projects, start a different political rhetoric and in that way the people themselves will be able to see a different perspective, of a shared future, and reconciliation becomes possible. “It’s a matter of circumstances and conditions.”

In this perspective, his mother would also have worked for dialogue, who dedicated many years of her life to coexistence, although, she specifies, “no one can say how she would have reacted if she had survived, because trauma changes people.” “I think he would have looked positively on any non-military approach.” “There is a lot of work ahead – he emphasizes – to heal the wounds” but the path cannot be “from the bottom up. In this way traumas can be healed” but the question of the political process remains pending, which must be healed. On the contrary, “if you go from the top down it is possible to create a new environment.” “Let’s think – reflect – about the war [del Kippur] “With Egypt in 1973, which was a profound trauma, there was widespread hostility towards the Egyptians and the desire for revenge prevailed.” However, thanks to the mediation of then Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and President Anwar al-Sadat, there was a “change in relations; “First people didn’t want to have anything to do with Egypt, and then they took to the streets to celebrate peace.”

Willingness to change

To achieve peace, then, the necessary condition is a change in the leadership of the Jewish State, because the religious and radical front of the Executive is pushing for an escalation of the conflict. Precisely at this time, the leader of Otzma Yehudit, Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir publicly asked Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to join forces to prevent a “surrender” agreement. “Our government – explains the activist – is not interested in progress, it is not interested in peace to rebuild our lives.” The agreement was signed “only due to pressure from the United States and the arrival of the new Trump administration.” Today there is hope for a ceasefire and the return of the hostages, but “the issue is much deeper, the issue is much broader: it is not just about going beyond the events of October 7 and the war in Gaza, because that is not where the story begins, it is not enough to silence the weapons, we have to change the paradigm of the conflict.”

The war, he observes, has determined “a radicalization and extremization” of the different souls of Israeli society, both among those who are committed to peace and coexistence, and among those who step on the pedal of occupation, of territorial expansionism. . All this to the detriment of the two-state solution and the possible birth of a Palestinian entity. The peace movement has gained importance, and at the same time the settler front has gained even more strength and energy, in the attempt to achieve its objectives. “We have to return the paradigm to the correct position – he affirms – and the correct position is that of the complete end of the conflict.” For the future, the outlook remains uncertain and it is difficult to make predictions, but “the process continues, peace must be strong and resilient, so that a new chapter can be written in the history of the Middle East.” “We now see a geopolitical interest in ending the conflict. The United States and Trump himself want it for a new vision” that also includes the involvement of the Arab world, but that cannot be carried out “if the phenomenon of occupation continues.” “If there is real international pressure to end the war, a different narrative may prevail, but we must strive – he concludes – so that this can become a reality.”

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