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The war between Israel and Hamas, now the deadliest of five Gaza conflicts, has sparked global demonstrations. College campuses like Columbia University have seen protests from pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian groups. Nations are also divided, with some calling on Israel to stop its aggression and others joining the U.S. in their unequivocal support of Israel.
Straight Arrow News contributor Adrienne Lawrence suggests that our reaction to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict does not need to be one-sided. She argues that all human life is precious and supporting only one side in a “monolithic outlook” is precisely what gets people killed.
We do know that there’s been considerable anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim messaging in the media and that members of government have also been engaged in such since the attacks. Condemning an entire group of people as the enemy reinforces the message that they are not actually people but an entire group, i.e., less than human and okay to harm. The one-sided monolithic messaging treats conflict and war like sport.
And this isn’t the Jets playing the Niners here. You can appreciate that innocent Israelis deserve to live in peace and defend themselves without condoning the use of war crimes, apartheid, and genocide. You can also support innocent Palestinians being protected from unnecessary attacks in retaliation for Hamas and having the opportunity to live in peace and to thrive.
While I understand that neutrality and silence side with the oppressor, I know this isn’t sports. You don’t have to be all-in for the win of a nation. In fact, you can’t be if you proclaim to be all-in for preserving innocent human life.
