To the Editor,
As the school year comes to an end and it marks almost 8 months since Oct. 7 and the start of the Israel-Hamas war, I wanted to share some thoughts on my experience as a Jewish student at DU. It comes as no surprise that the past 8 months have been incredibly difficult, both as a Jew and as a global citizen.
On Oct. 7, I learned the news that Hamas had invaded Israel and began a rampage killing innocent civilians at music festivals, on Kibbutzim and in their homes. This was heartbreaking, and I felt incredibly helpless, praying for an end to the violence. The next morning, I awoke to a message from the Jewish summer camp I attended for ten years, sent in a group chat with others my age. This message informed us that Netta Epstein, a former camper and staff at the camp, had been brutally murdered by Hamas, in his home while trying to protect his girlfriend from a grenade. I was immediately sent to tears, heartbroken for my friend Rona’s family, his sister who I also attended camp with.
This message shook me because it made me realize how real this situation was. When you hear a news story from across the world, it usually seems distant and unthreatening, but this time it was affecting those I care for directly. I tell you all this to put in perspective the view in which many members of the Jewish community come from. This war is not just another conflict in the Middle East. This war was jeopardizing our loved ones’ lives and the home of 46% of the world’s Jews, who constitute just 0.2% of the global population. Many Jews have been to Israel, including myself, and we yearn for our next trip back. Just this past summer, my brother attended a Jewish teen trip where they first went to Eastern Europe to visit concentration camps and then headed to Israel to explore and learn about the country. For us, Israel is a necessity.
After the attack on Oct. 7, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war against Hamas, vowing to wipe this terrorist organization off the map. This war triggered protests around the world and here at DU which I aim to reason with now.
I follow this by saying I am a Zionist. I am a Zionist because I believe that the Jewish people should have a state in our ancestral homeland. I believe that Israel has the right to exist. Many protestors use the word Zionist as a dirty word, but I have grown up surrounded by a community that proudly and strongly believes in Zionism. Though, what this community does not believe in is the killing of innocent women and children and the starving of a population, among other wartime atrocities. That is what I feel protestors do not understand, many Zionists disagree with PM Netanyahu and the actions of the Israeli government, including myself. I respect protestors for standing up for their morals. The issue I have is the failure of many to understand the Jewish perspective.
We are a traumatized people. Oct. 7 brought back memories of the Holocaust. The Israeli reaction was one of emotion, one of deep pain. This pain goes back thousands of years as Jewish communities have been ousted from their homes across the world since the beginning of time. The Holocaust was the last straw allowing the world to finally recognize how badly the Jews needed a home. That was a very shortened Jewish history, but it puts into perspective why Israel exists in the first place. Israel is the only place on Earth in which Jews are the majority. It is our home and our safe place where we are free from persecution. Thankfully, North American Jews have lived in North America generally free from oppression for a long time. That is to say, we know from our past that this could change at any time, and Israel will provide a home.
The issue many Jews have with these protests is not the call for an end to violence. It is the tropes and language used. Many of these protests claim to not be anti-semitic and tokenize Jews who agree with them to push this narrative. The issue with this is that anti-semitism is more than just a hatred of Jews. Anti-semitism is a deep-seated belief that Jews are what is stopping the world from being peaceful and moral. These protests directly get at this, which is why so many Jews find them threatening. That brings me to the phrase “Free Palestine.” My immediate question when I hear this is: then where do we go? This question has never been answered for me. For many Jews, this war is impacting their family and friends, it is not just an Instagram infographic or the latest social justice trend. I worry that many protestors do not understand the essence of Zionism or what it means to be Jewish.
My final plea goes for both sides of this debate. Be respectful. Sit down and have a conversation with someone who thinks differently from you, this discourse is important. There is too much hate and division in the world which these protests are adding to. Civility seems to have been lost in this debate and if we are to gain it back, progress could be made. I challenge both sides to think about where the other is coming from before jumping to conclusions. If we can implement these ideas, maybe we can gain back the respect that has been lost.
Sincerely,
Taubie Sanders
