Opinion: The Current Discourse on Israel-Palestine Fails Everyone

The discourse on Israeli and Palestinian feuds have taken the center stage in current affairs. As we speak, thousands of people from both Israeli and Palestinian forces are being subjugated to intense violence. Activist groups such as Amnesty International have called the current Israeli political system: "a system of cruel domination and a crime against humanity." The article is a detailed reflection of the experiences of Palestinians living in the West Bank and the lack of reprieve from stifling conditions it in the past decades. It details the legacy of what is termed "apartheid measures" imposed on the Palestinian populace by the Israeli government. For instance, it details the obstruction of movement for Palestinians within the occupied West Bank and further still in the Gaza Strip, and how they are denied necessary resources such as financial relief and even basic needs to survive there. It also noted the devestating loss of life at the hands of Israeli raids, including on protests.

Amnesty International also wrote an article saying, "Palestinian armed groups must be held accountable for deliberate civilian killings, abductions and indiscriminate attacks. This article looked at the actions of Hamas- which claims to represent the people of Palestine and their efforts to be free of Israeli occupation. In the name of liberation, Hamas claimed the lives of over 1,000 people and have injured 2,400 more. The article calls for the perpetrators of the violence to be held accountable to the loss of life imposed on Israeli civilians who are living near the Gaza Strip. However, it also again reiterates that Israeli response to the attack...where over 1200 Palestinians have been killed.

This can be overwhelming for anyone, especially for someone who is not informed about the historical legacy of the conflict that is happening in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as the Israeli-Palestine conflict at large. As I am writing this, I know I am putting myself at risk of even voicing an opinion on the topic. Again, citing Amnesty International, globally there has been an increased online censorship and hate that continues to unravel surrounding dialogue between Israel and Palestine. Caught in the middle of this hostility are the every day people who affiliate themselves with a particular category. Anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and both Israeli and Palestinian identified individuals have been the targets of online rhetoric that crossed the lines from just being offensive and moved into threats of violence.

Outside of Israel and Palestine themselves respectively, the world is finding itself torn on where they stand politically on the matter. In Washington D.C. and elsewhere, protests from both pro-Israel and pro-Palestine, have exhibited violent rhetoric that targets particular categories of individuals. This is despite the attempts and efforts of many activists and scholars who have tried to bridge rifts between the divided masses. "The Guardian" also reported that amidst the violent backdrop, both anti-Semitism, anti-Arab, and Islamophobic sentiments are on the rise.

According to that same report, the Council of American-Islamic Relations found that Arabs and Muslims experienced a 216% increase in harmful rhetoric and discrimination since November 2022 (meaning that this happened over the span of one year.) Meanwhile, the Anti-Defamation League reported that there was a 400% increase in anti-Semitism within a similar year-over-year metric (theirs was measured from October 2022 to October 2023). Of the 64 incidents that were reported to the Anti-Defamation League, four of those were Israeli-related. Meaning, that the cause for the violence was sparked by either supposed or confirmed affilation with Israel.

The violence and harmful rhetoric that is juxtaposed against people for their affiliations and categories is counter-productive to the concerns of all parties involved in Israeli-Palestine relations. It is all the more polarized in the outside world. The Carnegie Endowment for Peace argues that the current discussions on these topics are not serving anyone. "The conversation must include and draw on the energies and ideas of civil society groups, social movements, and activists who represent a range of interests and perspectives." This is in a time when a criticism of Israeli policy is painted broadly as anti-Semitism. It is also taking place in a space that has completley labeled concern for the well-being of Jews or Israelis as Islamophobic or complacency in Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip.

From my perspective, there is a misguided and even false attempt to label the conflict of Israel and Palestine as something that started seventy-five years ago. This is a complete overlook of the historical data, which shows that much of the Jewish people have been ousted from their homeland since the time of the Romans in 139 BCE and again in 14 CE (even despite circumstances where they were "allowed" to return). It also demonstrates a lack of understanding of the legacy of Muslim and Palestinian connections to the land as well. The term Palestine itself is derived from an ancient Greek historian named Herodotus, who called the district between Syria and Egypt: Palaistinê. The fact of the matter remains that there are several communities who have a genuine claim to the land. Christian Palestinians, Muslim Palestinians, Jewish Israelis, Jewish Palestinians, Samaritans, and other small ethnic and religious minority groups call this contested stretch of land home and they all have a right to be a part of the region's history.

The topical concern of today is not rooted in a conflict that started seventy-five years ago, but rather traces its origins back thousands of years ago. The implications of the the past seventy-five years however cannot be overlooked. The Israeli armed forces and Hamas are guilty of crimes against humanity. The current discussion is also fueling anti-Jewish, anti-Israeli, anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian, and anti-Arab rhetoric. Those who are profiting from this continued contest are not those who live with the consequences of what results. Arms dealers, manufacturers, and smugglers for instance, are profiting off of the sales of weapons to the region. Special interests groups-- both secular and religious-- have stakes involved in what goes on in the occupied territory of the West Bank and what happens with Gaza. What's more...ordinary people who are living and breathing in the conflict are suffering directly from the violence that is being perpetrated by those who are supposed to be demonstrating leadership, especially those who claim to be a part of a "free world" and those who claim to be a part of a "liberation movement."

The lack of compassion and empathy in this troubled time are evidence again of how leaders and communities around the globe have missed the mark. The continued discourse on the current affairs of Israel and Palestine have failed all of the people, especially those on the ground and feeling the impacts of it. While leaders commit mass atrocities in the name of the people they claim to represent, they avoid the consequences and neglect supporting the same people as they endure the reprecussions. For all this talk about the love of children, women, the elderly, the sick, the disabled, and the oppressed...the polarization of this topic shows the lack of nuance and critical thinking in this deeply-seated debate.

We cannot take a seventy-five year conflict with its roots in thousands of years of history and expect to understand the full grasp and scope of it to be covered in one post or video. (This has been happening a lot especially as outrage has been building.) The policy that must be debated and discussed should not be limited to one particular interest, especially because of this concern. Both Israeli and Hamas leaders are guilty of crimes against humanity and they have both been on the receiving ends of violence not only from each other, but also from outsider influences. Neither the vilification of entire communities of people or the shutdown of civic discourse should be allowed to stand. People around the globe must be allowed to voice their opinions while at the same time be held accountable if they encourage violence against a collective or individual. No government should be shielded from critical rhetoric of its policies or procedures. The rights and protections of speech, press, assembly, and petition should be honored to the fullest extent; where people be allowed to vocalize their points and dissent to those that disagree with them without threat to their life, liberty, or property.

If our species should survive the challenges ahead of us, future generations will look back and ask us where we stood. It is in the times of uncertainty and in those of great opposition that demonstrate the content of our characters. If what we are is shaped by what happened to us in the past, then who we are is molded in the time that was given to us. It is up to us now, in this moment, to take responsibility and decide what that will be.