What do we do now? That is the question I have been asked more than any other over these past few days. This
coming Thursday we will come together for a webinar discussion to talk about what the Trump administration will
hold for Israel-Palestine peacebuilding work. Our Director of Government Relations, Madeleine Cereghino, will join
me, and we’ll dig into policy-- looking at possible executive actions, legislation, appointments, and more. We’ll
talk about the UN and about whether Trump might actually pressure Netanyahu in some way. There is much to say and
more to be done as we re-calibrate our efforts and refocus our energies to address the new political
reality.
But that’s not what people have been asking me this week. This week the questions have been more along the
lines of “how do we keep going”, “is there any point in this now”, and “is there any hope for peace”?
My answer to all three questions is the same: There is no other option. There is no other choice. There is no
choice but to keep going, to keep working, to keep struggling for peace. There is no option besides keeping our
heads high and our view on our north star, justice. And there is always hope. There is always a path to a better
future. Our job, particularly in times of discord and disappointment, is to be the keepers of that hopeful future.
I say this not because I believe it to be close at hand or easily achieved. But exactly because it may not be, and
thus it is essential that we use our voices, our bodies, our being, to protect and nurture that hope and that
better future.