October 7, 2023 forever changed the dynamics of the Middle East, the global conversation about Israel and Palestine, and the lives of so many in the region and beyond.
Three years later, Jaser AbuMoussa and Jonathan Dekel-Chen — two fathers from Gaza and Israel whose families and communities have endured profound loss — have chosen to reach across the divide.
Jonathan is a member of Kibbutz Nir Oz, a small agricultural community devastated by the October 7 attack, when Hamas and Islamic Jihad murdered or kidnapped one in four of its 400 residents, among them his son Sagui who was held hostage in Gaza for 498 days. Jaser was born and raised in Khan Younis, Gaza. During the war, he suffered devastating losses during IDF airstrikes, which killed his wife Heba, two of their four children,(Hmaid and Abdulrahman), his mother, sister, uncle, nieces and nephews and many other close family members. Jaser ultimately left Gaza with his two surviving children, Abdallah and Sham, for medical treatment in the United Arab Emirates before settling in the United States.
Despite the loss and suffering they and their communities have experienced, Jonathan and Jaser have chosen to engage with one another rather than retreat into the anger and distrust that have deepened on both sides.
Join us for a unique and candid exchange about what Israelis and Palestinians can do now to create a different future for their children and grandchildren.
Co-presented with The Institute of Global Politics at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs