Things Are Never So Bad They Can’t Get Worse…

Nabil Fahmy advocates for immediate peace efforts between Palestinians and Israelis.

Both of the following statements are true:

• The surprise October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel was brutal, outrageous, inhumane, and far outside the boundaries of behavior even remotely “acceptable” in war.
• The ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza has terrorized Palestinian civilians, destroyed the majority of their residential and commercial buildings and infrastructure, contributed to a horrible humanitarian crisis and has made the territory all but uninhabitable—even if aimed at destroying Hamas.

That is not to suggest moral equivalency, nor to judge who is guilty of what. Rather, it is to argue that it is more critical than it has ever been that this tragedy should beget a new effort to create sustainable peace and prosperity for Palestinians as well as for Israelis.

But, if peace wasn’t possible before October 7, how likely is it that the horrors of the past six months have improved prospects? Not surprisingly, hatred and shock not understanding and goodwill are the order of the day in both societies. And, haven’t the endless efforts over the past 75 years long since exhausted all imaginable diplomatic possibilities? Who has the moral standing, never mind the agency, to construct a solution? For that matter, who would speak for the Palestinians if any negotiation could be launched?

Nabil Fahmy, former Egyptian foreign minister and career diplomat who has spent his professional life working on these issues, doesn’t claim to have answers. But he deeply believes that failing to try to find them would condemn his region to a worsening cycle of violence—with consequences that could be far worse than what we have witnessed since October.

Listen as Minister Fahmy discusses not only why, but how a different future might be possible.

Tell us what you think: Can you imagine a world where Israelis and Palestinians can live and prosper, side by side, in their own countries?