Palestine

Violence has erupted in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine. The media has been filled with reports regarding alternating violent exchanges between the two states. As the death toll rises, there are increasing societal concerns over who should be considered to be correct in their struggle, and who should be considered the aggressor. Unfortunately, a situation such as this can never be so simple.

Seventy-three years ago from today, the nation of Israel was proclaimed on May 14, 1948. Prior to this, the British-ruled region of Palestine consisted of an Islamic majority and Jewish minority. The governments of the Arab states at the time were opposed to the creation of a Jewish state, therefore Britain could not form a decision without upsetting either group. Fighting broke out between Jews and Arabs until the Jews, who had increased in number following immigration due to World War II, were able to seize control over more than half of the region. On May 14, 1948, the Jews had seized control of their entire U.N. sanctioned portion of Palestine, thus the nation of Israel was formed. Egypt, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon invaded the next day, though Israel was able to defend itself as well as expand its holdings. Another conflict, the Six-Day War of 1967, allowed for Israel to gain control of Jerusalem, a holy site for both those of Jewish and Islamic faith.

The recent episode of violence began at this holy locality, where Hamas (a militant group which rules over Gaza) demanded that Israel remove police from Jerusalem as well as the predominately Arab district known as Sheikh Jarrah, where Israeli police have been increasingly evicting Palestinian families from their homes. When Israel ignored the ultimatum, Hamas fired the first rockets, reflecting the increasing Palestinian anger towards Israeli police for the increase in clashes (which increased dramatically during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan). At this point, more than 1,000 rockets have been fired by Palestinian militants upon Israel, and Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes upon Gaza, killing senior Hamas officials. Thus far, confirmed casualties include 6 Israelis and 65 Palestinians. Hamas has declared that they would agree to a ceasefire with Israel if they would cease violent acts in East Jerusalem illegal actions towards Arab residents. Palestinians wish for this eastern portion of Jerusalem to become the capital of a future country of their own.

The conflict, which has received much media attention, has led to inflamatory social media posts and content. Misinformation is rampant in this time, with videos from years-old conflicts being advertised as current events, leading to people formulating opinions based off of false pretenses. Platforms such as WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, and Instragram contain countless posts of purported government officials posting content in favor of either side of the conflict. It is important that, in these uncertain times, the general population stay informed through reputable sources of information rather than relying solely on word of mouth. Doing so could even help prevent further hightening of tensions between Israel and Palestine.

What has unfolded in Gaza and Israel is nothing short of a humanitarian tragedy. It is unfortunate that such events are taking place due to disagreements regarding territory and authority, but one must hope that the conflict can be resolved, and that both groups can arrive to territorial terms that satisfy both. Until then, rely on reputable sources of information, and when spreading the word to others, ensure what is being said is true. Doing just this much has a surprisingly significant impact upon what happens next.