ARGUING YES
Founder and Host of The Young Turks Network
ARGUING NO
Ex-Palestinian Militant, Former Israeli Spy, Son of Hamas Co-Founder, and Author of “From Hamas to America”
MODERATOR
Host and Moderator-in-Chief
This week:
- New episode: Should Israel agree to a ceasefire to stop the war in Gaza?
- A closer look at who should end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
- Register to virtually attend an upcoming conversation with Brian Tyler Cohen
- Your Sunday reading list
The war that started on October 7th between Israel and Hamas has been ongoing for ten months. Since that time, more than a hundred hostages are still being held captive in the Gaza Strip and thousands of Palestinians and Israelis have died. Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh was recently assassinated and Hamas’s leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar has now taken on that position. Though the situation feels hopeless now, this week, we brought two oppositional voices together live in Los Angeles, CA, to debate whether it would be possible for Israel and Hamas to make peace with each other.
Currently, Egypt and Qatar have been mediating talks between Israel and Hamas, and two different ceasefire proposals are on the negotiation table. The terms of both would release the Israeli hostages, withdraw forces from Gaza, and permit the intake of increased humanitarian aid. Afterward, there may be a reconstruction plan for the area, which other countries and the United Nations would supervise.
Some argue that if a peace deal went through, Hamas would use this as another chance to regroup, grow, and find a new method to attack Israel again. But many people argue the war has had far too high of a toll. Stopping the growing humanitarian crisis and high death toll should be the highest priority.
Cenk Uygur, arguing “yes” in this debate, is a founder and host of The Young Turks. The Young Turks is one of the largest and top news programs online today and a top news and politics source for young audiences. Arguing “no” is ex-militant, former Israeli spy, and author of the recent book “From Hamas to America” Mosab Hassan Yousef. As the son of one of Hamas’s co-founders, he has key insight into the group’s motivations and actions towards Israel and Gaza’s population.
Can a peace deal be reached between Israel and Hamas to end the war? Listen to the debate now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and watch now on The Young Turks and our YouTube channel. As always, let us know what you think.
DEBATING THE DATA
Would the ceasefire deal be the first step toward peace in the Middle East?
POINT/COUNTERPOINT
Should Israel Make Peace with Hamas?
YES: Cenk Uygur
“It’s very elementary. You make peace with your enemies and then see if it holds. That is what has been done every single time. It’s absurd to think otherwise… When you reject out of hand any discussions at all under the rubric of “we don’t talk to evil,” it turns into a disaster where nobody’s negotiating with anyone… This is one of the easiest questions of all time. If you say you don’t want to negotiate with Hamas, all you’re saying is ‘I don’t want peace. I prefer permanent war.’”
NO: Mosab Hassan Yousef
“If somebody wants to cancel my right to exist, I will never sit down at the table with them and give them any form of recognition. There is no dialogue with someone who wants me to cease to exist. End of the story. Hamas wants the destruction of Israel… Israel tried many times to extend their hand… Hamas totally rejected the existence of the state of Israel.”
Join Us For Our Upcoming Conversation Related to the 2024 Election
Join us for a live virtual conversation with YouTuber, Author of “Shameless”, and MSNBC contributor Brian Tyler Cohen and Reason’s Editor-at-Large Nick Gillespie, where they will discuss America’s political dysfunction, how we got here, what forces are at play, and what we need to better understand about both sides to restore order to the chaos.
When: Tuesday, August 13 at 4:15 PM ET
Location: Virtual livestream
Our Guest: Brian Tyler Cohen, YouTuber and Content Creator; Author of “Shameless”
Guest Moderator: Nick Gillespie, Editor-at-Large of Reason Magazine
Register to attend the live stream and be a part of the conversation from wherever you are.
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Be Open to Debate
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