Today, twelve months after the October 7 massacre, Israel commemorates its dead; the families of the hostages who (hopefully) are at least partly still alive met in the early hours of the morning right there, among those kibbutzim that were stormed by Hamas militiamen, while Gaza mourns its 42,000 confirmed dead and is rubble everywhere. The bombing continued tonight, the war knows no pause or mourning.
Against this backdrop of total devastation that has now for weeks extended the conflict to the entire region, we gladly publish this message from Eszter Koranyi and Rana Salman, co-directors of the Israeli-Palestinian organization Combatants for Peace:
Reflections 1 year since October 7th – A letter from Rana and Eszter, Palestinian and Israeli Co-Directors of Combatants for Peace
Waking up to the horror on October 7th, we knew our lives would never be the same. Witnessing the sheer scale of the violence, the pain, fear and loss that was reverberating into our lives. For all who call this place between the river and the sea home; every day since has felt like our hearts keep breaking multiple times over.
Today marks one year and we are still ferociously demanding a ceasefire deal to end the violence and pave the way for a political solution based on freedom, equality and peace for all.
Standing in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza suffering and struggling to survive under airstrikes, forced displacement, starvation and endless traumas. Standing with Israelis who lost loved ones in such brutal ways at the Nova festival and in the South. In solidarity with Palestinians in the West Bank being forcibly removed from their villages and being terrorized by increasing military and settler violence. Standing with the families of the hostages, anxiously waiting to hear if their loved ones are alive or will ever return to them. With Israelis living under intense rocketfire and evacuated from their homes in the North. With Palestinian citizens of Israel being silenced for showing any sympathy for Gaza,. We believe in holding the pain of every human being who is facing the consequences of the violence of this war.
So today as we mourn together and attempt to heal our personal and collective traumas, we continue to hold empathy for the other, for the so-called “enemy”. We continue to act towards peace, justice and collective liberation. It is even more imperative now, as Palestinians and Israelis in this joint movement, to raise our voices. We know that our lives and futures here are interwined and that another way is possible.
Thich Nhat Hanh said: “There is no way to peace, peace is the way.”
