The Thinking Heart. On Israel and Palestine, by David Grossman.

At the start of his writing career, Israeli writer and peace activist David Grossman, born in 1954, described the atmosphere that prevailed in the occupied Palestinian territories before the first Intifada (1987-1993) in The Yellow Wind (1987), which dispelled a misconception held by public opinion in his country at the time: That of calm Palestinian resignation to the Israeli occupation. He has just published The Thinking Heart. On Israel and Palestine, a collection of articles and speeches, most of which had been published before October 7, but some of which have been written since. Here, he looks back on the events of October 7, 2023.

A feeling of mourning, of pain. Because the main thing, in my eyes, the process leading to a possible agreement with the Palestinians, has suffered a terrible blow, from which I don't know if it will be able to recover. Yet above the lost opportunity for peace, I think of our hostages, held in inhuman conditions. I'm also thinking of the sobering effect on Israelis, who have lived under the illusion that they could remain undefeated forever, a delusion our leaders had fueled for years. The fact that we could never have imagined that the Palestinians could be capable of such elaborate and murderous action speaks volumes about Israel's attitude towards them. The pain, however, remains paramount. You can see it in the bodies of people who walk bent over, sickly, with sad faces. Many are planning to leave the country, or are doing so.

At times, I find myself thinking that some good might still come out of such a situation: A new way of approaching existence, through sensations such as exhaustion, weakness, fear and all the things we've tried to avoid by living as "escapists," as people avoiding commitment. This reality, which seems to have fallen on us all by itself, could open up a more realistic, more empathetic path – including with respect to the enemy's suffering. Perhaps Israel will finally understand the need to make peace with its neighbors. Because it will not defeat them militarily. The best thing for its future is to reach an agreement as quickly as possible, guaranteed by the great powers, with the support of moderate Arab countries who need Israel's backing against Iran.

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