Dear Editor,
I found the comments by Henry Turner of Students for Justice in Palestine somewhat half-baked and overly prejudiced regarding the situation in Gaza and Israel. First, I’ll state up front that I am not Jewish; however, I have experience over seas and was able to see firsthand the situation faced by both the Israelis and Palestinians. It is not pretty, nor has it ever been.
Going back to 1948, the new Israeli government pleaded with Palestinians living in the new country not to leave, but to join as did the Druze in establishing a viable Jewish state in their traditional homeland. However, this did not occur, as the Palestinians either fled in fear, were coerced by their leadership to leave or, after the fighting commenced, were driven from their homes by Israeli forces. Today, however, and in Israel proper, Palestinians constitute almost 21 percent of the population as part of its Arab citizens.
For those who don’t know, “Although the Druze faith developed from Isma'ilism, Druze do not identify as Muslims. They maintain Arabic language and culture as integral parts of their identity, with Arabic being their primary language,” Wikipedia says.
Given there was an undeniably tense situation between Israel during the two years prior to the Oct. 7 attack, there was no major fighting. People on both sides of the existing border went about their lives.
Mr. Turner seems to have forgotten that, according to Wikipedia, “on 7 October 2023, Hamas and several other Palestinian militant groups launched coordinated armed incursions from the Gaza Strip into the Gaza Envelope of southern Israel, the first invasion of Israeli territory since the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.” It is key to note that it was not Israel launching an attack into Gaza.
On Oct. 7, Hamas fighters breached the Gaza–Israel barrier, attacking military bases and massacring civilians in 21 communities, including Be'eri, Kfar Aza, Nir Oz, Netiv Haasara, and Alumim. In total the attackers killed 1,139 people: 695 Israeli civilians (including 38 children), 71 foreign nationals, and 373 members of the security forces. Also, 364 civilians were killed and many more wounded while attending the Nova music festival. The IDF estimated that about 3,000 militants invaded southern Israel, with additional waves of Gaza citizens entering through the breached fences later in the day. About 250 Israeli civilians and soldiers were taken as hostages to the Gaza Strip, including 30 children, with the stated goal to force Israel to exchange them for imprisoned Palestinians. Many cases of rape and sexual assault reportedly took place by the attackers.
Another thing that seems to be conveniently forgotten by the liberal press and the professors at our educational institutions is that Hamas has to be supplied by someone. Critical components for any military force are (1) logistics which in the case of Hamas means (2) financing, equipment, arms/ammunition, equipment of various types, consumables such as food and medical supplies, and assorted other items and (3) manpower. Manpower in this case involves foreign fighters and the bulk of the force, native Palestinians.
Hamas was founded in 1987 by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, a Palestinian refugee living in Gaza, during the first intifada, or uprising, which was marked by widespread protests against Israel’s occupation. Hamas is the Arabic acronym for the Islamic Resistance Movement. This group has vowed to annihilate Israel and has been responsible for many suicide bombings and other deadly attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers.
Hamas won 2006 parliamentary elections and in 2007 violently seized control of the Gaza Strip from the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian Authority, dominated by the rival Fatah movement, administered the semi-autonomous areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israel says Hamas has about 30,000 fighters and an arsenal of rockets and other weapons, most supplied by Iran.
Returning to manpower, like the Hitler Youth, manpower is supplied, forcibly, by the people living in Gaza. In Germany and starting in 1943, all boys 17 and older were forced to serve in the military and in 1945 Nazi leadership began pulling even younger boys out of school and sending them to the front.
According to the Middle East Media Research Institute, "On July 8, 2023, Hamas launched its summer camps in the Gaza Strip, called the 'Shield of Jerusalem' camps. As in previous years, the camps, held throughout the Strip, are aimed at inculcating extremist ideology, including ideals of jihad and armed struggle against Israel, and are attended by about 100,000 children and teens from elementary-school to high-school age. The activities they offer include military training and instruction in the handling and use of various weapons, in order to 'train the generation of liberation and victory,' as Hamas officials explained."
Forced or not, these Palestinians are the ones who launched the Oct. 7 attack and they are who Israel is fighting. As such they are legitimate military targets, as sad as that may be.
In summary, where is Mr. Henry’s compassion (and the SJP) for the people of Israel? Has he and SJP forgotten that Israel was the one attacked, the one who suffered murder and rapine such as not seen since the Holocaust. I have no disagreement with SJP’s compassion for the people of Gaza, but stop blaming the Israelis for what is happening. Over 30,000 young Palestinians have taken up arms against Israel, and for its own survival, Israel can no longer allow Hamas free reign in Gaza. Since Hamas will not surrender, they must be destroyed or forced out of the zone of conflict.
As an Ohio University graduate, a university with a world class school of Journalism, I would like to see both sides of the argument presented. Shame on you Mr. Henry and the SJP for not doing your homework.
Michael Ley
