Hiba Qasas

Yeah.

And, you know, I think there was a personal moment that got me into a reflection, and it relates to my son, actually, who's 22.

And it was after October 7th, and he asked me, Mama, are we going to ever see peace in Israel, Palestine?

We were watching the news, and it was just horrific scenes from both October 7th and the war in Gaza.

And I caught myself saying words my late father told me.

Told him, not in my lifetime, maybe in yours.

And it really hit me to the core because I almost heard myself speak them after I uttered these words and saying, how could I?

You know, I've set up an organization that is supporting peacemakers around the world and I'm avoiding my own conflict.

I felt for a moment as if I'm a fraud.

And that was really a moment where I felt, no, I have to face this head on.

I have to put what I've learned into this conflict.

I have to fight cynicism.

It's our collective responsibility and we're at an inflection point and we have to go for it.

I think for me it's the starting point because when you have a situation where you have two populations that are deeply polarized and you have so much victimhood on both sides and dehumanization of the other and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the most polarizing conflict.

Everyone has an opinion even internationally around it and often it's not very nuanced but the public opinion in both sides is very, very hard.

To start with humanity, it's not something that appeals to the masses because the public opinion is so hard.

But starting with survival, with what you cannot afford to lose, the future for your children, you know, security, safety, dignity, the things that are so important for you as a human being.

So if you're first doing it for your own people.

And then that opens a bit more your willingness to hear the other.

You start to recognize the other.