Israel-Palestine: how to take the first step

Isabelle Lasserre — Do you think Donald Trump can succeed in bringing peace to the Middle East?

Samer Sinijlawi — For the first time, the White House is occupied by a man who not only makes promises, but also has the ability to act. Donald Trump doesn't care about Israelis and Palestinians; he simply wants to implement his plan. I think he will do so. And since this plan is the only one that exists, we must support it and participate in it. But if reconstruction is not carried out in parallel with a process of reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians, it will not work. Because the destruction in the hearts and minds of Jews and Muslims is more serious than the destruction of buildings and infrastructure in Gaza. With or without Donald Trump, peace requires a change of heart among Palestinians and Israelis. Today, the media on both sides are still stuck on October 7. The trauma is as raw as it was two years ago. This is not right. We need to change direction and think about the future. The Israeli and Palestinian media must move on. The solution is not in Washington. It is in every Palestinian and Israeli city.

I. L. — Otherwise?

S. S. — Otherwise, history risks repeating itself. Unfortunately, I see similarities between October 2023 and October 2025... Before the massacres of October 7, all the data concerning Hamas' plans were available. Everyone knew they were preparing something. What was lacking was not information but imagination. No one could have imagined that they would do what they did. Two years later, it is this same lack of imagination that is at work in the search for peace. The Israelis should turn to the Arab countries rather than discussing with Paris or Berlin because, unless I am mistaken, they do not belong to the European Union! The Israelis must be convinced that they belong to the Middle East, that they can get along with the Arabs, and that Gaza can be something other than a jungle.

I. L. — How can Hamas be demilitarized?

S. S. — The disarmament and demilitarization of Hamas are considered the be-all and end-all of peace, its main objective. This is important, of course, but it is not enough. If the IDF has not managed to disarm Hamas in Gaza in two years of war, who can? And how can Hamas be eradicated in the West Bank? In this Swiss cheese terrain, where the two sides are separated by simple and fragile rows of barbed wire, Hamas could repeat the massacres of October 7 ten times over if it wanted to. For now, it has decided not to do so, but it is clear that the slogan of disarmament is insufficient. If another October 7 were to occur, it could be carried out with chemical weapons! History teaches us that every time the peace process fails, the violence intensifies the next time around!

I. L. — So what does …