On October 7th, 2023, more than a thousand Hamas terrorists rushed into Israeli territory, slaughtering Israelis and citizens of other nations who were visiting or working in Israel. More than a thousand innocent people were killed, thousands were wounded, and over 200 were kidnapped and carried into Gaza by Hamas. Following the storming, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched counter-strikes and then a full-blown invasion of Gaza in order to destroy or at least degrade the war-making abilities of Hamas, a group committed to the destruction of the Jewish state. Amidst this, Israel and Hamas have also continued negotiations for the return of the hostages.
As of right now, Hamas is hiding out inside an astonishing infrastructure of defense within Gaza, which includes more than 300 miles of known underground tunnels existing beneath the 140 square mile strip of land. It is inside these tunnels where Hamas is hunkering down and likely keeping the remaining hostages as Israel bombards the Gaza Strip with an unprecedented amount of firepower.
As a result of Israel’s barrage, many Palestinians have died. The Gaza Health Ministry claims roughly 24,000 Palestinians have died (as of January 13), with nearly three times that figure injured. Many of these losses of life are civilians. This is not to mention the hundreds of thousands of Gazans that have been displaced from their homes as the bombardment continues, leading them into refugee camps like those in the picture below.
It is important to note, however, that Israel is trying to avoid killing civilians, though they certainly haven’t been successful. It is estimated that Hamas’s membership is likely between 20,000 and 25,000, although a number like this is difficult to determine and is probably higher in reality. These terrorists are hiding out under and around the extraordinarily densely-populated Gaza Strip, a piece of land with more than 2 million people. Hamas terrorists have been hiding among civilians both to deter Israel from attacking and because they know that when Israel does attack, civilians will die and Israel will be internationally condemned. So, even though Israel is targeting terrorists, many civilians have died.
Largely due to the death of so many civilians in Gaza, we have been hearing for months numerous critics from all over the world demand Israel completely stop its retaliation. Some critics have argued that Israel’s strikes are more retributive rather than strategic, and agree to a “ceasefire.” Some of the calls are from the UN. Some are from humanitarian aid groups. Even the United States, Israel’s closest friend, has urged restraint.
It is well established in international relations that nations have the right to defend themselves from threats to their very existence and sovereignty. Very few people ever argue that when attacked, countries should simply accept the onslaught and do nothing about it, except when it is Israel being attacked. While Israel is on the receiving end of a great deal of valid and necessary criticism regarding many of its actions, it has also been the victim of far too many unfair attacks, sometimes directed not at its actions, but at its very existence.
Many of those speaking out the hardest against Israel have been simultaneously guilty of ignoring various crimes against humanity committed around the globe, such as Russia’s horrible treatment of Ukrainians, or the Syrian government’s treatment of its own people just a few years ago, and have decided instead to focus solely on the wrongdoings of the world’s only Jewish state. It is clear that what lies at the root of Israel’s uniquely bad treatment on the world stage is anti-Semitism. Since its foundation in 1948, the modern state of Israel has been subject to a special kind of isolation on the world stage, especially by its geographical neighbors. When the modern state of Israel was brought into existence following the Holocaust, not only was it invaded immediately by all its neighbors and more, but Jews were forced out in huge numbers of almost every Middle Eastern and North African country – many of which they had been living in for generations.
A number of these countries had large Jewish populations that shrunk to almost nothing in a matter of years. Some of the most drastic changes were in Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Iraq, Egypt and Yemen, to name a few. Yet, it seems these forced removals have been ignored time and time again. Only the forced removal of Palestinians by Israel (which certainly did happen in great numbers) in 1948 is often acknowledged by many and used to delegitimize Israel’s sovereignty.
Israel’s harsh treatment on the world stage did not first come about on October 7. Between 2006 and 2022, the UN Human Rights Council adopted more resolutions on Israel than any other country on Earth, by more than a factor of two. Not to mention that the UN General Assembly has also adopted more resolutions on Israel in 2022 (15) than they did on every other country in the world combined (13) that year, most of which condemn Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, growing settlements, or increased presence in the West Bank. While some of these resolutions are based on actual problems with the Israeli government, there is no logical reason, other than anti-Semitism, that Israel should be treated as if it were the world’s worst human rights offender. Ironically enough, the countries that are the fiercest critics of Israel, those who swear by the idea that Israel is a genocidal nation that should not exist, are often the world’s worst enemies of human rights and freedom.
We live in a world where anti-Semitism has often been disguised behind accusations of “settler colonialism,” “imperialism” and “apartheid.” These inaccurate anti-Israel ideas are then categorized as part of a supposedly valid political movement of “anti-Zionism.” Much of this kind of rhetoric can be heard reflected on the divisions of American campuses and in the lives of young people. A recent December 2023 Economist/YouGov poll found that one-fifth of people aged 18-29 in the United States agreed that “the Holocaust is a myth.” This shows a drastic upsurge in anti-Semitic ideas.
While this may stem from a number of factors, including lack of education, it is also common among higher education institutions across the country. A late November 2023 ADL poll found that since the start of the school year, 73% of Jewish college students have experienced or witnessed anti-Semitism. Prior to October 7, more than 60% of Jewish college students felt that their college was welcoming to Jewish students, after October 7, that number is down to fewer than 40%.
This new uptick in anti-Semitism is mostly based on geopolitical affairs in the Middle East, but it is affecting American Jews who often have nothing to do with the conflict. The “anti-Zionism” is becoming a kind of groupthink in which otherwise not anti-Semitic people are peer pressured into hating Israel and harboring anti-Semitic ideas.
The whole matter is a linguistic minefield filled with coded and hostile language. Largely as a result of this, both Jews and non-Jews alike may feel anti-Semitism when they hear things like calls for a ceasefire. I should specify what is meant when I say “ceasefire.” Here, when I use the term, I am referring to a long-term end, a cessation, an armistice with conditions, to Israel’s response against Hamas; this is not a shorter pause being established to ensure the safety of civilians. For Israel, a complete or permanent ceasefire would mean failing to prevent future attacks. This is not an acceptable outcome for Israelis.
While calls for a ceasefire aren’t frequently a result of anti-Semitism and are a commonly-held position globally, I think they are often ill-informed. Many people may not even realize it, but they are holding Israel to a much different standard than every other country. Israel’s retaliation sparks unseen criticism, yet people often ignore atrocities committed in other locations around the globe, such as Sudan or Ethiopia just a few years ago, for instance.
I am not suggesting we ignore the issues in Israel and Palestine because there are bad things happening elsewhere, but rather that the world understands Israel’s side of the story and does not treat it differently from the rest of the international community.
We should all be able to see and acknowledge that the horrible humanitarian situation in Gaza is deeply distressing. The Israeli government is certainly making some major mistakes and far too many innocent human beings are being displaced, dying, or losing their families. It is even possible that some of Israel’s reactions violate international law, especially regarding the proportionality of a response, as NY Times journalist Steven Erlanger puts it. For example, international law requires that in any military action, the strategic advantage outweighs the potential loss of civilian life, and this is what is meant by proportionality. This does, however, differ with the asymmetry of a response, such as that of Israel, where far more people are killed in the response to an attack than they are in the initial attack. Erlanger makes an important distinction between disproportionality and asymmetry which applies in this case. While Israel’s response is certainly asymmetrical, as many more Palestinians die than Israelis did, it may or may not be disproportionate and against international law, though this is up to interpretation.
It is also important to specify that the vast majority of those calling for a ceasefire are not necessarily bad or hateful people whatsoever. Often, they are simply looking out for the Palestinian civilians who are suffering, of which there are many, and are right in doing so. However, by demanding Israel stop all its fighting, they are making the mistake of neglecting to remember that Israel must also protect its people. For Israel to not respond sufficiently would leave open the possibility of future attacks. For one, if not destroyed, Hamas would see their October operation as a success, and would likely try and repeat it as many times as they can. They would continue their hold over Gaza and would use their invasion as a rallying cry, showing that “liberation” is possible, potentially uniting the strip’s Palestinian population of 2 million using propaganda, and heightening tensions to unparalleled levels. Hamas also isn’t Israel’s only risk; Hezbollah, an even stronger group, would see a feeble response by Israel as a sign of their weakness and would capitalize on it too. Potentially coordinating future attacks with Hamas, Hezbollah could create a two-front war in Israel, and for the first time in decades, pose a substantial threat to the very existence of the Jewish state. At the end of the day, Israel is not the instigator of this conflict and as a nation forever scarred by October 7, it must respond with enough force to deter or destroy Hamas and prevent future destruction inside its own borders and in Gaza.
I believe that the United States must do everything that it can to support the defense of Israel. Throughout its history, the United States has been an incredibly strong, and some might say unconditional, ally of Israel. Every year the United States provides Israel with a few billion, and since 1948, Israel has received more than $150 billion in total. Often the United States and Israel vote together in the United Nations, even at times when all other American allies vote against the American position. As a result of this relationship, however, Israel largely relies upon the United States. For this reason, the United States needs to be sure of itself with regard to Israel’s current struggle and make sure Israel knows that they have us by their side. The U.S. has a moral obligation to stand with our fellow liberal democracies. President Biden has repeatedly emphasized the current international struggle going on between democracy and autocracy. In a 2022 speech in Poland, he referred to this as the “great battle for freedom: a battle between democracy and autocracy, between liberty and repression, between a rules-based order and one governed by brute force.” Israel stands firmly on the side of democracy and liberty, while most of its enemies, such as its current enemy, the terrorist group Hamas, do not.
The battle Biden refers to may not be quite so simple or binary in reality, but generally speaking, it is very real. In this battle, we need to be clear-eyed. If the United States is to stand on the side of democracy, we must defend Israel and its sovereignty. No matter what problems Israel may have faced in its internal politics in the past year, it remains a stronghold of democracy in a Middle Eastern sea of autocratic rule. In a region where in most countries to be gay risks prison or execution, and where the vast majority of countries permit marital rape, Israel poses a sharp contrast with its acceptance of different sexualities (and famed Tel Aviv pride parade) and equal rights for women. While Israel has no shortage of religious extremism, it is a uniquely diverse country and a free country just like the United States. In order to keep the global balance of power on the side of freedom, the United States must ensure Israel remains strong.
No matter what viewpoint you may hold on the conflict, it is clear that the current crisis is the result of years and years of complex struggle. On the one hand, the innocent Palestinian people of Gaza are living under a terrorist organization that has its complete grip over millions of people. On the other hand, Israel and its innocent people have been horrifically attacked and cannot simply ignore the risks to their livelihoods.
Israel has become more radical in recent years and the current state of war may worsen or better that issue, but it is a problem that Israel really ought to solve. Something certainly needs to change for peace to be in the future. Some people may say that more efforts need to be made to create a real independent Palestinian state, while others may believe that the problems would disappear if the Israeli government acted a little more calmly.
There is no way of telling what will resolve one of the world’s most pressing issues and what will come next, but we must work together toward some resolution so that innocent Israelis and Palestinians may live peacefully with no future risk of innocent death in their homeland.
The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or editorial policy of The Fieldston News staff.
