Veteran Israeli Journalist Oren Nahari Urges True Coexistence Before Passing Away

Oren Nahari, a leading Israeli foreign news journalist, passed away at age 70 after a rapid decline from ALS. About two weeks before his death, he attended a radio conference where he received a lifetime achievement award and delivered a poignant farewell message emphasizing the need for genuine coexistence between Israelis and Arabs. Nahari recalled growing up in Haifa near an Arab village, where boundaries between communities were blurred and coexistence was natural, a reality he said is no longer common in Israel.

In his final public remarks, Nahari stressed the importance of understanding all perspectives, including those of Arabs and even perpetrators of terrorism, not to justify their actions but to grasp their worldview. He highlighted his professional commitment to presenting diverse viewpoints, noting that Arab voices should come from within the Arab community itself. For example, he recently dedicated a third of his radio program to Palestinian literature, featuring Arab professors rather than Jewish academics.

Nahari criticized Israeli media for discussing Arab issues without directly consulting Arab voices, citing his own experience inviting Arab experts in fields like medicine to speak on relevant topics. He argued that true coexistence means more than superficial interactions like visiting an Arab restaurant; it requires living together fully without walls or divisions, a reality he experienced in his youth.

Concluding his message, Nahari acknowledged the challenges following the October 7 attacks but insisted that retreating into separate communities is not the answer. He called for finding a way to live together on the same land, which he described as both a curse and a sacred responsibility. His final words reflected hope rooted in his upbringing and belief in shared life.