I would say that Israel should never be understood as a Jewish state, just as Iran should never identify itself as a Muslim state, in the same way that our country will never be a Catholic state. Separating the two "things," so that states are secular and churches have their own institutions, is essential.

The issue, in my opinion, is exactly this. Today, in an interconnected, multilingual, multireligious, "mixed" world, it is anti-historical and anachronistic not to think of Israel as a secular state, capable of coexisting with multi-religious institutions and practices, just like a Palestine that does the same. Therefore, the issue is political and cultural.

The birth of a Palestinian state can only create an atmosphere of relaxation, if one can ever forget the mutual brutalities that have been exchanged forever. Entire generations have grown up in those places, immersed in hatred and injustice. Fathers who have lost children and children who have witnessed immense tragedies. It's not easy, but one cannot allow a state, let alone paramilitary organizations, to hold an entire people hostage. Gaza is not a solution, but it is the detonator that set off everything. A self-determined country, governed democratically, is the solution, a democratic government in Israel is the solution, the recognition of the secular nature of states is the solution.