The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza has profoundly affected the discourse on the politics of Isreali-Palestinian support, whether at a global politics lens, domestic partisanship or a question of personal moral standing tensions have risen. This is the context of the 2025 Taipei International Peace Forum contends with its campus series, “Speaking Through Brutality: When a Gazan meets an Israeli,” presented by the Long Yitai Cultural Foundation held on 24 September 2025. The event was organized by the National Chengchi University’s (NCCU) International Doctoral Program on Asia-Pacific Studies (IDAS).
Presenting the Israeli perspective is Roi Silberberg, Director of the School for Peace at Neve Shalom – Wahat al-Salam, describing his journey from a Zionist upbringing to becoming a peace educator. He spoke about the highly militaristic culture permeating the daily life of Israelis, and the transformation that comes from learning through dialogue. He spoke about the School of Peace, as a rare example where Jews and Palestinians live together as equals, through shared leadership and bilingual education. A place where dialogue and cohabitation create foundations linking peacebuilding to practical initiatives. They have assisted in the reconstruction of lost Palestinian places as focal points for memory and community. However, he states that facilitating dialogue at this moment is uniquely difficult. Political repression has intensified, especially for Palestinians, but also for Jews. Freedom of speech and assembly are more constrained. Participants arrive fearful about speaking openly but at the same time, many people feel this is not a moment for dialogue; yet those who do come feel a powerful urgency and often carry unrealistic expectations. For him, the task is to clarify what dialogue and training can and cannot do, and to focus together on meaningful, realistic action.
Speaking from the Palestinian perspective, Hazem Almassry, a postdoctoral researcher and writer from Gaza. Hazam connects his personal life to the broader Palestinian struggle. Tracing the historical roots of the modern Israeli-Palestinian conflict through occupation, forced removal, and manufactured hardship, Hazam lays bare the daily realities of the people of Gaza. Through personal loss, Hazam narrates the unprecedented scale of violence that erupted following October 7, 2023, as today Palestinians live with daily killings and starvation. For Hassan, peace under occupation is not peace, it is submission, and without real pressure on Israel and genuine accountability, nothing will change. Palestinians continue to live between moments of warmth and joy, and the deep affliction of political violence. The balance is fragile, and the storm is never far away.
In the open forum, students emphasized that the situation should be recognized as genocide rather than merely a “conflict,” emphasizing that this has been an ongoing process for decades. Speaking truth to power, and calling atrocities for what they really are. This has proven difficult as powerful countries continue to deny proper action to help the Palestinians. When asked about similar initiatives in other places particularly in Palestinian territory, Roi explained that joint initiatives face skepticism among Palestinians due to concerns about “normalization,” which refers to working too closely with the “enemy.” As within Palestinian society engaging in joint initiatives is considered a betrayal of the Palestinian struggle. Furthermore, as Palestinian territories face institutional collapse it increases the difficulty to sustain dialogue initiatives. When asked about their desired outcomes for a final political solution, Hazem preferred a one-state solution with equal rights but would accept two states if it guaranteed independence. But Hazam acknowledges the difficulties to reach either of these outcomes, as Israel does not want either option and a political consensus has been reached within Israel. Roi supports any viable solution, but stresses that stopping violence and ending the illusion of exclusivity must come first. At the present moment, Roi laments we are far from any real discussion of solutions.
In conclusion, the dialogue revealed starkly different lived realities yet a shared desire to end violence and achieve dignity. Both speakers underscored the importance of dialogue, though they acknowledged immense challenges given the ongoing violence, mistrust, and international inaction. As the war continues to severely impact the already critical humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, a cession of violence is just the first step towards a path to sustainable peace and security for all Palestinians and Israelis. To break the cycle of violence, the international community must push for an agreement that respects the lives, dignity and future of Israelis and Palestinians equally.
