THE FUTURE IS PEACE
in partnership with Jewish Museum Vienna and Israel Studies Centre Vienna
For Inon and Abu Sarah, peace is neither a slogan nor a sentimental dream, but the result of a courageous decision to take action.
Palestinian Aziz Abu Sarah and Israeli Maoz Inon — two tour guides, two friends — take their readers on a week-long journey through a land weighed down by myths and the burdens of world history. Inon lost his parents on 7 October 2023; Abu Sarah lost his brother during the First Intifada. Yet both are deeply committed peace activists. Rather than allowing their grief to turn into a desire for revenge, they use it as the starting point for a fundamental question: What path can lead to a future that is not governed by a logic of retaliation?
On their journey, they visit Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Nazareth and other places, speaking to ordinary people who, like themselves, must live with the ongoing conflict and its devastating consequences. In these intimate encounters, one question keeps coming up: How can we ever find hope in the face of so much suffering?
For Abu Sarah and Inon, the answer is clear and simple: hope is not something we find — it is something we create, through dialogue, responsibility and a commitment to the equality and dignity of every human being.
“We do not see ourselves as Palestinians and Israelis, or as Jews and Arabs, but as human beings who believe in a culture of dialogue, reconciliation and peace. To those who see only what divides us, we say: If you must divide us, then please divide us into those who believe in peace and equality and those who do not … yet.”
Far from succumbing to paralysing despair, *The Future Is Peace* presents a concrete vision for peace in Israel and Palestine, inspired by personal encounters in cities where the conflict has long drawn lines of separation.
Aziz Abu Sarah is a Palestinian peacebuilder, entrepreneur, author and National Geographic Explorer. He is the co-founder and Co-CEO of InterAct International and co-founder of MEJDI Tours, using dialogue, responsible travel and conflict transformation to build bridges between communities. His work has received international recognition, including from the United Nations.
Maoz Inon is an Israeli peace activist, entrepreneur and co-CEO of InterAct International. He has founded several tourism and social-impact initiatives in Israel and the Middle East. After losing both his parents in the attack on 7 October 2023, he became a prominent advocate for peace, reconciliation and dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians.
Moderation
Tessa Szyszkowitz, author and journalist for the Austrian weekly *Falter* and other publications. Distinguished Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London (RUSI)