Background
So, what even is all the fuss about? Most would say the Hamas-led attack on October 7th, 2023, in which more than 1,200 Israelis were murdered and another 240 were taken hostage, was the catalyst. However, the aim of these issues is to capture the truth, the haqiqa, and arguably, the largest issue surrounding this conflict is the story portrayed by the media. Stating that the conflict sprung from these attacks omits decades of oppression.
Hamas is a nationalist and Islamist faction that has ruled over the Gaza Strip since 2007. It was the first time the Strip was under Palestinian control since 1967, when Israel's victory in the Six-Day War granted them the Gaza Strip along with the West Bank, Sinai, and East Jerusalem, more than doubling its territory. This is one of the first and largest instances of Israel breaking international law. In UN Resolution 181, which declared the Jewish and Arab states, specific regions were granted, while Jerusalem, nicknamed the Holy City as it holds great importance for all three major monotheistic religions (Judaism, Islam, and Christianity), was to be governed internationally. It was to be a violation of international law to go beyond these boundaries. Surprise! International law was broken and has continued to be since 1967 with no retaliation from the international community.
UN Resolution 181 Boundaries
UN Resolution 181 Boundaries
Long story short: attacks continued between Israelis and Palestinians, an oppressive apartheid system was put in place, and violence got really bad (the First and Second Intifadas). While Israel pulled out of the Strip in 2005, once Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip, it was declared a hostile entity and was heavily sanctioned by Israel. Exit or entry via air or sea is prohibited, while all other exit points are heavily restricted. There are only three entry points: two controlled by Israel and one by Egypt. All three rarely let anyone in or out, including humanitarian aid for the more than 2 million people living in the 140 square miles. The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely packed regions in the world as the residents are all stacked on top of each other, half of whom are under the age of 19. It is also one of the most poverty-stricken regions in the world with an unemployment rate of 46%, a percentage far higher with ongoing conflict. Walled off and banned from leaving, Gaza has become an open-air prison of constant bombing, gun shots, and genocide.
October 7th
In the early morning hours of October 7th, Hamas launched at least 2,200 rockets into Israel from the southern border. October 7th was Shemini Atzeret, a Jewish holiday so many IDF soldiers were on leave.
Due to the high number of sudden rockets, some were able to penetrate the “Iron Dome” - Israel’s notorious and highly successful anti-missiles technological system. More than 1,500 members of Hamas and PIJ (Palestinian Islamic Jihad), bulldozed sections of the border wall and entered Israel. Palestinian forces also entered by sea via motorboats and air via paragliders. Due to cut communication lines, the forces were able to infiltrate the nearby regions and neighborhoods quickly.
Around 1,200 were killed, several in their homes and at a nearby music festival. Many hostages were also taken from the festival and homes. Most were Israelis, however, there were foreigners as well.
The attack caught the entire world, most surprisingly Israel, off guard. While Hamas has its own storage of missiles, notably on display in the 2021 11-day conflict, in which both sides continued to bomb each other relentlessly, Israel has always had more than enough power to decimate the region. Israel has at least 90 nuclear warheads and one of the best militaries in the world. Hamas is a militant group, meaning that training and order is very limited and disorganized.
Another key mention is the citizens. Israel has mandatory military service for its citizens as soon as they turn 18. As stated prior, half of Gaza’s population is under 19 and lack proper nutrition. Notoriously, the weapon of the Palestinian people is rocks. Israel has the firepower to wipe out all the Palestinians and it is trying.
WHY DOES IT MATTER TO ME?
If you are American, it matters to you. If you live near Plainfield, it matters to you. If you are human, it matters to you. More than 34,500 people have been murdered in Gaza. More than 14,000 being children. Children are not Hamas. Hospital patients are not Hamas. Refugees are not Hamas. Humanitarian supplies are not Hamas. Yet, all formerly mentioned groups have been repeatedly bombed by Israel to “rid out Hamas.” This is a key part of Israel’s propaganda strategy which is readily defended and supported by the U.S government.
The same government that has given Israel more than $300 billion since 1946 and continues to grant $4.4 billion per year. America’s foreign policy favors Israel, but do its politicians? It is no surprise that politicians favor the money and this case is no different due to a somehow legal process called lobbying. In summary, lobbying is when an organization funds a hopeful politician's campaign in exchange for support of whatever their ideological goals are. A famous example is the NRA and Republican candidates, and the same strategy has been conducted by pro-Israel committees for too long. No anti-Israel legislation nor action is ever done by the federal government because too many of our “representatives” are in the pockets of Zionists.
But what does this have to do with Plainfield? Less than 20 miles away, our neighbor was blindly murdered. On October 15th, six-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume was stabbed 26 times in Plainfield Township by his own landlord. The boy and his mother, who survived her own stabbing attack, were targeted due to their Islamic faith and Palestinian blood, expressing fear that they would call over Palestinian friends or family to harm them. Joseph Czuba, the attacker, got the ideas from the conservative talk show he listened to. Thousands of miles away from the bombs and yet another child joined the ranks of young lives taken too soon. Even six months later, the town is unwilling to pass a ceasefire resolution.
The Westbank
Contrary to the main focus of the western media, this is no longer just a Gaza conflict. This is a Palestine conflict. For both those in the West Bank and all the children of the Palestinian diaspora. Even though Hamas is centered in Gaza, Israel took this sub-war as an excuse to attack the West Bank. Cities have been bombed, such as Bethlehem - which was the birthplace of Jesus on Christmas Day. Villages have been invaded, citizens shot and arrested such as in Jenin. While the IDF is complicit in the violence, much is due to the Israeli settlers. These settlers, whose settlement is illegal under the 1993 Oslo Accords, have attacked hundreds of Palestinians in the West Bank. The West Bank is under the authority of the PLO - The Palestinian Liberation Organization, not Hamas. The PLO has been cooperating with Israel and has their own number of spies within villages so there should be no reason for Israeli violence. But then again, what is to be expected from a nation in which tissues and organs are being removed from dead bodies?
What can you do?
You already are doing more than most of your fellow countrymen. Inform yourself. We have all consumed some sort of dystopian media. From Hunger Games to 1984, there is a reason information is always limited: uninformed populations are easy to control. We are in a period of a vile, vain, and vacuous government and influential citizenry. If there is anything the current college protests have shown (next issue!), it is that change doesn't happen by those in seats of power. It happens by those in the streets and schools. We may be our future, but we are more importantly, our present. So be present. Be informed. Be heard. Be the truth.
Misconceptions
That's not even the proper terminology as Semitic is a classification of speakers of Arabic, Hebrew, Amharic, Aramaic. So, if being pro-Semitic is also anti-Semitic, then I think we all need to do a reality check. Also, Israel is a nation, not a religion. Americans hate on Saudi Arabia all the time, that doesn't make them Islamophobic. Not all Jews are Zionists and not all Zionists are Jews.
This could be its own rightful published issue, but in summary - no. Contrary to popular belief, the Palestinians did not appear out of nowhere. They did not suddenly migrate as soon as the Muslims overtook Jerusalem in 637 C.E. The modern Palestinians were prior to the Philistines (wonder where the name Palestine came from), and prior the Canaanites. The Canaanites were the rulers of the Levant 4,000 years ago. That's 1,000 years four times. So safe to say, they have been here for a few generations. In comparison, sources and evidence have reported that Jews, of whom the Israeli government and people claim descendancy and authority from, were first living in the area 2,500 - 3,000 years ago. At earliest, a thousand years after the Canaanites, who would eventually become the Palestinians.
While it is true that Hamas is an Islamist militant organization, it is also a nationalist one. This certainly doesn’t excuse their horrendous actions, but it does serve as a reminder that many members of the organization joined not for pure religious reasons, but mostly out of frustration and rage due to decades of oppression. Also note, many people tend to forget that the favored victims of the Taliban and other organizations like it, are the same people they claim to protect and liberate: Muslims of their nation of origin. And America didn’t put Hamas into power.
All allies of oppressed groups in American history have been called amoral anarchists. Abolitionists, women's rights supporters, anti-war protesters, etc. Unfortunately, knowing you are standing up for the right thing is when you have anti-protesters degrading your worth in this country.