Commentary: Public Discourse - Israel and the Promise of Peace
Our Executive Director, Ben Freeman, and our Director of Strategy, Mackenzie France, were proud to write for Public Discourse on the Gaza ceasefire deal.
“For the sake of the now returned hostages, Israeli and Palestinian civilians, the Israeli economy, Israel’s international standing, and indeed for Israel’s national consciousness, Israel had to accept the deal brokered by the U.S. We are not naive enough to think that the final negotiation outcomes are entirely in Israel’s control; Hamas has scuppered peace negotiations since the very beginning of the war, but there is clearly something different about the Trump plan. Extensive buy-in from Arab states, concessions to allow Israel to feel comfortable with the day after in Gaza, and the prospect of exiling Hamas from Palestinian governance have combined to create a unique opportunity for peace. Israel took a courageous first step to return its hostages, and it must do everything in its power during negotiations to cement this peace. The costs of a return to war are already known, but the rewards of peace are now much more certain too.”
