The current war in Gaza emerges from a long history of conflict between Israel and Palestine. António Guterres, the secretary general of the United Nations, makes a plea for peace in this op-ed, which was also published in the New York Times on October 13, 2023. In this piece, he urges the international community as well as Israelis and Palestinians to consider “the pull of collective memory” that shapes how people understand and discuss the conflict.

António Guterres, “Why Israel Must Reconsider Its Gaza Evacuation Order,” The United Nations: The Question of Palestine, www.un.org, 13 October 2023.

1. What is motivating Guterres’s argument? Where does he clearly state the “they say”s that he is responding to? What strategies does he use to persuade the reader about the gravity of the situation in Gaza?
   
2. According to Guterres, what must happen in the immediate future to protect civilians in the conflict? What does he argue is necessary to achieve long-term “security and opportunity for both Israelis and Palestinians?” What do you notice about the tone of his “I say” claims?
3. Guterres uses two direct quotes in this argument. Locate those quotes. How does he introduce and explain these quotes? Why do you think he chose to include these quotes in his argument?
4. In his essay “The Other Side Is Not Dumb,” Sean Blanda describes how people often mock, belittle, or dismiss those who do not share their views. He writes, “It’s a preference to see the Other Side as a cardboard cutout, and not as the complicated individual human beings that they actually are.” How does Guterres encourage his readers to consider alternative views? Do you think he is successful at portraying the complicated feelings and perspectives of both sides of the conflict? Why or why not?