From opposing sides of the conflict, they talk 

In the aftermath of Hamas’ attacks, two panelists who worked on opposing sides of Israel-Palestine peace negotiations spoke at Congregation Sinai, and they agreed on more than you might think. 

“What Hamas did on October 7th can only be described as one thing. It is terrorism, nothing else,” said Ghaith al-Omari, who once worked for the Palestinian Authority. “Policy is nuanced, but morality is clear,” he added.   

The event was billed as a “Community Briefing” on the Israel-Hamas situation by its host, Milwaukee Jewish Federation, held October 25 at the Fox Point synagogue. 

Born and raised in Jordan, al-Omari advised the Palestinian negotiating team during the 1991-2001 permanent-status talks, where he met his co-panelist, David Makovsky. “I always found him a bit fascinating and annoying,” al-Omari said, followed by laughter from the audience.  

In 2009, after al-Omari had moved to the United States, Makovsky invited al-Omari to speak with him at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The current Washington Institute fellows have been speaking together ever since. The duo has spoken at more than 100 college campuses, where they recognize a greater need for models of constructive discourse. 

“Hopefully you’ll see in our conversation that even where we disagree, we’re not disagreeable, and we have a lot of mutual respect and friendship between us,” said Makovsky, director of the Koret Project on Arab-Israel Relations and an adjunct professor of Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins University. 

On the war 

Also at the event, Milwaukee Jewish Federation Board Chair Joan Lubar discussed current needs in Israel and the Federation’s efforts to help. For donation and other information, visit MilwaukeeJewish.org/israel-emergency. Local attorney Craig Zetley moderated for the two panelists, and he praised their work, visiting many college campuses at a difficult time.   

The panelists discussed the distinct challenges of the Israel-Hamas war that stem from concurrent objectives and crises: from destroying Hamas and rescuing hostages, to providing Gazans with humanitarian support and managing diplomatic relationships.  

According to al-Omari, if key Hamas leadership survives an Israeli counterattack, it will embolden Iran and terrorist organizations throughout the region.  

He pointed out that nearby Arab countries where Hamas is unpopular — such as the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan — are also stakeholders. “A win for Hamas will be a defeat for those countries, those countries which share with us both interests, and to a certain degree, values,” al-Omari said.  

As civilian casualties in Gaza have mounted and supplies have dwindled, Israel and the U.S. have faced increased pressure to protect civilians and allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza, with many entities calling for a ceasefire. “It’s very difficult to elicit international support for an indefinite military campaign with no clear objectives,” al-Omari said.  

Both speakers emphasized that Israel and the U.S. must describe their political and military strategies in more detail and address plans for “the day after.”  

Meeting Gazan humanitarian needs — to the extent possible — is necessary for maintaining diplomatic support, and is a legal and moral imperative, al-Omari said. 

However, as Makovsky pointed out, media disinformation means “there’s no guarantee” that humanitarian aid will be enough. He referenced the murky reports by major news outlets which falsely suggested that Israel bombed a Gazan hospital on Oct. 17, and led to the cancellation of a Jordanian summit with President Biden and Egyptian and Palestinian leaders. 

De-escalation is unwise, both speakers advised. “I wish we were not in this war. I wish people were not dying, but we are in this war, and once you go in, as I mentioned before, a Hamas survival would simply be disastrous all over,” al-Omari said.  

Makovsky hopes that this war will inspire more unity in Israel. “It cannot afford the divisiveness of the last year,” he said.  

As tensions from the war spill onto college campuses, the pair said they will continue to visit schools to model productive discourse.  

“We’re really worried that there’s an effort to delegitimize Jewish students on campus through viral disinformation,” Makovsky said, “You shouldn’t engage with random people on social media who you don’t know, who are just out to bring you down.”  

The colleagues suggested that students check reputable news sources and read differing perspectives.