Demonstrations for Peace in Israel

Yahoo News recently reported that thousands of Israelis took to the streets in Tel Aviv to protest for peace talks as it relates to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. What is important to note about the timing of the demonstrations is that they occurred on the 20 years after Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated. According to the reports, “The demonstrators chanted “Jews and Arabs don’t want to hate each other” and “Israel, Palestine, two states for two peoples…” It was said that upwards of 6,000 people were in attendance for this rally (Yahoo, 2015).

The prospects of peace with regards to the Israeli Palestinian conflict seems to be a distant hope, particularly with the ongoing series of events in Jerusalem, as well as the continued occupation of Palestinian lands by the Israeli government.

It is important to know that there are many within Israel that want the government to take the peace talks seriously with the Palestinians. Yet, quite sadly, the current government in power under Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shown little seriousness to actually offer concrete commitments to peace; the continued settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are the key inhibitors to peace in this conflict. And because of this, it is necessary that individuals not only in Israel, but in the world speak out and demand that the Israeli state removes itself from the Occupied Palestinian Territories.