156. The War in Gaza: How 2 Friends, an Arab American and an Israeli American Found Common Ground Despite Their Different Views Part 2

The Language Alchemy Podcast

“The Jews aren’t going anywhere. The Palestinians aren’t going anywhere. They’re either going to live there side-by-side fighting forever, or they’re going to live side-by-side in peace somehow.”

In this episode, Alejandra Siroka continues her conversation with Kawthar Duncan and Noam Szoke—two friends whose backgrounds might suggest they’d be on opposite sides of the debate. How do you sustain a friendship when the world around you seems divided? Through open dialogue and genuine care, Kawthar and Noam share how they’ve navigated the emotional complexities of the ongoing conflict in Gaza while maintaining a strong connection.

What does it take to truly listen to someone with a different perspective? How can friendships thrive amid geopolitical tensions? Kawthar and Noam’s story shows us the power of empathy and mutual understanding, and reminds us that it’s possible to find common ground even in the most challenging circumstances.

Quotes

• “We could process it together. And that’s really what we’ve been doing this year is when we get together, we basically share our grief with each other. No need for comparison or hierarchies. Grief is grief.” (09:46 | Noam Szoke)
• “I feel a lot of grief for Gaza... I don’t feel that grief for just Palestinians. I feel it for the Israelis. I feel it for the Ukrainians... I don’t want to see it in our world. I don’t want my kids to have it in their lifetime.” (11:16 | Kawthar Duncan)
• “The Jews aren’t going anywhere. The Palestinians aren’t going anywhere. They’re either going to live there side-by-side fighting forever, or they’re going to live side-by-side in peace somehow.” (22:23 | Noam Szoke)
• “Listening to understand. It’s not listening to be understood. Going into any conversation with people of different backgrounds... it’s just listening to understand.” (23:28 | Kawthar Duncan)

Links

Organizations Noam mentioned:

Standing Together: https://www.standing-together.org/en

Combatants for Peace: https://cfpeace.org/

Bereaved Families Forum: https://www.progressiveisrael.org/the-bereaved-parents-circle-parents-circle-families-forum/

Choosing True Connection Online Course: https://www.languagealchemy.com/enroll

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Podcast Music composed by Gary Lapow: open.spotify.com/artist/1HlMhcNfKIELxYil5mVqD

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