Yehoram Gaon: 'Coexistence? It's Not Suitable for the Other Side's Way of Life'

Singer Yehoram Gaon, one of Israel's most beloved artists, discusses the change he's undergone since the war. After years of believing in peace, he admits that his belief has been shaken. In an interview with Ynet, he states: 'During the Oslo days, I smelled the scent of peace. I said the war was over. But just when I started to smell peace, buses began to explode, and I realized there's a factor – the other side, not us – for whom the matter of peace and coexistence doesn't fit their way of life. We were heretics and remain heretics in their view.'

Gaon also comments on the harsh reality revealed since the terror attack: 'Any thought in the direction of togetherness, coexistence with a person whose whole reason for being is that I won't be here – someone capable of killing children – I can't connect to that. The story with the Palestinians is not so clear to me. This is a people born in 1967. We need to once clarify what this people is? Where were they born? What is their language? What is their flag? What is their currency? What is the shared past of this people from 1967 until today? We have a history of 3,000 years. The Palestinian people need clarification.'

Beyond the political aspect, Gaon continues to leave a mark in the world of education. Recently, he was awarded the title of 'Teacher of Honor' for the year 5784 by the Levinsky-Wingate Academic Center, for his many years of contribution to musical education in Israel. The judging committee cited that his songs 'contributed to the education of a whole generation by shaping a diverse and rich national soundtrack.'