He recognizes that now that the Israeli population is reeling from the October 7 massacre, his commitment to reconciliation between Palestinians and Israelis has lost its champions. But Yehuda Shaul does not give up his efforts. Since 2020, he has been co-director of an Israeli public policy think tank that defends “the right of two peoples to self-determination” and was a co-founder of Breaking the Silence, an NGO that was born almost two years ago. several decades ago with the aim of “exposing the daily reality of the military occupation of Palestinian civilians in the territories.” His experiences serving in the military from 2001 to 2004 led Yehuda Shaul, born 40 years ago in Jerusalem, to create Breaking the Silence.

Almost everyone in Israel has lost someone or knows a family affected by the Hamas massacre on 07/07. More than 1,400 people have been killed and about 200, including several foreigners such as the Spaniard Ivan Illaramendi, are in the hands of this terrorist organization. The day before this interview, Yehuda Shaul had attended the funeral of a friend who had been killed south of the Strip. What black sabbath He was out of Israel on holiday in Nepal, but returned as soon as he could.

“This is something we have never experienced before. This level of cruelty and dehumanization is paralyzing and depressing. These images of entire families destroyed are incredible. My friend was part of his community’s response team. They fought for seven hours and defended their people. “I don’t know what would have happened to them if they hadn’t stood up. Finally, my friend died. This Hamas massacre should be condemned by anyone with decency and humanity,” says Shaul.

The initial anger is quite logical. It’s unavoidable. The brutality of Hamas’s actions, which included the persecution and killing of 260 young people at a music festival near Gaza, explains why some 360,000 reservists mobilized without resistance. “What Hamas did was a bloodbath, and none of us can come to terms with it. This is an emergency. But I am convinced that once they return from the fight, the protests we saw before will be nothing compared to what we will see. The vast majority in Israel believe that if there is anyone to blame, it is Benjamin Netanyahu, who has dedicated himself to strengthening Hamas and weakening the Palestinian National Authority,” says a researcher who clearly sees how these policies “feed the monster and this monster.” . attacked us on Saturday, October 7.” For this reason, he is convinced that the Netanyahu government must and will fall.

But Yehuda Shaul notes that revenge is not the answer, especially in politics. “You have to be rational and also aware of the context, not to justify what happened, but to understand it. This is what we were afraid of. We have violated the rights and dignity of people in Gaza for 17 years. Every few years, “There’s a brutal operation, blowing up whole families. The idea that force is the solution hasn’t worked for the last 75 years and it won’t work now,” says this dedicated Israeli activist, concerned about the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip. “What is happening before our eyes.

The government has failed

Many are wondering how Israel was so vulnerable on that Saturday, October 7, what went wrong that so many Israelis were killed and the army did not show up for several hours. “It’s just logic that doesn’t work, and this attack showed that. If your national security is based only on force, without resolving the conflict, you are doomed to fail, because to win you must always do so. Once the other party succeeds for a moment, it has already achieved its goal. And the consequences, as we have seen, are dire,” he comments, although he admits that mistakes were made that will have to be investigated, such as there being a large concentration of soldiers in the West Bank awaiting uprisings due to their settlement policies. “At heart, we We must learn that violence will continue until there is a political solution.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government’s goal of eliminating Hamas cannot be achieved by force, according to this conflict expert. “We cannot destroy the entire Palestinian population. And the day after the end of the military operation, we will have to live with the Palestinians.”

“It is alarming that European leaders have not called for de-escalation.”

Yehuda is disappointed that his government has once again chosen the path of force, but he is also depressed by the statements of European leaders. “They say Israel has the right to defend itself, but I say it has a duty. And this is what the government has not done. It failed in its duty. It is alarming that European leaders have not called for de-escalation.” They talk only about weapons, leaving aside the most important thing – the roots of the conflict, that is, the military occupation.

Shaul, who, oddly enough, comes from a very conservative Israeli family, emphasizes that if the rulers of Spain and Europe really want to protect and protect the lives of Israelis and Palestinians, “they must do everything possible to move the conflict towards a political solution.” diplomatic, which presupposes equality and self-determination of two peoples.” He is convinced that “greater cycles of revenge only lead to greater militancy, and it is this determination to continue down the path of violence that truly endangers the State of Israel.”

He also believes that the Israeli government, the most ultra-nationalist in Israeli history, should first focus on allowing civilian and military hostages to return to their homes. And keep in mind that in carrying out its protection and the protection of Israeli citizens, it must respect international law, for this it will be necessary to allow humanitarian assistance to the population of Gaza in order to avoid the suffering of innocent people.

He reflects that when something like what happened on October 7, the worst of nightmares, happens to a people like the Israelis, “you can react with your heart and a hole in your stomach, with compassion and humanity, or you can swell your heart with anger and desire for revenge. Now this desire for revenge dominates Israeli society. However, he is convinced that the day will come when compassion will triumph. “After thousands of dead soldiers and thousands of dead Palestinians, we will have to live side by side. There is no other solution other than two states.”

Israel is at a ‘tectonic tipping point’ after black sabbath. Nobody knows what will happen now. Years ago, Yehuda Shaul hoped to see peace between Palestinians and Israelis in his lifetime, even if it was already at an end. He’s not so convinced anymore. “What Hamas did sets us back decades. It will take us years to recover.”