Israeli security forces working to protect civilians on all fronts: Tammy Ben-Haim

Hamas carried out the attacks on Israel on October 7 and it has been 28 days now that the Israel-Hamas war continues to rage on.

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The Israel-Palestine issue has existed for decades and despite many efforts to find a peaceful solution, the conflict persists. In this exclusive chat with The Daily Guardian, the Consul General of Israel to South India,

Tammy Ben-Haim, opened up about the conflict, whether peace was achievable in the Middle East, and why Israel believes the time for action is now. Excerpt.

TDG: Before the October 7 attacks on Israel, what were the efforts taken by Israel in the last few years to resolve the Israel-Palestinian issue? The Israel-Palestinian negotiations, talks, and peace process are an on-going important process. Israel has resolved to reach out in peace to anyone who is interested in living peacefully side-by-side with us, and we have done so again and again. 1979, with the Egyptians, 1994 with the Jordanians, 2020 with the Emiratis, Bahrainis, and the Moroccans. We have tried numerous times to reach a compromise and an agreement with the Palestinian Authority, with Yasser Arafat and President Mahmoud Abbas. Regrettably, the Palestinians have rejected offers and settlements each and every time.

TDG: Why have peace efforts between Israel and Palestine stalled since 2014? What has contributed to this historically? I would be happy to discuss this history from the 1937 Arab rejection of the Peel Commission's partition suggestion to the 2008 rejection of Prime Minister Olmert's plan. But we can do this at another opportunity, after Israel wins the war against the Hamas ISIS-like terror organization. After we restore the peace and security in Israel, after we destroy the Hamas terror organization, and after we bring home the 242 kidnapped babies, children, teens, men and women who have been brutalized and kidnapped by Hamas terror organization into Gaza.