We are not our regimes.
De-escalation, Peace and Freedom in the Middle East:
Iranian and Israeli Voices.
Archenemies. This is the term commonly used to describe the
relationship between Israel and Iran. An enmity that will
ultimately lead to war, as it did in June 2025.
Was war between these two states something that had to happen?
No, said a group of Iranian and Israeli scholars and artists,
that were worrying together since November 2024 about the hostile
relationship of their respective countries.
Three days after the breakout of the 12-day-war they published a
statement in Hebrew, Farsi and English, urging for a ceasefire
and diplomacy. And they stated: “We refuse to accept the
inevitability of violent conflict as the only way forward between
our nations, Israel and Iran, or their positioning as eternal
arch-enemies.” Within a few days over 2400 people signed the open
letter, from within Iran and Israel, along with many
intellectuals from the Iranian diaspora.
This represents a significant milestone in Israeli–Iranian
relations, as it is the first time that intellectuals, artists,
academics, filmmakers, and human rights activists have attempted
to establish dialogue between two nations whose populations have
been pitted against each other for decades.
What are the chances and the challenges of this ambitious
project? Human rights lawyer Mehrangiz Kar, editor of the
Palestine – Israel Journal Susie Becher, publisher Hillel
Schenker, political scientist Mehrzad Boroujerdi and the two
historians Lior Sternfeld and Touraj Atabaki will join journalist
Solmaz Khorsand February 12 on a conversation about crossing a
supposedly insurmountable ditch.
Touraj Atabaki, Emeritus Professor by special
appointment of Social History of the Middle East and Central Asia
Susie Becher, Communications Director of the
Policy Working Group and Managing Editor of the Palestine –
Israel Journal
Mehrzad Boroujerdi, Vice Provost and Dean of
College of Arts, Sciences, and Education at Missouri University
of Science and Technology
Mehrangiz Kar, Iranian human rights lawyer and
an internationally recognized writer
Hillel Schenker, Israeli journalist and
co-editor of the Palestine-Israel Journal
Lior Sternfeld, Professor of history and Jewish
Studies and Social Historian of the modern Middle East
Moderator:
Solmaz Khorsand, independent journalist,
podcaster, and award-winning author focusing on socio-political
issues
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