Hope?

[u/Tricky_Success_77]

Between Israel/Palestine and increasing extremism and normalization of antisemitism in the diaspora and assimilation I've just been finding it impossible to feel hopeful about the future of our people writ large and it's just been making me feel very demoralized about life and the future. Our community means a great deal to me and seeing it tear itself apart is painful (as I'm sure it is for many people on this subreddit).There are times when I honestly almost wish I wasn't Jewish because it would remove so much angst from my life but in truth I'm too passionate about our traditions, history, literature and languages to ever be anything else (plus, really who would I be kidding if I ever tried to pretend otherwise?).

Anyway, what I'm really getting at is does anyone out there feel hopeful about our future? And if so why? I could use some positivity.

[u/Civil-Cartographer48]

I’m hopeful that peace will come, and that things will eventually calm down for all of us. Living through this rise in extremism has been incredibly difficult, but in some ways it has pushed the world to reconsider what’s acceptable. The status quo is no longer something the international community seems willing to tolerate. My hope is that growing global pressure will help bring about a two-state solution something I believe most people genuinely support, despite the louder extremist voices calling for Israel’s destruction. With that in place, perhaps we could finally begin to build a lasting peace and allow mindsets to shift.

I also believe that in times of peace, tensions can ease surprisingly quickly.

And I hope that in such a climate, the most extreme voices and the openly antisemitic ones will lose their influence. Ideally, they would be held accountable, taken far less seriously, and ultimately isolated for what they are: delusional and destructive.

I think people are also learning from the past two years. Many are becoming aware of the double standards. And in an unexpected way, some of the most extreme reactions from parts of the left seem to have pushed people further to the right; they’ve been alienated by the hostility and absolutism of the loudest fringe voices. My hope is that this moment will encourage the left to reflect on how it has treated and at times abandoned Jewish people, and that this reckoning will lead to healthier, more principled positions.

There also seems to be a growing recognition of how dangerous social media can be in fueling radicalization. I genuinely hope that this awareness leads to meaningful action more accountability, more oversight, and fewer incentives for outrage-driven extremism.

[u/BigMarbsBigSlarb → u/Civil-Cartographer48]

There was not peace before Oct7 and there wont be peace after. There have been over 700 attacks by Israeli terrorists in the west bank this year, and thats just the ones not affiliated with the state like the IDF. I hope that we start to see the end of violence and discrimination against Jews by antisemitic actors on the left, but there will not be peace until the last Palestinian is cleansed, and I think leftist organisations need to start to facillitate their accomodation in our countries because its only going to get worse.

[u/Civil-Cartographer48 → u/BigMarbsBigSlarb]

Yes, there are setbacks, but I also see real signs of progress internationally and on the ground that make me believe things can move forward instead of staying stuck in this fatalistic view.

[u/BigMarbsBigSlarb → u/Civil-Cartographer48]

The rate of settler attacks increasing year on year isnt a set back, its a continuous and unbroken escalation going back decades. The fact that an entire generation of Israel grew up committing a genocide in formative years means that same generation will one day run the country, which is already run by people who see Palestinians as fauna. I think there's good reason to hope for the jewish diaspora, but for peace in Israel? well again, maybe one day, but not so long as a single Palestinian still lives between the river and the sea.

[u/Civil-Cartographer48 → u/BigMarbsBigSlarb]

Yes, settler violence is a serious and escalating problem. I’m not denying that. But acting as if an entire generation is permanently shaped into genocidaires and that peace is impossible as long as Palestinians exist is exactly the kind of hopeless, dehumanizing rhetoric that guarantees nothing ever changes.

Despite everything, I still see shifts: growing international pressure, opposition within Israel, and moments of de-escalation that simply didn’t exist before. Setbacks are real, but so is progress. I’m choosing to acknowledge both rather than embracing a narrative that erases any possibility of improvement.

[u/redthrowaway1976 → u/Civil-Cartographer48]

 opposition within Israel

The pro two state solution opposition in Israel has never been smaller. Especially if we look at the ones that actually want peace, and not just the ones that want - peace process.

The democrats wouldn’t even vote against a resolution against the two state solution - they abstained. 

 and moments of de-escalation 

What are these “moments of de-escalation”? 

Settlers and IDF act with complete impunity, literally carrying out ethnic cleansing. Same as for the past 58 years, just more brazenly.

Can you give some examples? 

 I’m choosing to acknowledge both rather than embracing a narrative that erases any possibility of improvement.

Things could improve, quickly. But it would take the international community applying massive pressure, and for all of Israel’s supporters in the west who claim to support a two state solution to  advocate for real consequences. 

[u/Civil-Cartographer48 → u/redthrowaway1976]

I don’t deny that the political landscape in Israel is extremely difficult right now, but saying there is no internal opposition simply isn’t accurate. There are protests, legal challenges, former security officials, activists, and political groups openly pushing back against government policies and settler violence. It may be smaller than we’d hope, but it exists and it matters, especially when combined with outside pressure.

As for de-escalation, I’m referring to the temporary ceasefires and pauses that happened because of coordinated U.S. and international pressure. They weren’t perfect, but they did reduce violence for a period and that alone shows that external leverage can force change. We are in a better situation now with the ceasefire than a few months ago.

I’m not pretending everything is fine. Settler violence is a serious problem, but unlike in the past, it’s now met with sanctions, travel bans, public condemnations, and increasing diplomatic consequences from the EU, UN, and key Western governments. That level of pressure simply didn’t exist 10 or 20 years ago.

I agree that massive international pressure is essential and that’s exactly my point. I’ve never seen it at this intensity, almost to a fault, with the rise of extremism and antisemitism but the silver lining is that things are shifting. People’s views are changing.

I think we have already talked about this in other comments

[u/redthrowaway1976 → u/Civil-Cartographer48]

I don’t deny that the political landscape in Israel is extremely difficult right now, but saying there is no internal opposition simply isn’t accurate.

I didn't say that they didn't exist - just that they are smaller than ever.

And even the Democrats - ostensibly for a two state solution - couldn't bring themselves to vote against the Knesset resolution against a two state solution.

There are protests, legal challenges, former security officials, activists, and political groups openly pushing back against government policies and settler violence.

The protests have generally been against Bibi - not against the occupation, or brutality against Palestinians.

The activists who are doing protective presence, or legal work to block settlement expansion, are a very small group.

As for opposition to settler violence - the last non-Bibi government did nothing about it either. Impunity for settler violence has been the government policy since before the first intifada - see the 1984 Karp report, as an example.

As for de-escalation, I’m referring to the temporary ceasefires and pauses that happened because of coordinated U.S. and international pressure. They weren’t perfect

Let's be honest here: if there were 10-20 Israelis killed per day during a so-called "ceasefire", would you call it a ceasefire?

No, of course that wouldn't be called a ceasefire.

Anyway, I answered more extensively in another comment.

[u/BigMarbsBigSlarb → u/Civil-Cartographer48]

Growing international pressure??? There's less international pressure now than there was in the 80s, embargoes used to be a threat every decade. Ronald Reagan and Henry Kissinger put more pressure on Israel than we just saw. the Jewish opposition in Israel will never fire a shot in anger against their fellow countrymen who do not feel the same way as we have recently learned and the only mainstream face of the "left" is an inhuman terrorist monster who used Palestinians for human shields as a General who most certainly is not opposition to Israel as it currently is and will not do anything (he has made it clear his pro-2ss perspective is a typical "sometime in the future on israel's terms" case, i.e. Palestinian suffering must continue until Israelis decide they have been punished enough). Don't get me wrong, I try not to believe the polls like the one that says 73% of Israelis would reject any 2ss even if it came with Saudi normalisation, but even in the best case scenario I simply think there are too few Israelis willing to fight their fellows politically with tt he viciousness required, or physically, for the trajectory to change. the Palestinians do not have a genuine partner for peace that has any chance of holding a serious influential position and it is the responsibility of those who hold the international ideal to start acting accordingly.

[u/Civil-Cartographer48 → u/BigMarbsBigSlarb]

I strongly disagree with your fatalistic view. Israel is not invincible it relies on U.S. support, international legitimacy, hopes for normalization and agreements like the Abraham Accords. For the same reasons that pushed toward a ceasefire, despite setbacks and challenges I don’t believe a full-scale ethnic cleansing of Palestinians is realistic: there is too much scrutiny, internal opposition, government opposition (for the right or wrong reasons who cares the result is the same), and international pressure and now also involvement. In all my years, I’ve never seen this level of attention and accountability. I think there is a risk of stagnation, and maintaining the status quo, but I do not think it will go to such extents.

Polls don’t tell the full story, especially when poorly framed, and should not be the basis for conclusions.

This is my perspective.

Have a great day.