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Waking up on October 7, we were hit with a wave of shock as the televised reports of the Hamas attack unfolded. It felt surreal, like something out of a movie. Images of chaos and devastation flashed across the screen. Like so many people on both sides, we felt a deep sense of fear.
How could this be happening? The world felt so uncertain, and our hearts raced at the thought of the innocent lives caught in the crossfire. We felt an overwhelming fear for the people in the affected areas, wondering how they would cope with such sudden violence. And also, as all Palestinians and a much smaller group of Israeli peace activists - including for example Vivian Silver, the founder of Women Wage Peace, who was killed by a rocket fired on her house by Hamas - we felt deep concern for those in Gaza, anxious about the potential consequences and the collective punishment that would likely follow.
For many Israelis, the massacre solidified their lack of faith in achieving any kind of peace with the Palestinian people. For about half a day, the Palestinians believed that the huge war machine of Israel could be conquered with simple rockets, a few tractors and tenders, and an angry mass of people streaming through the fence. We can understand both perspectives, but we at Combatants for Peace reached a different conclusion. A movement founded by former Israeli and Palestinian fighters, Combatants for Peace came to a pivotal realization: The methods we...