(October 18, 2025)

Dora Mengüç After October 7, Israeli society went through a deep trauma. You’ve said the government weaponized that trauma.

Ofer Cassif Yes. The massacre committed by Hamas was horrific — we all condemned it. But the government used fear, pain, and rage to manipulate people and justify a genocidal war.

The attack on Gaza had nothing to do with the well-being of Israelis, not even revenge. It was about realizing a preexisting plan — the annexation of occupied Palestinian territories without granting basic rights, and the expulsion of Palestinians who resist.

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The only solution is the two-state solution. Gaza should be liberated, the West Bank including East Jerusalem must be liberated. The Palestinian people must be liberated — which, in my view, is also the liberation of the Israeli people. Because, of course, Palestinians are the main victims of occupation and apartheid — but we Israelis are also hostages of the fanaticism that sustains this system.