I am a member of the Jewish Student Union (JSU) Board at Archer, and since Saturday morning, the war between Israel and Hamas and its ever-changing developments have been constantly on my mind. Almost every conversation I have had with my family has related back to our concerns, fears and thoughts about Israel. I have been in contact with other JSU board members and the Archer administration about Archer’s response to the start of this war.
On Saturday, JSU contacted the administration with information for the student body, and I was frustrated and taken aback by the response issued. In the message to the entire community, the administration did not ever name Hamas, let alone acknowledge that they are a terrorist organization (acknowledged by many Western governments including the US and the UK). The school did not condemn the hatred that has led to such horrible massacre on both sides of this war. The school did not even use the word “war” even though Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared a state of war.
I understand a person or institution not wanting to take a side in the complicated political debate between Israel and Palestine. This, however, is not politics. This is about human rights and the atrocities that have been committed over the past few days. We cannot possibly sit idly by when people are being kidnapped, murdered in their homes and raped on the streets.
This is also about an academic institution which supposedly works to keep its students informed and empowered. Archer has shared only very minimal information about a major world event that impacts many members of its community. Until the JSU board took action and demanded a meeting, we were not allowed to share information with the larger school community. Archer seems to be hearing us now, and I greatly appreciate the affinity spaces that have been made available, but I am tremendously disappointed that the school was not there for us at the onset.
With all that said, let me share some important information about the current war in Israel. Hamas is a terrorist group based in the Gaza Strip. They took control of Gaza in 2006, the year after Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip. According to the New York Times, from Saturday morning to Monday, over 900 people in Israel have been killed and over 2,600 have been injured. Hamas is currently holding about 150 hostages, who they have threatened to publicly execute in retaliation for the Israeli counter-attack. The New York Times also reports that over 687 Palestinians have been killed and more than 3,726 have been injured. This is a war which is causing devastating casualties on both sides.
I want the Archer community to know that I am always open to anyone who wants to talk about this, and I would love to direct anyone and everyone to reputable sources that can provide true information about the war in Israel. I hope that we can set politics aside in order to recognize that there are innocent people on both sides of this war being killed and severely injured. There are many Israelis who do not blindly agree with the Israeli government and Palestinians who do not support Hamas. I ask that the Archer community come together during this time, and support, not target, each other, and share true and objective information as we deal with the difficult emotions that come from the uncertainty of war and knowing people who are involved in this war.
