We’re praying that all the hostages will come home. We rejoice with apprehension. After all, Hamas is a terror organization whose Charter calls for the obliteration of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic state in all historic Palestine. The proposal from the plan’s negotiation teams is a precursor to difficult times ahead. Will all the hostages come home? Will there be Peace? The world sits on the edge of its seat. Israel, I’m sure, is preparing for either scenario; they can’t be complacent. What will happen if Hamas does not fulfill its commitment?
You may know I’ve been working on Peace for eleven years. Following the introspection of the High Holy Days and given the potential for the return of the hostages and the possibility of Peace, more contemplation seems in order.
What inspired me to work on Peace 24/7 for more than eleven years? In 2014, we took our son to war for his bar mitzvah present. Not intentionally, of course, but perhaps Hashem (God) has a sense of humor. Seeing incredible sacred sites and running to bomb shelters has a way of getting your attention. You can feel the percussion of Iron Dome blowing up the missiles in mid-air, regardless of whether you are hiding in a bomb shelter, even though the rockets may be miles away. It was the beginning of the first Gaza war.
After our life-changing trip to Israel in 2014, I chose to work on Peace. I knew in my heart that parents on both sides wanted their children to play safely in their backyards. First I wrote my book, ”BLASTED from COMPLACENCY, A Journey from Terror to Transformation in Israel,” became a speaker, and produced and hosted Peace with Penny, where I interview mostly Peace organizations comprised primarily of Israelis and Palestinians from every mutual interest imaginable whether science advocacy, medicine, art, music, environment, transportation, sports, education, dialogue, or economic dependency, to name a few. Many from both sides have never met, yet they are raised with fear and often hate the other. As they work on projects that interest them, they frequently meet the “other” for the first time and realize these people are not the monsters they were taught about. They share many of the same dreams of safety and a desire for their families to prosper.
At Peace with Penny we have a full library of interviews with these organizations who’ve spent years working on Peace. The world doesn’t seem to know that Israelis and Palestinians working together on Peace, sometimes for decades, isn’t a new phenomenon.
I also write for the Times of Israel Blogs. I thought I would be writing more about the wonderful Peace organizations that I speak with, they are hopeful and always put a smile on my face. But many of my TOI Blogs have been warning about the astronomical rise of antisemitism. We can’t afford to get this wrong again. Unfortunately, it’s much worse today than from when Hitler came to power because the proliferation of media throughout the world, both traditional and social, true or not, spreads commentary instantaneously.
Disinformation is rampant, and far too often intentional. There are new nuances to antisemitism. While Germany has taken great strides to not repeat the tragedy of Hitler’s regime, it seems the entire world has replaced the harmful, dangerous banter this time. The United States, Europe, Britain, France, Spain, Australia, and far too many other countries have taken up the charge.
Living as a Jew equates to loving Israel. It’s mentioned as a goal to live/visit throughout our prayers. Yet, today Israel is portrayed as a pariah. Antisemitism is no longer whispered; it’s shouted on campuses and broadcast on the news. Often, it hides just beneath anti-Zionism. The accusations hurled at Israel are as reprehensible as they are skewed. Perceptions are twisted with cherry-picked truths.
We’ve always known Jews are a global minority, but in Israel, we will always be welcome. Of course, today, that welcome comes with a price; you must be willing to live in war and be harassed by terrorists threatening your life to live there. Hopefully, this will soon be history. We’d love to be optimistic — but given our past, we are guarded, yet hopeful. Will this be the Peace that finally sticks?
As antisemitism swells in civilized countries like the U.S. and Europe, and we feel increasingly unwelcome, where is there left for us to live? We are few, yet we are the favorite target of hate.
Our love for Israel should not be mistaken with acceptance of the current Israeli government’s policies. Today, all Jews are affected by Israel’s government’s decisions, regardless of whether we have any power to influence their actions.
We’ve been persecuted for centuries, from the ancient times of the Babylonian Exile (597–586 BCE), Rome’s destroying the Second Temple (70 CE ) to the Medieval times of the Crusades (1096–1291), expulsions from England (1290), France (1306), and Spain (1492) and massacres and forced conversions in (1391).
Khmelnytsky Uprising (1648–1657): saw tens of thousands of Jews killed in Ukraine and Poland, perhaps known more as destruction by the Cossacks. Even the Black Death (1348–1351) was blamed on us. Also, the Russian Pogroms (19th–early 20th century) were more times of danger for Jews.
The Holocaust was (1933–1945), which was the systematic genocide by Nazi Germany; 6 million Jews were murdered.
Additional pogroms followed against the Jews by Arab factions including in Farhud (1941, Iraq): which was the pogrom against Baghdad’s Jewish population, and in post-WWII Arab Expulsions (1948–1970s): Jews were expelled from Arab countries following the establishment of Israel.
There also were the Soviet Anti-Jewish Policies (1950s–1980s): that included suppression of Jewish culture and religion.
This horrific history reared its head again on October 7th, where the horrendous massacre and torture of Jews took place, only in the two years following, to have Israel’s policies for defense, and planned propaganda misinformation dispersal, have made Jews worldwide targets of physical violence regardless of their lack of influence on Israeli policies.
Will the Trump Peace Plan come to fruition? We hope so. Dealing with Hamas, a terrorist organization, calls into question anything that they agree to.
The first milestone is the return of the hostages. Trump’s trip to the Middle East to speak in front of the Knesset, and probably as well in Egypt, gives a strong idea of when the hostages will be released—hopefully, Monday.
The price to be paid to get the hostages back is exorbitant. Approximately 1900 Palestinian/Gaza prisoners will be set free, 250 of whom were serving life sentences for killing Israelis. Many previous Peace deals, including this one, seem to force Israel to rebuild Hamas by releasing dangerous terrorists. Will this lead to more terrorism? Possibly — though time and safeguards will tell. How much control over Hamas do the other Arab countries have?
Can the Arab nations involved ensure Hamas doesn’t sabotage this opportunity? What incentives persuaded Hamas leaders to agree?
Qatar, where Hamas leaders live safely, is helping negotiate the treaty. One wonders whose side they’re on.
Nothing in the Middle East is simple. Empathy for Israel is needed, but compassion for innocent Gazans is also essential.
Half of Gaza’s population is children, making harm nearly unavoidable. Images of dead children in grieving parents’ arms fueled Hamas propaganda beyond war’s horrors. Hamas built its terror tunnels beneath hospitals, schools, and homes — using civilians as shields and controlling the death toll narrative. Will we ever know the actual death count? Too many is the only ethical answer.
During our trip, I emailed loved ones in case we didn’t make it back. Israelis treated missile threats almost as a nuisance — something they’d lived with for years. Confident in Iron Dome, which prevented most of the thousands of missiles from landing on their intended targets, they moved forward in their lives. Many didn’t wait the full ten minutes in shelters after Iron Dome intercepted missiles, risking falling shrapnel.
Thankfully, this had not been my life’s experience, and I never wanted to get used to this situation. It was dangerous, but Israelis believed the strong, smart IDF would always protect them. Importantly, beyond the savage crimes perpetrated, Israelis’ reassurance disintegrated on October 7th. Will the sense of protection ever be restored?
Despite the devastation, I refuse to let go of the dream of Peace. Recently, I turned to art — my first mosaic — to channel that vision. I love all forms of creativity, and in September I joined a two-day art class at the Sawdust Art Festival. I asked the teacher if I could design my own pattern instead of using a beginner template, and he agreed. With his guidance, I completed my piece and am grateful for his support.
It’s not perfect — but Peace isn’t either. It takes iterations to reach a meaningful goal. Perhaps this will be the first Peace between Israelis and Palestinians to last. Rough patches are expected, but anything worthwhile demands effort.
The proposal is filled with audacious ideas and is a plan that blew up previous iterations. Maybe Peace required a new vision — one that could only emerge from thinking far outside the box.
I created this mosaic to represent Peace between Israelis and Palestinians. I began planning the design in the weeks before the class in September, and I finished the artwork on October 4, 2025. President Trump announced his Peace plan on October 8, 2025. Originally meant to accompany my interviews with Peace organizations on PEACE with Penny, it now feels timely to share as a symbol of Peace with my readers and listeners.
My design started with symbols from the Israeli flag. I took Smalti (Mexican glass) and created the blue stripe above and below the Jewish star. Inside the star, I placed a Peace sign in the colors of the Palestinian flag. It felt secure and comforting — two people living side by side, safely together.
I titled it “Peaceful Coexistence,” ending the prayer appropriately with Amen. Realizing this vision takes faith — some would say Divine intervention or a miracle. Faith runs deep in both people’s identities. We can only hope that the promise will be fulfilled.
I used the symbolism of the Western Wall as the background. Jews regard the Western Wall as the most sacred Jewish site — the last remnant of the Second Temple, destroyed by Rome in 70 CE. Our presence on the land spans thousands of years, which is why calling Israel a colonial project feels so insulting. Just above the Wall stands the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s second holiest site. The importance of Jerusalem to both religions is irrefutable.
Visiting the Wall as a Jew is filled with heartfelt honor to have this privilege. Surprisingly, bushes grow from cracks in the Jerusalem stone. I put a few in the mosaic. Life thrives in inhospitable places — a symbol for Jerusalem and both peoples. The wall seems broken into pieces by the placement of Jerusalem stone, yet it is still held together for thousands of years. May it always be so.
Many Jews pray at the Wall, placing heartfelt entreaties to Hashem between the stones. It is a Holy place. Twice a year, these are respectfully collected and buried on the Mount of Olives. I represented these prayers with bits of white glass scattered throughout the mosaic. Sacred realism.
I hope you can appreciate the symbolism.
May You Live in Peace, שלום and سلام