November 1, 2023 by Othmane Kerroum (‘25)
In the aftermath of Hamas’ offensive on October 7, the world has appeared to exist within the State of Israel. With more than 1,400 people killed and roughly 200 with whereabouts unknown, this day can only be described as a tragic loss of life, marking the single deadliest day for Jewish people since the times of Holocaust. Expectedly, many people ask the questions, “What? Who? Why? How?” Well, if you’ve been listening to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, you might draw the conclusion that the people responsible for this attack are Palestinian citizens who wish to terrorize and eradicate Jews. He says, “It is an entire nation out there that is responsible. It is not true this rhetoric about civilians not being aware, not involved. It’s absolutely not true.” It’s no secret that the majority of America (84% of citizens according to Harvard CAPS poll) supports the Israeli Defense Forces, but when did we turn against innocent civilians?
As of October 30, 2023, over 8,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israeli efforts. This number, composed mainly of women and children, continues to grow by the day. Whether by means of air-striking homes, hospitals, and religious buildings, or cutting off access to clean water, electricity, and phone service, the citizens of Gaza are being terrorized. Collective punishment is a war crime prohibited by the Geneva Conventions, yet that is exactly what Gazan families are experiencing through Israel’s rebuttal to Hamas’ attacks. According to UN human rights experts, the situation in Gaza is starting to reflect all of the ugly characteristics of a genocide.
Let’s rewind to 1994 in the small African nation of Rwanda. Two ethnic groups, the Hutu and the Tutsi, made up the majority population of the country. Long standing tensions between the two were catapulted into genocide over night following the assassination of Hutu president Juvénal Habyarimana. The Hutus blamed the Tutsis for his death, thus prompting the rape and murder of at least 500,000 Tutsi women, children and men. Hutus referred to Tutsis as “cockroaches and snakes” as a means to dehumanize them. These events mirror the current situation in Gaza. Some Israelis recount extreme indoctrination against Palestinians during their youth. Take this recent statement made by IDF Veteran Ezra Yachin to IDF soldiers, “Wipe out their families, their mothers, and their children. These animals must not be allowed to live any longer.” When statements like this go without Israeli condemnation, it raises the question whether Israel is at war with Hamas, or against the people of Palestine.