The new war with Iran has stranded Hillel Schenker (co-editor of the Palestine-Israel Journal and a contributing author for TTN) and other Israelis attending a conference in Paris to promote a two-state solution. (Hillel is pictured standing on the left, before departing Ben-Gurion for Paris, posing with fellow attendees.) Back home in Tel Aviv, his apartment was badly damaged by a nearby missile strike; the building has mostly been evacuated pending repairs.
Hillel communicated via email with reports on what transpired in Paris, and he announced a new and timely initiative: “An Israeli-Iranian dialogue group was formed on the eve of the latest conflagration … [and] issued a joint call for a ceasefire and diplomacy”:
We, Iranians and Israelis, share grave concerns for the future of our countries and the region. Israel and Iran have been engaged in indirect conflict for decades; a conflict that puts the entire region in danger, and especially the people of these countries. Following the exchange of fire last year, the Israeli attacks starting Friday morning, and the Iranian attacks starting Friday night, the conflict has now entered us into a new phase. Already around 200 civilians have been killed in Iran and at least 23 in Israel. This is a reminder of the price paid by citizens in war.
Iranians, Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live in safety and dignity. Attacks on civilians should be condemned everywhere. The respective governments of our country have helped plunge our people into this war that doesn’t represent our interests. Continued bloodshed won’t bring security for any of our nations.
We call on both sides and the international community to take immediate steps toward ending the violence. They must find a way to bring all parties on the path of diplomacy. An immediate ceasefire should be the first step toward a broader diplomatic solution.
We refuse to accept the inevitability of violent conflict as the only way forward between our nations, Israel and Iran, or their positioning as eternal arch-enemies. The endless and senseless wars of this region won’t benefit our people, all of whom have the right to live in peace and security.
This text and the list of initial signers are online here. More than 1800 additional signatories are listed here.
He also cleared away the confusion between two different French-sponsored conferences:
The Israeli-Palestinian civil society [conference] in France with 300 Israeli and Palestinian civil society activists took place on Friday and Saturday was not postponed. It was very successful, and we all also met with President Macron at the Elysee. Its purpose was to provide Israeli and Palestinian input to the working groups of the French-Saudi conference which was supposed to take place in New York at the UN from June 17-20. That is what was postponed, and Macron promised it will take place in the nearest future.