Wednesday, August 19, 2026
The Thinking Behind Our September Forum on Israel
Some members of the community have raised concerns about our upcoming forum with Retired Brigadier General Jonatan Shimshoni, formerly of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Mohammad Darwashe, and David Halperin. Critics have said, variously, that we are platforming a war criminal, whitewashing fascism, and ignoring Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank.
We'd like to offer a bit of context. This is a conversation between two citizens of Israel--one Jewish and one Arab-- about the future of Israel, a Jewish state which is also a pluralistic democracy, in which Jewish Israelis and Arab Israelis share communities and a future. And, just as in the U.S., there are citizens and residents who support the government and those who don't.
Mohammad Darawshe is an Arab Israeli and is the Director of Strategy of Givat Haviva's Center for a Shared Society, an organization devoted to peaceful coexistence and a shared future. You can read more about Givat Haviva's work and vision here.
Jonatan Shimshoni is a 25-year veteran of the IDF who now teaches at MIT in Boston. He is well known for his work as a leader with Commanders for Israel's Security, a group of high ranking IDF veterans focused on de-escalation and rule of law in the West Bank and Gaza, in opposition to the Netanyahu government's strategy of overwhelming force and "absolute victory." You can read more about his point of view in an essay he wrote for The Hill earlier this year.
Our moderator is David Halperin of the Israel Policy Forum, an organization dedicated to peace and the two-state solution.
This forum was suggested to us by a member of the community with connections to the speakers and organizations involved. That's how many forums come to us, as ideas from community members who have connections to people doing important and interesting things in the world.
This work is important, and we know there are members of our community who want to hear about it, as there always are when we discuss any aspect of the Middle East. In recent years, we've heard from international journalist Mehdi Hasan of Zeteo, national Jewish leader Eric Fingerhut of Jewish Federations of North America, members of our local Arab community, and many others. Each of these forums was a chance to return to the conversation, to hear from a different perspective, and to try to better understand the dynamics at play.
In this case, this forum is centered on a question at the heart of Israeli society today: Given the events of the last three years--the horrific October 7 attack by Hamas, the devastating response by the Israeli armed forces against Hamas and the people of Gaza, the belligerent policies and posture of the Netanyahu government, the annexation attempts and settler terrorism that has characterized life in the West Bank, and the fractures this is all creating in Israeli society--what does the future look like for this particular democratic nation?
If recent history is a guide, the positions of the extremists are not likely to come to fruition. Rather, the Palestinian people will continue to advocate for a future state of their own and Israel will continue to exist. And as it does, its citizens will have to figure out how to bridge their divides and forge a shared future.
That's what this conversation is about. And it matters for at least two reasons. Firstly, since the founding of Israel, Americans have been deeply interested and invested in its future. That's especially true here in Cleveland. Secondly, we have our own significant social and political divisions in this country. Perhaps there may be lessons for us in the experiences and hopes of these very different Israeli citizens.
If this sounds like a conversation you want to be a part of, we hope you'll join us either in person or online. And remember, you get to ask the question that can change the conversation.
