Ambassador Ido Aharoni joins to discuss Israel marking two years since the October 7 Hamas terror attacks.

Ambassador Ido Aharoni, former Israel Consul General in New York, marked the two-year anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks by noting the resilience and commitment of young Israelis and the ongoing support from the U.S. administration for peace efforts. He expressed hope for progress due to indirect peace talks in Egypt and efforts to normalize relations between Israelis and Arabs in the region.

Aharoni was critical of the United Nations' effectiveness in the peace process, describing it as unable to act decisively. He also commented on recent developments in Gaza, where some Arab nations and militia groups have distanced themselves from Hamas and are supporting a new peace plan. He cautioned, however, that the situation remains complex, with the people of Gaza seeking new leadership to improve their living conditions.

Marking two years since Oct. 7 attacks in Israel

Let's bring in Ambassador Ido Aharoni. He is a former Israel Consul General in New York and Chairman of the America-Israel Friendship League. Good morning, Ambassador. Good morning. Thank you for having me. Ambassador, thousands gathering in Southern Israel today as the nation in the world marks two years since the deadly Hamas attack on October 7th, 2023. This as indirect peace talks are currently underway being held in Egypt. Are you hopeful, Ambassador? Yes, I am hopeful for several reasons. The first is that although 10-7 was an incomprehensible calamity, devastation, what emerged out of it is a new generation of young Israelis who are resilient, committed, and passionate about their nation. So that's the first reason why I'm hopeful. Secondly, we have the support of the U.S., the U.S. administration, not so much the American public anymore, but the United States administration is determined to change the basic fundamental conditions of the Middle East. And I think that the negotiations to bring about the sixth fire that releases the hostages, All of those things combined with efforts to push normalization between Israelis and Arabs throughout the region, I think that gives us all reasons to be hopeful. That's so true because President Trump not only wants to get the hostages back, but he wants to restore, as you mentioned, normal relations. Why? Because he has a vision for the future to establish a sustainable peace in the region. Ambassador, where does the United Nations fit into the push for peace? So the United Nations is an organization that was founded in 1945 in San Francisco after the trauma of World War II, 60 million people dead, 22 million refugees. And it was founded on the idea of human rights. In the beginning, it was a very balanced 51 members, then 55 members. And slowly the membership grew and it is 193 members today. Two thirds of them are tyrannies, authoritarian regimes, theocracies, monarchies, not democracies. As a result, it became an anti-American, anti-Western, and certainly anti-Israel organization. Any expectation that a person might have that the UN will do the right thing, I think, I would describe these people as delusional. This organization at this particular configuration is inept, is a shrine of duplicity, unable to do the right thing for decades now. So I wouldn't cultivate any hopes based on the United Nations at this point. The newest development, many Arab nations as well as several armed militia groups in northern Gaza have broken with Hamas and are now publicly backing President Trump's peace plan. What was your reaction to this new development? So we're familiar with the reality on the ground. One of the reasons it's so difficult to negotiate with Hamas is because there is no one centralized entity. So you're looking at gangs and warlords, tribes on the ground, and some of them broke away from Hamas because Hamas simply failed to deliver. They're unable to deliver the goods, the medications, the money, the protection, and so on. So people that have weapons get together and they create their own militias. Now obviously it's a risky game because you can support those militias just as Israel thought that Hamas was a positive actor back in the late 1980s. Just as we thought that Hezbollah could be a positive actor in Lebanon in the early 1980s. And those things tend to turn against us. And so right now those militias are anti-Hamas and it's a good thing. But who knows what will happen with them in the future. One thing for sure, the people of Gaza, and we should never be indifferent to their suffering as well. The people of Gaza, I think, are ready for a new type of leadership that will change their living conditions in a very dramatic way. Ambassador Ido Aharoni, thank you for your insights this morning. Thank you for having me.

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