An Israeli woman held hostage by Hamas was in June at the University of California, Los Angeles and participated in a debate with a pro-Palestinian student and the son of Hamas founder Mosab Hassan Yousef.
The debate took place as part of The Gr8 Debate at the University of California. Moran Stella Yanai from Israel described her experience at the hands of Hamas: "When they kidnapped me, I was dressed in military uniform, so they classified me as a soldier," she said, adding that she was transferred three times, the last of 13 Hamas members .
She noted: “There was a video showing my abduction, and my family learned the news through TikTok. My 12-year-old niece saw it first."
At one point Yanai asks the pro-Palestinian representative to look her in the eye. This particular quote was widely reported in the Israeli media.
It is noted that the three had a constructive discussion with Yanai stressing the importance of dialogue and understanding different points of view, inviting pro-Palestinian student Alan Doyle to visit Israel to gain a more direct insight.
The three of them answered questions from viewers. Asked what the ideal solution for the Middle East would be, Doyle suggested a state where Jews, Muslims and Christians would have equal rights and equal opportunities. "This will require the removal of the current leaderships, including Hamas, the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government," it said.
However, he noted that such a thing is extremely difficult.
The son of the founder of Hamas, who years ago left Palestine, lived in Israel and then moved to the US, noted that: "They use global sympathy with dark images of war to put pressure on democratic governments, but the tactic it includes the slaughter of innocents, which perpetuates the cycle of violence."
"Hamas and other Palestinian organizations seek the destruction of Israel, which must be stopped if we want to see real peace," he said.
"We don't have to agree, but we have to listen to each other. That's the only way we can move forward" Yanai commented excitedly.
All three had different approaches but managed to discuss and find common ground, concluding that peace is necessary but requires significant changes in leadership and policies.
SOURCE: NewsIt, 19.11.2024