The Israelis and Palestinians Speaking of Reconciliation Amid Rising Calls for Revenge

On Friday morning I woke up along with the rest of the country to the gruesome news that it was not Shiri Bibas’ body that had just arrived to Israel from Gaza along with the bodies of her two red-headed young sons and their peace activist neighbor, Oded Lifshitz, but that of an unidentified woman from Gaza. It was yet another nauseating plot twist in the ongoing trauma of the October 7 attack and its aftermath, one in which the Bibas’ family’s kidnapping and plight had become the most high-profile symbol.

On my calendar that morning was to go hear peace activists Maoz Inon and Aziz Abu Sarah. Inon is an Israeli whose parents were burned to death the morning of October 7 on their moshav Netiv Asara, and Abu Sarah, a Palestinian whose brother was killed from injuries sustained after being held in Israeli prison, and they were headlining at an event entitled “It’s Time”. Its tagline: “It’s time to stop the war, to bring the hostages home, and to make peace.”

I momentarily hesitated, feeling overwhelmed by the heaviness and fresh horror of the moment. I had gone to sleep with the news of not just image of the Bibas family members and Lifshitz returning in coffins swirling in my mind, but the late-breaking story that several empty busses – it turned out to be five in total – had exploded at a bus depot at a southern suburb of Tel Aviv. It was a botched mass terror attempt. For Israelis it was an instant flashback to the Second Intifada era of suicide bombings.

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Dina Kraft is a journalist, podcaster and the co-author of the New York Times bestseller, My Friend Anne Frank, together with Hannah Pick-Goslar. She lives in Tel Aviv where she's the Israel Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor and a creator of the podcast Groundwork, about activists working in Israel and Palestine. She was formerly opinion editor of Haaretz English.

1. Bills, Resolutions
2. Letters
3. Hearings
4. Selected Members on the Record
5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements

1. Bills & Resolutions

(OPPOSING MORE WEAPONS FOR ISRAEL) On 2/20/25, Sen. Sanders introduced 4 resolutions disapproving of proposed foreign military sales to Israel of certain defense articles and services. The four are: S. J. Res. 20, S. J. Res. 21, S. J. Res. 22, and S. J. Res. 23. All four were referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

(US OUT OF UN) S. 669 & HR XXXX [bill text]: Introduced 2/20/25 by Lee (R-UT), Blackburn (R-TN), and Scott (R-FL), “A bill to terminate membership by the United States in the United Nations, and for other purposes,” aka the “DEFUND Act.” Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. Also see: Lee press release – Lee introduces DEFUND Act to Pull USA from UN; fact sheet about the bill. Note that the fact sheet states: “House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-MI) and Representative Chip Roy (R-TX) are introducing the companion bill in the House of Representatives.”

(IRAN SANCTIONS) HR 1422: Introduced 2/18/25 by Lawler (R-NY) and Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), “To impose sanctions with respect to persons engaged in logistical transactions and sanctions evasion relating to oil, gas, liquefied natural gas, and related petrochemical products from the Islamic Republic of Iran, and for other purposes.” Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on the Judiciary. Also see: Lawler, Cherfilus-McCormick introduce new Iran sanctions legislation (Jewish Insider 2/21/25)

(IRAN SANCTIONS) H. Res. 139: Introduced 2/14/25 by Tenney (R-NY) and 4 cosponsors (3 Republicans plus Gottheimer, D-NJ), “Calling on the United Kingdom, France, and Germany (E3) to initiate the snapback of sanctions on Iran under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015).” Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

(RELIGIOUS FREEDOM) S. 676: Introduced 2/20/25 by Paul (R-TX), “A bill to prohibit assistance to foreign governments that violate human rights with respect to religious freedom.” Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.