Engaging Deep Divides on Israel, Palestine and Beyond

We are two senior leaders at a national interfaith organization, Interfaith America, who have deep personal connections to the tragic situation in Israel and Gaza and profoundly differ in our analysis of the situation. Yet, it has also become clear where we do agree — on the importance of seeing each other and each other’s people as fully human. We are bereft at the sheer loss of human life, of Israelis killed and remaining under threat from Hamas’ brutal attacks and of continued Palestinian suffering as Israel prepares for a ground invasion of Gaza. We recognize that we are able to write this piece together in a time of immense grief and tension because we have invested nearly a decade in building our friendship — one that uplifts our many shared values and honors the deep differences that still exist between us.