Can there be peace in the Middle East? Gidi Grinstein was “in the room where it happened” negotiating peace among Israelis and Palestinians and has a way forward.   We're on Patreon! Join the community:  https://www.patreon.com/politicsandreligion   It would mean so much if you could leave us a review:  https://ratethispodcast.com/goodfaithpolitics   In this episode, Gidi Grinstein, founder and president of Reut Group and Tikkun Olam Makers, discusses his extensive background in public policy and political affairs in Israel. He covers his experiences with the Birthright Israel Program, peace negotiations with the PLO, and his transformative perspective on Jewish life after living in the United States. Gidi further delves into the concept of Jewish nationhood, his personal journey towards observing Jewish fast days, and reflections on complex negotiations for Israeli-Palestinian peace. The conversation also touches on the rise of antisemitism, external influences on protests, and the future of peace in the region. He shares insights into his work with Reut Group and Tikkun Olam Makers and expresses hope for a better future ahead of the Jewish New Year.   00:00 Introduction to Gidi Grinstein 01:23 Formative Experiences and Changing Perspectives 06:26 Complex Identity of the Jewish People 09:41 Observing Jewish Traditions 21:27 Negotiating Peace: Challenges and Insights 34:10 Netanyahu's Pragmatic History and the Trump Plan 37:43 The Importance of Palestinian Statehood for Israel 42:28 Challenges in Peace Negotiations: Finality of Claims 47:17 The Impact of October 7 and Hamas on Peace Efforts 52:15 Hope for Peace and the Role of International Forces 52:35 Addressing U.S. Domestic Politics and Antisemitism 01:02:43 Reut Group and Tikkun Olam Makers: Innovating for a Better World 01:08:05 Concluding Thoughts and Hopes for the Future   https://gidigrinstein.net/    https://www.reutgroup.org/    https://tomglobal.org/    "How Oslo Could Solve Gaza" from Fathom - https://fathomjournal.org/how-oslo-could-solve-gaza/    Let us know what you think. You can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.   Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.   Very grateful for our sponsor Meza Wealth Management. Reach out to Jorge and his team: www.mezawealth.com