Why I can’t celebrate the Israel-Hamas peace deal — yet

The events of the past few weeks have left many unsure of how to process everything. First came Canada’s recognition (along with at least nine other countries) of a Palestinian state. Then, the anticipation and signing of the first phase of the Donald Trump-led ceasefire/peace plan, followed by the release of surviving Israeli hostages, Palestinian prisoners and detainees, and the cessation of bombing in Gaza.

These events have brought both relief and an abiding sense that the underlying causes of the struggle remain unaddressed. While the recognition of a Palestinian state was met with contempt by some, celebrations by others and a muted response by many, the “peace plan” has been widely celebrated in the media and by the vast majority of Canadians. It is important, though, to look beneath the surface to understand its ramifications and reflect on what it does and doesn’t do.

While it is impossible to overstate how immense the repercussions of Oct. 7, 2023 have been for the Jewish community, both Oct. 7 and the hostages’ release should be seen as part of a much larger story. The Palestinian experience of loss and repression really began in 1948 and the Nakba (catastrophe in Arabic, referring to the destruction of Palestinian society resulting from the war that led to Israel’s founding as a state) continues to this day.

To understand the disconnect between how most Jews experienced Oct. 7, all that happened since, and the way Palestinians have processed these events, we need to understand how the expression of one story was used to silence another.

A common characterization of Oct. 7 is that it was the greatest attack on Jews since the Holocaust. To Palestinians, Oct. 7 was an attack against Israel’s military occupation, rather than an attack on a group solely due to their identity. The Jewish reaction is about vulnerability, intergenerational trauma and a painful reminder of the permanence of Jewish precarity, feelings that were exacerbated by the palpable rise in incidents of antisemitism in Canada and many parts of the world. Similarly, Palestinian responses to the horrors of Gaza rest in a long line of oppression, loss and trauma going back to 1948. This pain was then intensified by the many attempts to silence Palestinian voices rising in defence of the innocents of Gaza, framing them as supporters of terror.

Any relief I have experienced in recent days is tempered by my moral and ethical commitments as a Jew and as a human to expect something more than a return to the status quo that existed on Oct. 6, 2023. The desperate realities that predate Oct. 7 have become much worse — Gaza in ruins, with over 68,000 dead and 180,000 injured. As someone who talks to dozens of Palestinians regularly, I share their reality that this “peace plan” does not address any of the deeply ingrained policies of degradation, restrictions of movement, theft of land, denials of liberty and the rejection of Palestinian self-determination.

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Holding Israel to account for its own war crimes in Gaza is a necessary step to set the groundwork for a new way forward. If we view Palestinians as less worthy of protection and safety than us, we abdicate our moral responsibility.

Statements from many western leaders about the need to rekindle the two-state solution cannot be taken seriously when Israel’s leaders have been clear that they stand firmly against it and have allowed de-facto annexation to take place through the continued growth of settlements on Palestinian lands.

Much of the discourse in recent days seems to revolve around the degree of credit Trump deserves for accomplishing the return of the hostages and an end of the war in Gaza. But can this peace plan work without a foundation of justice?

The 20-point plan that was signed on Oct. 13 in Egypt celebrates conclusions — that this will lead to lasting peace in the region — that are far from certain. Even if all the points are implemented, the underlying issue — a 58-year occupation — remains unaddressed. Perhaps worse still, Palestinians are returning to a Gaza of rubble, death and hopelessness. A place with virtually no schools, hospitals and infrastructure. Add to this the many difficulties expected ahead in the implementation of the plan itself, including how much of Gaza Israel will continue to occupy, the creation of a transitional government and the deployment of an international “stabilization force.”

While these details are important, they are not the heart of the matter. This plan was created primarily by the United States, tailored to what Israel could live with. This leaves those of us who, like Martin Luther King, Jr., believe that “true peace is not merely the absence of tension, it is the presence of justice,” distrustful, unsettled and even hopeless for a true lasting peace, one where both Israelis and Palestinians have the right to self-determination, and equal rights for all the people of the land.

I am acutely aware of how difficult it is to look beyond the headlines and pictures that pull on our emotions and see what is missing. National media coverage in Canada has focused mostly on the release of the hostages and the ceasefire. Feeling relief at these events is entirely natural, yet if justice is our guiding light, these accomplishments, which bring needed relief, leave in place a system of injustice that continues to be tolerated by our political leaders.

This is a moment to call for something different — a justice-centred approach. Looking starkly at reality is neither a Jewish nor a Palestinian position, but one based on universal human rights and intellectual honesty.

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Jeffrey J. Wilkinson is an educator, researcher, facilitator and a co-author, with Raja Khouri, of The Wall Between: What Jews and Palestinians Don’t Want to Know about Each Other.

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