In their Declaration of Independence, the Israelis already expressed their desire to coexist with the nations of the region: "We extend our hand to all neighboring states and their peoples in an offer of peace and good neighborliness, and appeal to them to establish bonds of cooperation and mutual help with the sovereign Jewish people settled in its own land. The State of Israel is prepared to do its share in a common effort for the advancement of the entire Middle East."

Yet while peace was indeed a desired part of the vision for the newly established state, in actuality Israel is now 61 years old and still not resting on its long-awaited laurels.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict began about 130 years ago with the first Zionist settlements of Jews in the land of Israel. Yet only in the last decades of the 20th century did the conflict find concrete expression on the ground. Since then, the conflict has been expressed through various violent means that have only exacerbated the situation, as when missiles were fired on southern cities, leading to the war in Gaza now scorched in our collective memory.

The uniqueness of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is that it touches on all the national priorities of both peoples: their right to self-determination, nationhood, security, resources, territory and a collective identity. It is tied to values of justice and morality, and it focuses on points of religious and political interest. It is no wonder then that this conflict has appeared, for so many years, to be existential and irreconcilable. During those years neither side was willing to compromise and, for many years, both were unwilling even to try. A readiness to compromise was perceived - sometimes by one side, often by both - as an abandonment of substantial components of the collective identity and as a renunciation of essential conditions for the national existence and, thus, was totally rejected.

Ehud Manor once wrote:

Here comes the peace. It left on Tuesday. It is near, it fights every day. Here comes the peace.

Is this in fact the status of the peace process with the Palestinians, or are we still a long way off from a stable peace between the two sides? Did the war only hurt the peace process, or, as a result of the destruction and blows suffered by so many people, can it be that both sides will realize that they must change their ways and move towards a stable future? We all know the famous phrase: "He who seeks peace should first seek peace within himself." If so, we, as citizens of Israel, need to stop and ask ourselves: For how long? The conflict causes the loss of many lives on both sides and the only alternative is to bring it to an end through non-violent means.

The problem lies in public opinion on both sides. The Palestinian people believe that they are occupied and demand, in an aggressive way, to return to their land; while the Jewish people cling tightly to their small state, struggling over every scrap of land.

The solution lies in instilling a consciousness of peace within both sides, through the sincere understanding that the only alternative is to live with one another in the best way possible. Wars are endless and their victims are more costly than any political interest or previously held position.

However, a solution must also arise from a genuine and sincere place, free from any international pressure, for today countries from around the world are pressuring both sides to reach a solution. But such a solution would be only temporary, since the political pressure came not from the desire of both sides and not from a comprehensive agreement welcomed by the public.

It is necessary to reform the Palestinian education system, as there is no chance of reaching a stable settlement when the education system does not recognize Israel's right to exist as an independent Jewish state and regards Zionism as a colonialist movement. There is no chance for a lasting agreement when the Palestinian education system teaches jihad and using suicide to kill Israelis. This reform must include a reform of the curriculum and an end to incitement in public political discourse, both in the media and in the mosque.

A reform is also necessary in the Jewish education system. It is necessary to introduce Arabic studies in all Israeli schools and to teach the youth that our attitude should not be guided by hostility, but by an aspiration for peace between the two peoples. And we should learn the perspectives of both sides.

It is known that nations that have a deep national conflict tend to reject, ignore and deny the enemy's narratives. We can exploit the characteristics of television to do the opposite - to bring about a process of personalization and humanization of the other side. Through that medium, we can heighten our knowledge and understanding of the reality of the conflict and protect the civilian population more effectively. Therefore, there is a real need for establishing means of communication that are completely objective on both the Israeli and the Palestinian side, in order to transfer unbiased accounts to the viewing audience, thereby prevent the deepening of hatred.

We, the youth of the nation, as the next generation, need to dare to act where previous generations have failed. It is up to us to try to base peace on the understanding and belief that there is no other way. Many wars and, especially, the war in Gaza - which we experienced as youngsters who found themselves separated from family members and friends on their way to battle, as we were trying to follow every update and development in the phases of war - have been etched in our memory. Therefore, we must learn the lessons of the war and recognize that only a deep and enduring change will solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In my opinion, there is no place left to hide from the hazy dust of war which is cast over us. Instead, we must try to change the situation from its foundations, particularly through different education practices and more moderate media.

Starting with teens around the age of 13, we should organize meetings between Israeli and Palestinian youth and teach them the origins of the conflict from an objective perspective, thereby encouraging a tolerant attitude towards one another. We must root out the image of an occupying nation and occupied nation, as this image perpetuates the root of the problem - antipathy from both sides for the other.

It is well known the youth have a powerful influence on shaping consciousness. They should organize exhibitions accompanied by artists to promote peace. Following their service in the army, quite a few soldiers find themselves suffering the pains of war out of an understanding for the suffering of the Palestinian nation and the realization that war is not the solution. Therefore, we should organize lectures accompanied by demobilized soldiers about changing consciousness.

In closing, I want to recall a letter that philosopher Martin Buber sent to David Ben-Gurion in 1959, in which he proposed the idea of recognition. He suggested that Ben-Gurion should declare that Israel would initiate a solution to the refugee problem in the name of the Jewish heritage, since Israel could not live at peace with pictures of refugees in camps. Buber proposed solving the problem in three stages: at first, Israel would recognize partial responsibility for creating the problem and would offer that tens of thousands of refugees could return to Israel. In the second stage, a Palestinian state would be founded alongside Israel and many of the refugees would return there. And in the last stage, Israel would transfer some of the reparation payments from Germany to the UN agency for refugee absorption in order to help the remaining refugees, those who did not return to Israel or move to the Palestinian state, to settle in other places.

And yes, half a century after Buber's idea of recognition, we are still required to meet our obligations as a modern and progressive nation. We have not yet understood that the dust of aggression does not lead anywhere and that a real solution can only come through understanding that we must live together side by side. There is no escaping the fact that both sides must recognize, first and foremost, the right of the other side to self-determination.

Undoubtedly, this recognition depends upon educating both sides. If the perspectives of public opinion do not change - so that the Palestinians will recognize Israel as a Jewish state and the Israelis will recognize the Palestinian nation's right to independence - we will not reach the desired peace.

Today we find ourselves in the wake of a war in Gaza, a war that emphasized, more than anything else, the powerlessness of both sides. In my opinion, this war produced a realization that aggression is not the right path forward and that it only escalates the existing conflict on both sides. Therefore, we must, as the young generation of this country, change the current circumstance and demand peace in the fullest sense of the word, while promoting education on the subject and the creation of objective media on the Palestinian and Israeli sides to promote moderate public opinion on both sides.

Beyond the shadow of a doubt, it is clear that we are speaking of a path that is not easy. But there is no doubt that, if we reach an agreement without a basic understanding of the right of sovereignty for both sides, we will not achieve a stable, enduring peace. And yes, there must be no avoiding the need for intensive education on the subject, both in the context of high school and academic studies.

The beginning of this approach can be found in the book of Psalms, where it is written: "Seek peace and pursue it." We should hand this motto down to the Israeli and Palestinian youth.

And all we have left to hope for is that the blessed initiative expressed in the song chosen to represent Israel in the Eurovision contest will become internalized:

Tears flow in vain

There is no name for the pain

We are waiting

For the day after to come

There must be another way.

Translated from the Hebrew