Early in the morning on Oct. 7, Hamas militants invaded southern Israel and fired upon innocent civilians. The militants targeted more than 20 areas, including the Nova music festival, where 260 Israeli citizens were horrendously shot and killed. In total, more than 1,000 people died, countless others were injured and an estimated 150 people have been taken hostage by Hamas.
In response, President Eric Kaler sent out an email to the Case Western Reserve University student body. As a show of support in a time of unspeakable conflict, President Kaler stated that “this violence will not advance the goal of peace” and that CWRU stands together “to denounce violence and hate in all forms.” The Observer stands in arms, too, with all CWRU students and faculty against this reprehensible violence and bloodshed.
No one, regardless of race, religion, class or nationality, should have to suffer at the hands of evil. No amount of reactionary violence against an innocent group of people will ever bring the world closer to peace. These terrorist actions are not a force for liberation; they merely exist to drive Israel and Palestine further into conflict—leaving behind a bloody trail of suffering, innocent people. For too long this region has seen almost continuous conflict. These recent terrorist attacks will only ensure the continuation of war.
Soon after the shootings, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to enact “mighty vengeance” against Hamas. Air strikes are being launched into Gaza, where the Hamas militants invaded from. In addition, 300,000 reservists of Israel’s ground forces have been called up to the border between Israel and Gaza, a sign of a potential direct counterattack into the region. No such order, however, has been made.
Israel’s response to the attacks has left 1,500 Hamas militants dead inside its border, according to Israeli officials. Airstrikes have destroyed large parts of Gaza, leaving many homes and structures in ruins and cutting power to around 2 million residents, plunging Gaza into complete darkness. Amidst the fighting, more than 1,000 Palestinians were killed and more than 5,000 were wounded. Countless individuals have been displaced from their homes with no place to flee.
A very important distinction must be made here: Hamas is not representative of all Palestinians. The actions of an unequivocal terrorist group do not define the beliefs and lives of innocent Palestinian civilians. The deaths of all innocent people should be remembered, regardless of what part of the world they are from, and all of us, as CWRU students, should stand together in arms against hatred, bloodshed and the tools used to divide us.
As humans, we are more than what makes us different. All of us should strive to make the world a better place for everyone. We can only accomplish peace through the honest hard work of every one of us. We need to stand resolute in the face of evil because as long as evil is allowed to continue to prosper, peace can never be achieved.
We are at our best when all people are allowed to live their lives freely and without judgment. In the midst of conflict, The Observer hopes to provide an outlet for student voices to prosper and for compassion to be extended to all students, faculty and their families. All of us deserve to live in peace and comfort—here at CWRU and in Israel and Gaza. As President Kaler remarked, “Together we can hope that peace will prevail.” Let’s all stand together in arms through these difficult times.