Some RCMS students are joining a rising group expresses their concerns over the rising Israel-Palestine conflict, especially after recent protests in college campuses.
“I support Palestine because of the large number of civilian casualties from Israel,” said Jivan Sabavala, 13, on the Trail Blazers team.
Although conflict has recurred often, this one is different, said Mr. Jerome Stack, the Legacy history teacher.
“This is the first time Israel gives a vow to not stop until Hamas is gone,” Mr. Stack said.
Mr. Stack doesn’t have any personal ties to either side, but still thinks the conflict is important. Mr. Stack has been interested in Middle-Eastern conflicts since the 1990s and began to study them after Sept. 11.
The current conflict is also different in the amount of support and relevance. College campuses have seen many protests for an immediate ceasefire since nobody wants civilians to be harmed. According to official figures, the IDF, Israel’s military force, has killed almost 36,000 Palestinian civilians and Hamas has killed almost 2,000 Israeli civilians.
Some of the campus protests have been stopped by police and protesters were arrested.
Jivan Sabavala, 13, on the Trail Blazers team, believes that the protests were peaceful and not unlawful.
“This is an example of police brutality,” he said. “They are misusing their power.”
Jivan says the only reason that the police are arresting the protesters is because they don’t agree with them.
Although Jivan doesn’t go to any protests because of his age, he still shows his love and sympathizes with the Palestinians.
Jivan still wants to highlight that there are innocent Israelis that have been killed and injured. He doesn’t think they deserve this, but he said their situation is much better than the average Palestinian.
The international community outside of the United States has been trying to stop the conflict. The International Court of Justice ruled during a case brought by South Africa against Israel that it is plausible for Israel to be harming the Palestinians right to be protected from genocide.
“In the Court’s view,” the ICJ stated, “the facts and circumstances are sufficient to conclude that at least some of the rights claimed by South Africa and for which it is seeking protection are plausible.”
The court also decided May 24, 13 to 2, for Israel to stop its military offense on Rafah. Rafah is a supposed safe haven which contains about 1.4 million Palestinians.
“Immediately halt its military offensive, and any other action in the Rafah Governorate, which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part,” the ICJ stated.
Mukilan Viji, 13, of the All Stars team, says that it is very likely that Israel is committing genocide and that a humanitarian crisis is definitely occurring. Mukilan believes that the death toll for Palestinians is higher than what we are told because of many mass graves being uncovered every so often.
“I think that it is very possible for a genocide to be happening,” Mukilan said.
He also thinks that the protests at colleges and universities are completely lawful.
“One of the First Amendment rights is the right to protest,” he said.
The United States government has been supporting Israel throughout the conflict. A Preventing Anti-Semitic Hate Crimes Act recently called for the Department of Justice to designate an officer to review all anti-Semitic hate crimes and expand public education campaigns to spread awareness of anti-Semitic hate crimes. The Antisemitism Awareness Act adopts the IHRA’s definition of anti-Semitism.
The IHRA’s definition of anti-Semitism is “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Semitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
This definition includes opposition of the state of Israel. In the U.S’s eyes, they would deem anti-Zionism to be anti-Semitism. Activists disagree and think that you should be able to be against Israel without it being classified as a hate crime.
Chloe Carter, from Israel, of the Voyagers team, has a more personal experience.
“A lot of my friends and family are being held hostage by Hamas,” she said, “and many of my younger friends can’t go to school.”
Although she is clearly being affected by this conflict, she doesn’t support the Israeli government. She says that there is a lot of is a lot of propaganda, so there is no way to be able to know what is really happening. She doesn’t support Hamas either. She believes that both governments are wrong and only hopes for the best for the civilians.
Chloe doesn’t like to protest because of all the problems and conflicts that come with it. Regarding anti-Semitism, Chloe thinks that people don’t support Palestine because the are anti-Semitic. She thinks that this is idea is likely a by-product of propaganda.
“I support a two-state solution,” Chloe said.
A two-state solution would give both sides their own land and state. Chloe thinks this would be the best choice for both Israelis and Palestinians to have peace.
Seare Khairzada, 13, of the Champions team, Seare thinks the options that have been proposed by the UN, specifically the two state solution, are catered towards Israel’s benefit.
The two state solution supports the idea of two separate states made for Israelis and Palestinians, respectively. Some see this as allowing Israel to get away taking Palestinians’ land. Seare believes that this doesn’t do the Palestinians justice and is still unfair.
Seare says that he is discriminated against because he supports Palestine. Seare believes Palestinians deserve the right to live an average life without being under attack. Seare doesn’t like to pick sides because there are always people hurting on the other side, but he believes Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, is executing a cruel reality to the Palestinians.
Seare believes Israel has committed many war crimes, specifically under the Geneva Convention, and that all casualties are unnecessary. He thinks that better strategies, like using special forces instead of bombs, could be taken to lower civilian deaths.
Seare said, “I have sincere sympathy for the Palestinian people and all of those who lost their lives because of this war.”
