Gershon Baskin: From Long Island Activist to Israel’s Most Unlikely Intermediary

In this sweeping and intimate episode of Tel Aviv Diary, we sit down with Gershon Baskin—one of the most consequential and least understood figures in the Israeli–Palestinian arena. Baskin traces his path from a politically awakened teenager in 1960s America to a lifelong peacebuilder whose work has spanned Arab villages inside Israel, the first Intifada, the Oslo years, and nearly two decades of clandestine contacts with Hamas. In this rare, uninterrupted narrative, he recounts the early experiences that shaped his worldview, the creation of pioneering coexistence institutions, and his long, complicated role in hostage negotiations—culminating in the behind-the-scenes diplomacy that helped shape the events of 2024–2025.Across the conversation, Baskin offers a historian’s memory, a negotiator’s candor, and an optimist’s resilience. He describes the human relationships that underpinned years of unofficial diplomacy, the turning points in his contact with Hamas, the regional realignments now driving new political possibilities, and why—despite trauma, distrust, and hard realities on both sides—he still believes the two-state solution is the only path forward. The result is a rare window into the mechanics of conflict, the fragility of peacemaking, and the stubborn hope that keeps both alive. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marcschulman.substack.com/subscribe