More Deaths, More Victims – Enough – Gershon Baskin

In Pursuit of Peace in Israel and Palestine

In Pursuit of Peace in Israel and Palestine

On Monday I sat with a Palestinian lawyer that I know in Ramallah whose brother was killed in Ramallah by Israeli soldiers. His brother tried to kill an Israeli soldier, and did not succeed and was killed instead. He is not a hero, he is not a martyr. He is another senseless victim of this conflict.

Last night an Israeli, Rabbi Raziel Shevach, was shot and killed by Palestinians. He was the father to six children. Yes, he was a settler, he was also a human being who had the right to live. He too was another senseless victim of this conflict. We all have too much pain and too much suffering.

I have spent my life bringing Israelis and Palestinians together to think and learn together how to end this conflict, how to build partnerships, how to cooperate and how to live in peace. We have failed until now, but we have the ability to learn from our errors. We have the ability to make peace.

That is the central message of my new book. It details the journey I have been taking and the lessons I have learned and the insights that I have to offer. I really want people to read it.

Categories: Insights

Gershon Baskin

Gershon Baskin is one of the most recognizable names in the Middle East Peace process. He is a political and social entrepreneur who has dedicated his life to peace between Israel and its neighbors. His dedication to creating a culture of peace and environmental awareness, coupled with his impeccable integrity, has earned him the trust of the leaders of all sides of the century old conflict. Few people have such far-reaching and positive impacts on promoting peace, security, prosperity and bi-national relationships. Gershon is an advisor to Israeli, Palestinian and International Prime Ministers on the Middle East Peace Process and the founder and director of IPCRI, the Israeli-Palestinian Public Policy Institute. He was the initiator and negotiator of the secret back channel between Israel and Hamas for the release of 1,027 prisoners – mainly Palestinians and Arab-Israelis of which 280 were sentenced to life in prison, including Yahya Sinwar, the current Palestinian leader of the Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The prisoners were imprisoned for planning and perpetrating various attacks against Jewish targets that resulted in the killing of 569 Israelis in exchange for one Israeli soldier, Gilad Schalit. Gershon is actively involved in research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, environmental security, political strategy, peace education, economics, culture and in the development of affordable solar projects with the goal of providing clean electricity for 50 million people by 2020. He is a founding member of Kol Ezraheiha-Kol Muwanteneiha (All of the Citizens) political party in Israel. He is now directing The Holy Land Bond and is the Middle East Director for ICO – International Communities Organization - a UK based NGO working in conflict zones with failed peace processes.