Content warning: Descriptions of the war, mentions of death, anti-semitism, Islamophobia

By Virginia Rufina Marquez-Pacheco  – Contributor

Oct. 7 signaled the start of the most recent escalation of violence in Israel and Gaza, with Hamas launching an attack on Israeli territory, killing an estimated 1200 people and taking approximately 240 people — including children — as hostages, which is a war crime. In retaliation, Israel has launched a full military operation against Gaza that has killed over 14,000 Palestinian civilians — including children, displaced over a million, severely limited access to food, water and medicine, and destroyed infrastructure. 

While this may seem like a straightforward retelling of events, with Hamas seemingly attacking Israel unprovoked, I argue that this narrative lacks the necessary nuance and context to understand the nature of this violence. I also argue that two or more things can be true at the same time, a fact that many have forgotten when discussing the recent war against Palestine. 

First, it is undoubtedly true that Israelis and Jewish people are experiencing a lot of pain and grief. After all, their loved ones were and some still are being held hostage. Moreover, Jews are experiencing an increase in antisemitic attacks outside of Israel, which everyone, including the Board of Student Representatives (BSR) and Bishop’s University, should unequivocally condemn publicly. Additionally, many Jewish people consider Israel to be their homeland, which is understandable considering the historic and ongoing antisemitism in the world. 

Just as all the above is true, I believe that it is also true that Palestinians and Muslim people have been experiencing an increase in hate-motivated attacks and Islamophobia, which the Board of Student Representatives and Bishop’s University should unequivocally condemn publicly.

It is also true that the policy that the government of Israel is pursuing amounts to a violation of countless human rights and international laws. For instance, the recent hostage swap has left a few people asking themselves why Israel had so many Palestinian hostages to begin with. According to Human Rights Watch, the Israeli government has detained far more Palestinians since Oct. 7 than have been released in the swaps. Most of these people are women and children, and most of them were never convicted, with around 2000 Palestinians being detained by the military without charge or trial. Detained Palestinians are regularly denied due process, are exposed to torture by Israeli authorities, and are not subject to the same judicial laws as Israeli citizens. 

The problem of Palestinian hostages is but one of many violations of civil and human rights laws by the Israeli government. Generally, Palestinians do not possess the same rights and privileges as their fellow Jewish Israeli citizens even when living in the same territory with regard to a variety of aspects of life. Even in territories that are technically under Palestinian control, the government of Israel still retains an immense amount of control over the movement of people, borders, airspace and much more. 

I believe all these policies pursued by the government of Israel are tantamount to the crime against humanity of apartheid and are colonization and imperialism.

I also believe that these policies are intentionally being pursued by Israel’s government to facilitate the dispossession of Palestinian land that has been ongoing for 75 years. The most notable of these colonial actions are the illegal forced displacement of Palestinians from their homes on Palestinian land to make way for Israeli settlers and the creation of illegal Israeli settlements. I find it no coincidence that the government of Israel’s greatest supporters are other settler colonial states such as the United States, Canada and Australia. 

It is also important to note that criticisms of the government of Israel do not amount to antisemitism. The government of Israel is not the Jewish people, as demonstrated by the vocal opposition of many Jewish groups and individuals to the violence being done against Palestinians. Again, it is true that outside the state of Israel, Jewish people face antisemitic violence. Does this justify this kind of an Israeli government and its violent occupation? I think not. Liberation from oppression cannot come from the oppression of another. After all, none of us can truly be free until we are all free.