The proposed peace plan for Gaza appears to be in effect within 24 hours. A Jewish and a Palestinian Drenthe who are very involved in the situation in the Middle East are hopeful that the terrible situation will come to an end. Although there is no blind faith in a positive outcome yet.
“We have been waiting for this for two years and in my heart I hope that it will actually happen now,” says Margot Maynard from Emmen. Maynard is Jewish and chairman of the Emmer Sjoel, a foundation that organizes activities in the former synagogue in Emmen. “I hope it brings peace to everyone in the region.”
Kawther Al-Baz from Assen, who has family and friends living in Gaza, also hopes that peace will come. “I must honestly say that I am happy inside.” But Al-Baz is still up for grabs when it comes to definitive peace. “I don’t have much confidence in it yet. Agreements have been made before that did not materialize.”
“So much has gone wrong in the past 77 years, Israel has done so much injustice to the Palestinians. That’s why I can only really trust it when I see results,” Al-Baz continues.
Maynard also has that reluctance. “We are very happy that this can be the next step towards peace, but it is such a complex situation. Israel needs Hamas to be dismantled, otherwise there can be no peace.”
The more than three quarters of a century of war, unrest, conflict and terror that has ravaged the region shows that there are still quite a few steps to be taken before Israelis and Palestinians see a path towards peace, especially if they or their parents were part of this.
Maynard’s son is studying and says that the war is a much discussed topic among students. “I don’t like saying that I am Jewish. What is quite disturbing is that people often have a very polarizing perspective. It is terrible to hear generalizations about Jews and Israelis. It is best to speak to people from both sides yourself, so you get closer to each other.”
He says that his peers are united when it comes to the war. “It took way too long.” His generation also looks critically at the current government in Israel. “Many Jewish young people do not support the current government.”
Al-Baz sees that the war in Gaza has done something to the younger generations. “They are more involved than ever with the Palestinians and the situation in Gaza.
She herself is involved in student protests in Groningen, for example. “It is clear that younger generations see that there is so much injustice and are taking action. That is where I place my hope for the future of Gaza.”