I’ve lived in Israel twice in my life—first in the seventies, then again from 2015 to 2023. Back in the seventies, I lived just a few miles from the West Bank. I could cross over freely. The men who built our garden came from Gaza. Life felt complicated, yes, but also connected.

In my most recent years in Israel, I again traveled into the West Bank. I met Palestinians, supported nonprofits, and even helped some young people with their education. They were warm, kind, and eager for a better future.

That’s why October 7th shook me so deeply. I don’t support Netanyahu’s policies or Israel’s heavy hand in Gaza. But that doesn’t mean I can accept what Hamas did. I understand the rage Israelis feel. What I don’t understand is the world’s double standard—the marches that cry for Palestinian rights but fail to condemn Hamas or call for the release of hostages. That silence speaks volumes.

I sometimes joke that I support a “two-state solution”: one where Palestinians and Jews live side by side, and another where their politicians are kept far away from them. Beneath the joke is a serious truth: the people can live together, but the politics keep them apart.

If peace is ever to happen, a Palestinian state has to exist—but not as a slogan. It must be built properly, with functioning institutions, real investment, schools, commerce, and the rule of law. Countries that “recognize” Palestine with words alone are doing nothing. If they truly believe in it, they should roll up their sleeves and help build it.

The issue of Israeli security must be address. How can you expect Israeli’s to live less then ten miles from people commit to the destruction of the state and the death of its people.  Oct. 7th showed us that.

Gaza too must change. It’s too small to survive as it is. With international help, it could expand, modernize, and even become a place of opportunity. Imagine if the strip, instead of being a symbol of despair, became a hub of business, tourism, and hope.

And most of all, commerce must connect Israelis and Palestinians again. For decades, Palestinians working in Israel were the backbone of the West Bank economy. That stopped after October 7th. Now Israel is bringing in workers from Asia, while Palestinians who are ready to work sit idle just a few miles away. It’s madness.

Arab states, too, have to step up. They issue grand statements but rarely put real money or effort into building Palestine. Without that investment, nothing will change.

I don’t pretend this is a complete plan. But I’ve lived this reality. I’ve had Palestinians in my home, and I’ve seen Israelis bury their loved ones. Both peoples want the same thing: to live in safety, to raise their families, to work, to dream. Politics and fear get in the way. If we can strip those away—even a little—the possibility of peace is still alive.

I am sure many of not most of my Israeli friends will find this post naïve.  It probably is.