In this edition, FRANCE 24's François Picard talks with Dr. Gershon Baskin, Middle East Director of the International Communities Organisation and former hostage negotiator. One thousand days after the outbreak of the Gaza war, Gershon Baskin shares a stark assessment of Israel's political and strategic trajectory. Rather than framing the anniversary solely as a military milestone, he argues that it represents a profound failure of political leadership, strategic planning and institutional accountability.
Baskin's analysis moves beyond battlefield developments to examine the deeper dynamics shaping the conflict: the absence of a national inquiry into October 7, the growing disconnect between military operations and political objectives, the psychological distance separating Israelis and Palestinians and the failure of Israeli politics to seriously confront the Palestinian question.
He also advances an explicitly strategic – rather than purely moral – argument for peace: Israel's long-term security and Palestinian freedom are mutually dependent. An emerging regional economic agenda, backed by Gulf states and potentially driven by an influential American administration, could create a rare opening for a negotiated two-state settlement, he adds. Whether one agrees with his conclusions or not, he offers a comprehensive critique of prevailing assumptions and a vision that reframes peace as a geopolitical necessity.
