From the relative comfort and safety of Australia, it has become almost unbearable to watch the news from Israel and Palestine.

Hamas will not surrender, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has doubled down on this opposition to a two-state solution, and so after a seven-day ceasefire and a hostage exchange, bombing and bloodshed resumed.

There has been much suffering in the Middle East in past decades.Credit: Photo: Kate Geraghty; Artwork: Marija Ercegovac

To watch the suffering of Israelis, with approximately 1200 killed and around 200 hostages captured on October 7, and the death toll from Gaza growing every day and already surpassing 25,000 lives, it’s easy to believe that peace is no longer possible, and that Israelis and Palestinians cannot co-exist without violence.

But the truth is, the two-state solution is the only viable option for a lasting peaceful future without tensions always escalating to war. And what’s easy to forget from our relative distance is that for so many Israeli and Palestinian people before October 7, living peacefully was a reality already in practice.

I have been to Israel and Palestine many times and seen peace in practice over and over again at a grassroots level. Yes, there is profound trauma and unforgettable experiences that both sides will carry with them throughout their lives. These experiences are not diminished, but they are not the only reality.

I have sat with........

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