Rachel Eryn Kalish: When is Violence Necessary?

How My View Grew

Rachel Eryn Kalish is a peacemaker. Personally, she radiates harmony. Professionally, she has devoted decades to non-violence and was mediating conflict before the term conflict resolution existed.

Yet, today, she doesn't view non-violence as the one and only approach to global conflict. Sometimes, she has learned, force is necessary to save lives and reduce suffering. The massacre of Israelis by Hamas on October 7 is one example.

We all know the saying that violence begets violence. But are there situations in which non-violence begets violence?

This is the story of how Rachel Eryn began asking this question and listening deeply for answers.

**Key takeaways**

• 5:30 Facilitating conflict resolution and violence prevention in the workplace
• 9:30 Teaching dialogue skills to mixed groups of Israelis and Palestinians amidst the suicide bombings of the Second Intifada
• 14:15 Helping the deeply divided Bay Area Jewish community talk constructively about Israel
• 19:00 The civil war in Sierra Leone prompts Rachel Eryn to reconsider her view of non-violence
• 25:00 The savagery of October 7 and the need to get rid of Hamas's infrastructure
• 31:30 Amiel's reflections: what type of humans commit barbaric violence, and what types of response can constrain them?

**Resources**

• Workplace Connections, Rachel Eryn's consulting firm
• Amiel's essays on Medium about Israel/Gaza (and other big messes)

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