The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is one of the world’s major sources of instability. As I came across this newspaper, I noticed some people talking about how we should respect and support the Israelis in defending their land. What land are they defending – a land they occupied? What about the Palestinians who are dying, do they not have rights?
We don’t owe Israel respect for the actions the Israel Defense Force routinely carries out, yet we still support it by sending millions of dollars in aid each year.
Palestinians are the actual victims. Should we just ignore the fact that far too often a child, a woman or an elderly person is killed? If we all took a step back and looked at the whole picture instead of looking at one small corner, we will know who really deserves our support and respect.
To do this, we should depend on a good, reliable source – not somebody’s opinion. The Intifada fatalities listed on the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights Web site show that since 2000, 884 minors were killed by Israeli security forces and 2,107 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces while not participating in hostilities. Also, since 2000, 4,492 Palestinians were killed by Israeli security forces in the Occupied Territories, according to IICHR.
Palestinians are not just killed, they are also held as prisoners. More than 8,400 Palestinians are held in Israel, according to the IICHR. In addition to death and imprisonment, 1,115 Palestinian homes have been demolished by Israel since 1987, according to the IICHR.
So whom should we support? Who do we owe respect to? The Palestinian people who are defending their land, their religion and their future, or should we support and respect the ones who are killing them and wasting their blood? You don’t have to be an Arab or a Muslim to feel bad and sorry for the Palestinians. All it takes is a human being with a live conscience to see the big picture, and to and "no" to the injustice, say "no" to the violence.
Salma Taher, a biology and human nutrition freshman, can be reached via [email protected].
