Pursuing peace in a time of war

Two peace activists – one Israeli, the other Palestinian – share their insights

With Gershon Baskin and Samer Sinijlawi

Sunday, April 6, 2025

12:00 noon EDT, 9:00 am PDT, 19:00 UTC + 3 (IDT: Israel Daylight Time)

On March 18, Israel resumed its campaign against Hamas in Gaza, shattering almost two months of a fragile ceasefire. The brutal war rages, creating huge casualties among Gaza civilians and putting the remaining hostages in greater danger, if not abandoning them altogether. Despite the IDF assaults, Hamas remains entrenched in Gaza. Meanwhile, the Netanyahu government continues its relentless annexationist agenda in the West Bank, and tensions there continue to mount.

How badly has Netanyahu’s far-right government destroyed hopes for peace for the foreseeable future? How do we move past extremism and entrenched hostility on both sides?

Two seasoned activists/analysts – one Israeli, the other Palestinian – give us their perspectives on the complex situation. They will discuss the challenges and the steps required, both immediate and down the road, to bring about a better outcome for both peoples.

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Gershon Baskin on the Hostage Situation

Gershon Baskin Shares his Ideas and Unique Insights
Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu at Trump Tower, September 25, 2016. Credit: Israel Government Press Office (GPO)

The Trump Netanyahu meeting

The important talks today are those that will take place in the Oval Office today between Trump and Netanyahu, not the proximity talks in Doha. If Trump stands behind what he has been writing in Read more

UNSCOP (3 September 1947) and UN Ad Hoc Committee (25 November 1947) partition plans. The UN Ad Hoc committee proposal was voted on in the resolution.

The Need for New Leaders

Gershon Baskin would love to see a new Palestinian political campaign with leaders who stand up tall with a banner that says: From the River to the Sea, On Two States We Agree!

PALESTINIAN MEMBERS of a Hamas unit parade in Gaza on Sunday. (photo credit:REUTERS)

Now Gaza

Gershon Baskin feels that Twenty months of war in Gaza is far too much already. Now is the time for it to end.

Hamas Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyya (Islamic Resistance Movement)

The deal that’s on the table

Gershon Baskin senses that Israel cannot remove Hamas - but the people of Palestine can and they will once the war is over and once Israel leaves Gaza. Now not tomorrow!

Kan English

Military pressure kills hostages

Gershon Baskin blasts the current IDF campaign against Hamas in Gaza, saying that military pressure doesn’t save hostages… it kills them. Speaking to reporter Arieh O’Sullivan, Baskin outlined possible moves that could free the hostages, end the fighting and rebuild Gaza.

Hamas militants display weapons in front of a destroyed house east of Gaza City, Aug. 27, 2014. (photo by REUTERS/Majdi Fathi)

END IT NOW!

Gershon Baskin senses that Israel must stop the killing in Gaza.  Too much killing has been done. Too much destruction in Gaza has been done. Israel will pay for this in many ways for years to come.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron (L) after their joint press conference in Jerusalem on October 24, 2023. CHRISTOPHE ENA / AFP

Macron and Netanyahu

Gershon Baskin shares his insights regarding the relationships between Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron and Netanyahu.

Steven Charles Witkoff

Witkoff Deal

Gershon Baskin shares his ideas regarding the key role that Witkoff is playing in negotiating a ceasefire and hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas/

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a CFR meeting

More Lies

Gershon Baskin strongly senses that everyday that Netanyahu is in power, Israel is weakened and his government loses its right to exist.

Ismail Haniyeh. Benjamin Netanyahu

Now!!!

Gershon Baskin believes that removing Hamas from power in Gaza and demilitarizing the Strip must happen—it is Israel's obligation to achieve these war objectives—but this can be accomplished after the hostages are returned.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a CFR meeting

Netanyahu’s grand strategy

Gershon Baskin senses that Netanyahu probably believes that if Hamas executes Israeli hostages, Israel will have the moral right and the greenlight from Trump to finish the job in Gaza – which means killing a lot more Palestinians and taking full control over Gaza including the forced evacuation of Gazans.

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu at Trump Tower, September 25, 2016. Credit: Israel Government Press Office (GPO)

Deal Now!

Gershon Baskin believes that there is only one deal that should be advanced - the deal that brings all of the hostages home in one week with 1-2 tranches - not more

Activists, including Israelis and Palestinians, take part in a demonstration in support of peace near Jericho. (photo credit:REUTERS)

False conceptions

Gershon Baskin senses that there will never be peace and security for only one of the sides.. It’s live together or die together.. it is now time for the peace of no choice.

PA finance minister Shukri Bishara shakes hands with his Israeli counter part Yair Lapid, June 16 2013. Photo by Anat Hamemi

Moving Forward

Gershon Baskin feels that it is time to move from the concept of the war of no choice to the concept of the peace of no choice.

Hamas Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyya (Islamic Resistance Movement)

Finishing Hamas

Gershon Baskin believes that the war will truly end only when no hostages remain in Gaza and Hamas no longer governs it, both administratively or militarily. This objective can only be achieved through a political solution and regional cooperation

From the River to the Sea

At the Crossroads

Gershon Baskin firmly believes that It is now upon us to choose the path of basing our future on knowing that there will never be a solution until everyone living between the River and the Sea has the same right to the same rights.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Israel-Hamas ceasefire under strain once more

Gershon Baskin shares his ideas regarding why the shaky ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas is under strain again and why Israel wants an end to the public spectacle around the release of hostages, who've been paraded in front of large crowds and sometimes forced to praise their captors.

Channel 13 Israel

Where is the body of Shiri Bibas

Gershon Baskin shares with Israel Channel 13 his insights regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleging that Hamas "put the body of a Gazan woman in a coffin" instead of the body of Shiri Bibas.

Ghazi Hamad, deputy foreign minister of Hamas.

A letter to Ghazi Hamed

In an open letter to Ghazi Hamad, Gershon Baskin shares that there is no winner in this war – we all lost. Palestine lost. Hamas lost. Israel lost.

PALESTINIAN MEMBERS of a Hamas unit parade in Gaza on Sunday. (photo credit:REUTERS)

Phase One – Back on Schedule….BUT…..

Gershon Baskin feels that Israelis and Palestinians will never have security unless both of them have security. Hard to swallow now while we are all still living in trauma and fear, but this war really must be the last Israeli Palestinian war.

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu at Trump Tower, September 25, 2016. Credit: Israel Government Press Office (GPO)

The Delusion of Mass Emigration

Gershon Baskin senses that we Israelis have to figure out how to get Netanyahu out of power and return Israel to its senses and understanding that the two states solution is back on the table and that it is the only way to ensure Israel’s security and well-being.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Netanyahu in Washington to meet Trump

Gershon Baskin shares with Australian Broadcasting Company's Eric Tlozek his thoughts regarding Benjamin Netanyahu flying to the United States to meet with the president Donald Trump to discuss the war in Gaza.

The refugee issue is on the table and the parties will negotiate it

Palestinian and Israeli choices

Gershon Baskin senses that the choice is in the hands of the Palestinians if they will continue on the path of Hamas which will lead to more death and destruction or if they will decide on a new path and make clear that they are prepared to live in peace and freedom with Israel if Israel will be prepared to end its occupation over what should become the free State of Palestine.

Netanyahu in the Knesset with Ya'alon, Lapid and others, December 3, 2014. (photo credit:MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)

Return the mandate to the people

Gershon Baskins senses that if Netanyahu is so confident in his abilities and the people's support for him, let him bring this chapter to an end and return the mandate to the people.

Gershon Baskin holds the draft agreement between Israel and Hamas for the release of Gilad Shalit at his home in Jerusalem, October 12, 2011

The irony of the deal

From October 7th we knew that in order to return all the hostages we would have to negotiate with Hamas. Despite this, the first and most important goal of the Israeli government since that terrible Read more

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Is the Gaza war about to end?

Gershon Baskin believes that until now, Netanyahu has sacrificed the Israeli hostages and Palestinian civilians on the altar of his political survival. This cannot last for long

Hamas militants display weapons in front of a destroyed house east of Gaza City, Aug. 27, 2014. (photo by REUTERS/Majdi Fathi)

Ceasefire to locate the hostages

Gershon Baskin believes that Instead of Israel and Hamas arguing about which of the hostages will be released in a partial deal, it would be better to end it with a complete and comprehensive deal - to end the war and return all the hostages.

Marwan Hasib Ibrahim Barghouti

The State of the Negotiations

Gershon Baskin shares his insights regarding the nature of the negotiations, and claims that there has never been a situation like the one we are in and these negotiations are different from all previous negotiations.

Bashar Hafez al-Assad, the President of Syria

The Golan Heights Peace Park

Gershon Baskin feels that an Israel-Syria Golan Peace Park would make a genuine contribution to peace and prosperity by reducing conflict between the two countries and by creating a safe and secure space for communities promoting peaceful coexistence.