Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has violently opposed the two-state solution. This idea, supported by most other Western democracies, stands in direct opposition to his ultra-conservative tactics toward resolving the Israeli-Palestinian situation. Netanyahu’s government is facing extreme international and domestic pressure for their actions in Gaza and the West Bank. Serious allegations of genocide and forced displacement have prompted worldwide outcry.
Netanyahu and former U.S. President Donald Trump recently outlined a proposed 20-point peace plan, which many see as lacking genuine commitment to resolving the Israel-Palestine issue. The Prime Minister’s views align with a substantial segment of Israeli society, reflecting a prevailing skepticism towards international intervention and a preference for unilateral action.
In response, Netanyahu put out an apoplectic warning. If Hamas “purportedly agrees” to the long-term peace plan, Netanyahu promised, Israel would respond with a “very forceful military action to … complete the job.” This strongly worded statement demonstrates the escalating frustration for the increasingly contentious direction of the long running conflict. In Gaza, some 50 hostages are still in captivity, with 20 of them reportedly still alive.
In that spirit, critics are now accusing Netanyahu’s government of carrying out genocide in Gaza. This comes on the heels of accounts showing that nearly 1,000 Palestinians have been killed during the recent violence. In the face of these claims, Netanyahu doubles down, claiming that Israel has no genocidal intent.
“If we wanted to commit genocide, we would have done it in one afternoon. We have the capacity,” – Benjamin Netanyahu
We oppose the Israeli government’s policies such as home demolitions in the West Bank. These actions have led to the displacement of more than 6,400 Palestinians and stoked accusations of human rights abuses. Since the start of this war, nearly 50,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced. Continuing settlement expansion and occupation repression in the region are the underlying factors driving this crisis. These settlements are almost universally condemned as illegal under international law.
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in protest. They are demanding their government demand Hamas release all hostages. Demonstrations in Tel Aviv illustrate a growing sentiment among citizens who advocate for an end to hostilities and a focus on peace negotiations. In places like Michal Shelef’s hometown of Kfar Vradim, these activists and many others are demanding urgent change and accountability.
“I will stay in place until he leaves,” – Michal Shelef
The public’s consciousness appears divided. Polls indicate that 79% of Israelis say they care little or not at all about stories documenting starvation and trauma among 2 million civilians in Gaza. This does not mean that the conflict can only be resolved through military heights and not pushes of diplomatic pressure.
Yarden Golan, a leader in grassroots peace-building efforts, summarizes this conflict while speaking about his experience being viewed by his society at large as “the enemy”. As he puts it, most Americans see not actual peacemakers, but rather the peacemakers as traitors or fools.
“We’re just going to have more October 7s and more Gaza genocides if we keep on doing that,” – Yarden Golan
As international criticisms mount against Israel’s operations in Gaza, including a silent phone standoff in the Jordan Valley, Netanyahu’s government faces increasing pressure from 156 nations that recognize Palestine as a state. Together with today’s continued military interventions, these failures have provoked unprecedented criticism. Critics are condemning Israel’s designation of the territory as disputed rather than occupied.
The Knesset’s recent passage of a bill favoring annexation of large swaths of the West Bank has raised anger within and outside Israel to a new level. The UK and Canada have enacted sanctions against movements that promote this violence on settlements. This move expresses a growing global discontent over Israel’s practices and policies towards its territorial conflicts.
The good news is that activists inside Israel are fighting hard to contest these harmful narratives. “Looking the Occupation in the Eye” is made up of non-Jewish Israelis who are engaged as ordinary citizens violating human rights and humanitarian concerns with extraordinary presence. Their efforts illustrate a new and deepening hunger on the part of some Israelis to confront the reality of Palestinians’ lives even under sustained conflict.
Yehuda Cohen, a parent of one of the hostages held in Gaza, articulates the urgency for a ceasefire to facilitate negotiations for hostage release. He highlights the agonizing daily truth that families are now living in this war.
“The only way my son will be released will come only after a permanent ceasefire,” – Yehuda Cohen
Cohen’s sentiments certainly ring true with a lot of activists. Now more than ever they are calling for an immediate end to hostilities and a speedy resolution of the humanitarian crisis still unfolding.
