Yuval Noah Harari is one of the most prominent contemporary intellectuals. Thanks to the straightforward language he uses to discuss historical and philosophical questions, he’s managed to reach a vast audience—particularly after the publication of “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” and “Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow”.
A few weeks after the end of the conflict in Gaza, he attempted, in an article for the Financial Times, to offer a cool-headed reading. Making a historical reference to the presence of both Palestinians and Jews in the region, he concludes that the cycle of war and suffering can only end when both sides abandon their certainties, recognise each other’s right to exist, and offer generous peace terms.
The Israeli intellectual analyses each side’s narrative, arguing that neither is entirely right or wrong, nor does either have reason to desire the other’s destruction.
The most important thing, he explains, is for both sides to show generosity. Harari argues that Israelis must stop claiming every hill and spring. A good peace for Israel, he contends, isn’t one that gives Israelis another square kilometre of desert or another oasis, but one that makes the Palestinians good neighbours. Israel has every interest in wanting Palestine to become a safe, prosperous, and dignified country, not a collection of fenced-off areas. As for the Palestinians, what they can give Israel isn’t another valley or another tree, but something far more precious: legitimacy.
Harari continues by noting that Israelis live with the constant fear of annihilation, and their anxieties are justified. The current balance of power obviously favours Israel, but the Arab and Muslim world makes Israel look like a dwarf by comparison. If the Palestinians recognise Israel’s right to exist, this will push the entire Arab and Muslim world to do the same. Only then could Israelis breathe freely, which would allow the Palestinians to finally begin enjoying peace.
The Israeli intellectual stresses that zealots love to talk about eternity and think they have all the time in the world. But eternity is an illusion and time is running out for everyone. Everyone’s future is threatened by new technologies, from next-generation nuclear bombs to swarms of AI drones and fully autonomous armies. For decades, the slogan for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been “two states for two peoples”. If the two peoples cannot be generous, Harari warns, the final solution to their conflict may be “no state for any people”.
