It’s been
nearly a week since the beginning of Israel’s ground incursion into the Gaza
Strip. Over 1000 Palestinians have died (the vast majority being civilians) and
around 50 Israeli soldiers have been killed. As accusations fly from both Hamas
and Israel about who is offering and violating a ceasefire, it is important to
understand the primary factors driving the conflict.
One is misinformation.
The Palestinian people may seem resolutely against Israel and even against Jews
but this is not the truth. The truth is that most Palestinians simply want to
live better (better access to food, water, shelter) and an end to the violence.
Unfortunately, poverty and violence only seem to produce more poverty and more
violence. So with the current invasion, it is unlikely that the Palestinian
people will be more inclined to throw out Hamas and welcome more Israeli intervention.
Misinformation
also spreads around the west. A constant article that has popped up on my news
feed has been one that counts the number of dead Israeli and Palestinian
children and then uses it as a basis to claim that Israel is wrong. This idea
makes little to no sense. First, it is common that the region which gets
invaded suffers more casualties and more child deaths. Second, Hamas has
reportedly been making sure that Palestinian children remain at sites that will
be targeted by the Israeli military. Finally, the number of casualties is never
a basis for who is just or right in a conflict.
There is
another factor at work: fear. For many Israelis, they see themselves as
surrounded by enemies (Iran, Islamic fundamentalists in Iraq and Syria,
Hezbollah, and Hamas) that have claimed they are dedicated to the destruction
of Israel. It is of no mystery why many Israelis would feel that a strong
response to aggression is necessary. When they hear of dead Israeli teens or
rockets, they don’t think of the minimal scale of the violence but rather of
the possibility of threats to their nation and Jews in general.
Fear also
reaches across to the west. As a younger generation, I often try to see issue
from the Palestinian side and from the view of those protesting against Israel.
The older generation, I am sorry to say, is unable and unwilling to do so. When
I talk with other Jewish people who are much older than I am (I am 20 right now
so that includes a lot of people), they will constantly label the protesters as
“hidden anti-Semites” who are upset at the idea that Jews can actually stand up
for themselves. They will also simply claim that Hamas is “dedicated to erasing
Israel and killing Israelis” and so this justifies any act of war.
The truth hurts
in this argument as it cuts through the fear. The reality is that the vast
majority of those supporting the Palestinians in the west are not anti-Semitic.
They have nothing against Jews and would probably have nothing against Israel if
not for the situation. I have grown up with many people who will post
pro-Palestinian messages. I know them, they may be misinformed but they are not
anti-Semitic. It is time that we identify the difference. There may always be a
knee-jerk reaction when someone who is Jewish hears someone criticizing Israel.
And with good reason, Jews have been persecuted and discriminated against for a
long time.
But we must separate
anti-Semitism from being anti-Israeli policy. They are two separate issues and
two separate frames of mind.
No comments:
Post a Comment