Pro-Palestine and Pro-Israel protesters. Photo Creds: Chris Hearn, Unsplash
Israelis woke to the sound of bombs on the morning of October 7, 2023, as Hamas, the military group that oversees Gaza, launched an attack on the West Bank of Israel. Hamas killed roughly 1,400 Israeli civilians, took 240 civilians and soldiers as hostages, and fired into a group of young Israeli civilians attending a music festival, according to the Associated Press News Agency.
Israel struck back on the Gaza Strip with hundreds of missiles, then launched a ground assault, killing over 10,000 individuals, both combatants and civilians. Both Israeli and Palestinian citizens are concerned about the possibility of a prolonged ground war, a prospect detrimental to the lives of millions occupying the area.
This current conflict didn’t start October 7, but has rather been a looming issue of territorial rights for generations.
The most recognized start of the Israeli and Palestinian conflict was around the 1920s through 1940s during and after the Holocaust. Jewish immigration to the area grew as they fled European prosecution towards the then-British Empire’s territory after the Ottoman Empire was defeated.
The British Empire was tasked with providing a “national home” for the Jewish refugees that maintained a minority in Palestine. To Jews, Palestine was their ancestral home because of Jerusalem and its past occupation, but the Palestinian Arabs denied this move as they were the claimed majority before refuge began.
“When I teach about it to my classes, I always pull up a map that the UN created in 1947 and also show, before, what Palestine looked like,” said Carrie Boone, a history teacher at Watauga High School. “Just looking at the map, you can tell by the divide that conflict was going to arise. It’s broken up in such a horrible way.”
Tensions grew as the UK attempted to separate the state into territories but evidently pulled out in 1948, leaving Jewish leaders to claim the land as their own. A day later, Arab countries attacked in retaliation, leading to the displacement of Palestinians and an ethnic cleansing of Muslims from Israel.
Since the retaliatory strike, Israeli forces have killed over 4,000 children although their military leaders insist their targets have been Hamas strongholds. UN world leaders have urged Israel to give citizens of Gaza a grace period to evacuate and receive aid. Members of Jewish and Muslim communities in the United States have been concerned for their friends and family in the impacted areas.
"I am constantly refreshing the news and keeping in touch with [family] to see if any of the conflict has spilled into the other occupied Palestinian territory. For now, [my family] is safe,” said Runda, an individual of Muslim faith with relatives in the impacted areas. Runda is being referenced by their first name only in this publication in the interest of protecting their safety and privacy. “At my local mosque, just yesterday, I was speaking with a friend who has many family members in Gaza. She told me that she spent all of last week crying and now has resigned herself to what she believes will happen.”
Due to the bombings and airstrikes in both territories, power has been cut off from Gaza and the West Bank, making it difficult for families to contact each other and check on each other’s safety. In America, there has formed a division between citizens who have opposing beliefs on which group should be getting the support and aid that America is providing, causing controversy and even violence.
A week after Hamas’s attack on Israel, a 6 year-old Muslim boy was stabbed and murdered by his adult neighbor in Chicago, Illinois, an atrocity that was deemed a hate crime. His mother was also stabbed but managed to survive the attack. “We may be 6,000 miles away from Israel, but this terrorist attack feels very close to home. Perhaps the hardest part of all is watching my teenagers navigate a world in which classmates they once called friends turn against them for expressing their sadness and anger that Israel was attacked by Hamas,” says Kathy, an individual of the Jewish faith. Kathy is also being referenced by their first name only in this publication in the interest of protecting their safety and privacy.
Tensions continue to rise with civilians in America. Many groups are urging President Biden to call for aid towards Gaza instead of Israel. Across the globe, civilians in countries such as the UK have banned together to protest the lack of support for Palestine.
“Citizens of a country are not the government under which they live. Israeli citizens do not deserve to be murdered, raped, and kidnapped simply because they are Jews any more than Gazans deserve to be killed because they are ruled by a terrorist group,” says Kathy. “Hate and intolerance are at the center of these disputes. This war will likely last a long time and will end with no winners and great loss of life.”
One consistent element that resonated with all of our sources was the need for Americans to pay attention to what is happening, even if it feels removed from our daily lives.
“I think what’s happening in Palestine should concern everyone, not just people who have family or links to the area. This situation affects the community I am a part of - the Muslim community. I am a Muslim hijabi and I have noticed a heightened sense of tensions, division, misconceptions, and hatred towards Muslims,” says Nabeela, an individual of the Muslim faith. “It reminds me of the aftermath of 9/11 when hate crimes against Muslims increased and we were verbally and physically attacked. This ‘otherization’ and ‘dehumanization’ of Muslims is happening again, and my mental well-being is affected by this constant fear and concern for the safety of myself, my friends, and my family.” The Powderhorn has also referred to Nabeela by first name only to preserve their safety.
As of now, the conflict continues to progressively get worse. On Thursday, October 26, Israel launched a targeted raid into Gaza and continues to strike hospitals and refugee camps that host Palestinians. Israeli officials claim there are Hamas leaders among the civilians.
“Both sides have had losses and it’s very tragic to see the conflict itself and what it has evolved into. I wish there was an easy way to have peace in this area but unfortunately I think it is going to be a longer process to get to that point.,” says Ms. Boone. “I am thinking about everyone in this situation and everyone affected. It's a tricky situation because of feelings and opinions but we're also dealing with human life.”
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