Swords of Iron: A call to humanity to prevail - opinion

I am profoundly saddened and extend my deepest condolences to both Palestinians and Israelis who have lost loved ones. Because I know the meaning of loss; my daughters Bessan, Mayar, Aya, and my niece Nour, were all tragically killed. We must heal our wounds and find peace within ourselves and then between us. Losing a loved one is a painful and difficult experience for all of us, and I fully understand how painful it can be. I pray to give you patience and strength to face this difficult period, and to help you—and may you find some measure of relief from your pain.

We must work to keep our loved ones alive with good deeds, kind words, and hope for a better life for future generations. We can turn this pain and loss into positive energy. We need to learn through these difficult experiences and live a sustainable life full of love and optimism to transform this pain and loss into energy filled with hope. Turn death and destruction into a life filled with love and a bright future for all. Let us be an inspiration to others through our actions and words, and work together to build a world of peace, love, and hope.

What do we hear now?

What do we hear now? High emotions—we hear bombings, bullets, killing, pain, anger, and revenge. We need to ask ourselves: Why is this happening and what can we do to get out of this vicious cycle of pain, division, and despair? The cycle does not bring us security and peace and kills hope and life. Each of us retreats to our corners, justifying our perspectives while consumed by anger, anxiety, and suffering.

The current crisis is a bleak reality with global implications. Such trauma has a deep and lasting impact on individuals and entire communities. In situations like these, the stress and pain can be overwhelming.

Traditional approaches involving military force have failed to make meaningful progress in resolving conflicts and alleviating suffering. Such approaches are futile, only fueling further bloodshed, hatred, and extremism, while continuously attracting new recruits. We should take lessons from our children. My daughter Bessan, who attended peace camps, once said, “Meeting violence with violence never solves the problem.” She also said, upon meeting Israeli girls, “I found out how similar we are.”

We need the courage to self-reflect, acknowledge our failures, and learn from them. Have we learned from the past and our previous mistakes?

Will we finally say “enough” to the suffering endured by Palestinians, Israelis, and victims worldwide?

Let's heed the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.”

Palestinians and Israelis, like many around the world, have long suffered from violence, loss, and pain. We all aim for a world where peace, justice, and a decent life are accessible to everyone, regardless of religion or nationality. All of us must work to find solutions that encourage peaceful coexistence and social and economic justice.

The call to end suffering is not limited to Palestinians and Israelis; it extends to all of humanity. We all need to strive for a world marked by peace and tolerance, where everyone can live with dignity and security.

We all pay the price—through our lives, our children, and our futures—and much unites us in this struggle. It's not the distant voices peddling illusions who pay the price.

We reject the notion that our lives, our children, and our future are fuel used for political interests and agendas. What will we tell our children? What will we bequeath to them?

Even in the most difficult circumstances, there is hope because hope is life and action.

We must break the barriers of ignorance, arrogance, and fanaticism. By working together and addressing the root causes of violence, we can aspire to a world of security, harmony, and prosperity for all.

With strong will and unwavering determination, nothing is unattainable. If the people want to achieve life, peace, and justice, they will surely find a way. The collective will of the people, combined with sustained action, can yield positive change and enhance societal safety and prosperity.

I believe that if we want to live in unity as brothers, cousins, and neighbors, we need more than mere reactionary measures against perceived threats to our future; we must actively dispel fear. We often express and manipulate fear, using it as a shield rather than confronting reality.

Hatred is a poison that accumulates and eventually manifests as violence.

Hatred invades our hearts and souls, replacing hope and leaving us devoid of both life and spirit.

The remedy for hate and anger lies in determination, patience, education, and achievement. “Life is what we make it. It’s in your hands. Don’t blame others. We can shape it and make it what we want it to be.”

Robert Fisk wrote after the tragedy I faced, “Rarely can history have dictated that the blood of three beheaded daughters should be injected into a vein of hope.”

We should observe, inquire, learn, connect, and act. Addressing the root causes of conflict, fostering understanding among communities, and respecting individual rights and dignity can set the stage for enduring peace.

We should learn from history while focusing on the present and future. Our children represent both the present and the future; they are our hope and life.

Nothing is impossible; life is, and always has been, what we make of it.

As Theodor Herzl said: "If you will it, it is no legend.”

And as the Tunisian poet Aboul-Qacem Echebbi said: “If, one day, a people desire to live, then fate will answer their call. And their night will then begin to fade, and their chains break and fall.”

Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish is a professor of global health in the Clinical Public Health Division at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto.