Although many of the headlines coming out of Israel within recent years have been relatively consistent (conflict between Israel and Palestine), the events of the past few days mark a turning point in Israel’s history. 

After a shocking offensive deployed by Hamas, an Islamic militant group that governs Palestine, Israel launched a full-scale “bombardment” of Gaza — a place that over 2 million people call home.

This fierce and deep-rooted battle has already left hundreds dead, injured and in some cases kidnapped. Hamas, for example, is said to have kidnapped children, women, elderly and disabled people. 

Supporters of Israel and Palestine have staunchly opposed one another, leaving little room for the progression of Arab-Jew relations in the Middle East. However, what I believe most people misunderstand is that the blame is on both parties. No, this is not me avoiding to take a consistent position or to have it both ways.

Hamas is not a representation of the Palestinian population. There are definitely those amongst the Palestinian population that support Hamas, but much more is at play than a simple linear connection. The Palestinian Authority (the Hamas opposition within Palestine territories) has consistently been marked for charges of corruption and human rights violations, making it highly untrustworthy amongst the Palestinian people. According to the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, “this has negatively impacted the Palestinian public’s confidence in its leadership’s policies and decisions” and was one of the reasons that Palestinians were “radicalized and ultimately voted for Hamas in the 2006 parliamentary election.” 

Thus, the Palestinian people are stuck between a rock and a hard place: a corrupt Hamas or an equally fraught Palestinian Authority. Is this the fault of the population alone? Or is the fact that Palestinians have been pressured with constant siege from the Israeli state a contributing factor to the uprising of militant groups? If history tells us anything, it is that uprisings eventually occur in the face of tyranny and oppression (especially in the case of Hamas, when you have ample funding from Arab countries). 

Considering these facts, Palestinians are free from the charge of “supporting” Hamas and thereby engaging in the assault on Israel. Even if some civilians do join Hamas, the actions of a couple thousand Hamas soldiers and civilians do not represent the entire population, which is now in danger of an unprecedented Israeli counter-offensive.

Hamas undoubtedly is committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. Israeli people do not deserve to be slaughtered as a reaction to their neo-fascist government’s occupation of Palestine. These are people who also lead normal lives and deserve not to be subjected to terror. However, as Columbia University professor Rashid Khalidi explained, the Palestinian people have been living in a “pressure cooker” under Israeli occupation. How could anyone not have seen this coming? If we are to hold Hamas responsible for their actions, we, too, must do so with Israel. 

For many years, Palestinians have been subjected to harsh treatment and what some would call an “apartheid state.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to inflict an “unprecedented price,” and Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant claimed that Israel will “change the face of reality in the Gaza strip 50 years forward.”

Seeing support for this type of rhetoric is disturbing. War is not a mere game. Just as the destruction of Hamas is wicked and unjustified, so is the lack of accountability by the Israeli government for practically poking the hornet’s nest.

The Western media has also done a poor job of communicating information about this war to its citizens. In many ways, all it aims to do is pit forces against one another. Painting Hamas to represent all Palestinians is irresponsible and not an accurate reflection of the events that have unfolded in the region. U.S. politicians such as Adam Schiff claimed on X, formerly known as Twitter, that “Israel is experiencing its own 9/11.” 

This is a strange comment to make. One can’t say enough how horrid the actions of Hamas are, but why are such comments not made when Israel routinely launches similar catastrophes against Palestine? In the video above with Rashid Khalidi, he described how a Palestinian civilian has died (likely more) every day this year. When this happens, the U.S. offers more aid and moral support to Israel.

All we can do at this point in time is urge some sort of diplomatic solution. There should not be any hope for a sudden end to the war, as it has already occurred for many years. Everyone in this conflict has dirty hands and it is a shame the general population must suffer the consequences of extremism and gross displays of political power. 

Romanian-Jewish poet Naphtali Herz Imber once wrote in his poem Hatikvah 

As long as deep in the heart

The soul of a Jew yearns,

And towards the East, onward,

An eye looks to Zion,

Our hope is not yet lost,

The age-old hope,

To return to the land of our fathers,

To the city where David dwelt

With the omission of certain words, this poem can be framed for any movement at any time. All of us want a place in society and a way to interact with our cultural upbringing that doesn’t hinder others from doing the same. A Jewish child has the same value as a Palestinian child and this holds true across humanity.

However, the violations by Hamas and the Israeli government need to be held to a critical, ethical standard and support needs to be given to the civilians of both sides directly. If there is to be a more aggressive ground attack in Gaza by Israeli forces, it need not be at the cost of innocent lives. 

And although a clear solution is anything but apparent, it is clear that this version of politicking does not bode well for the parties involved. The question is: what will it take to stop? 

Editor’s Note: For the sake of article length, I did not include this in the main body, but I encourage all who read this to watch this video. This adds a perspective from a Knesset Member of Israel.