On Wednesday, on opposite sides of the South Lawn, pro-Palestine and pro-Israel students demonstrated their fidelity to their respective causes. On display, however, was more than a demonstration of the wide gulf that exists between these conflicting perspectives. On display was a clash of conflicting methods. On one side students in support of Gaza constructed a graveyard, complete with cardboard gravestones, in remembrance of those Gazans killed during the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas. On the other side of the South Lawn, students, myself included, held Israeli flags, handed out leaflets and sang songs about peace.
The contrasting methods of these two demonstrations proved not only to be striking but ironic as well. As the reader may know, the recent conflict between Gaza and Israel began in earnest last month when Israel took military action in response to Hamas rocket attacks against Ashdod, Sderot and other Israeli cities. Throughout most of the three-week conflict, Hamas continued to fire rockets on Israeli cities, though the number diminished as Israel’s offensive began to take effect. The primary results have been on one hand the substantial reduction in Hamas rockets falling on Israeli cities, and on the other hand the horrific losses suffered by the Palestinian people, both in terms of infrastructure and human life.
Some see this as a categorical defeat for Hamas, not merely in militaristic terms but in political terms as well. In the past Hamas has played a dangerous game of chicken with its bigger and far more powerful neighbor. This time it pushed Israel too far, causing the largest retaliation since the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war. Knowing that it had no military hope, Hamas still continued firing Qassam rockets on Israeli cities, while Israel brought Gaza to its knees in order to stop Hamas. Hamas showed not only an appalling degree of malice toward the lives of innocent Israelis but also wanton disregard for the consequences that its actions had for its own citizens. Yet Hamas did not stop until its rocket supply dwindled, and now it has no more havens left from which to shoot them. Because of its anger or hate or pain, Hamas simply could not give up until it had nothing left to give.
After being broken so thoroughly, one would expect Gazans to be suing for peace, whatever the price. Divvying up blame in this dizzyingly complex situation should be, at this point, wholly beside the point. Gazans should understand better than anyone how violence only begets more violence — pain only more pain. On the other side, the Israeli victors had the strength to take the current peaceful respite by force. It would be only natural for them to go to great lengths in justifying such force, citing the protection of their civilians and enumerating an endless litany of war crimes perpetrated by Hamas.
Yet, in a display of irony, both of these roles were flipped on their heads yesterday on the South Lawn. Representing Israel on one side were students making no overt justifications for the righteousness of their cause, no matter how vindicated they surely must have felt. Instead, they sang of peace and passively showed support for Israel in her time of trouble. In contrast, supporters of Gaza tallied the death toll on flyers and posters, concluding, “The world stands with Gaza.” This dubious conclusion, and the logic used to reach it, seemed dedicated to condemning Israel while advocating Hamas resistance, justified through an exhibition of the tragedy Gaza endured. The victors passively advocated peace and the defeated justified their self-righteousness.
In a still deeper and darker ironic twist, the “graveyard” exhibit presented a sad insight into how this tragedy got so far in the first place. By creating a scene of death, students in support of Gaza ostensibly sought to justify their cause and curry public favor by showcasing the suffering of the Palestinian people and glossing over Israel’s distress. In the current cycle of violence, however, this sort of advocacy is precisely the problem. The history of legitimate complaints goes back decades in a confusing tangle that, predictably, both sides claim to unravel in their favor. The cyclical nature of the violence is caused by the tendency of each side to consider its own pain more terrible then the pain of its opponents. So, each side inflicts more pain on its opponents and the cycle seems to never end. Through passion and the absence of reason Hamas keeps feeding into this dark and deadly tragedy.
These students, by using the Palestinian death toll as their justification, only fuel the cycle of death with blinding passion. At the University we should be above that. We should not be part of this cyclical problem; we should be finding ways to break out of it. A graveyard was not the answer. A graveyard only plays into the twisted game of unthinking passion Hamas is playing in its never-ending quest to avenge itself on Israel, no matter the cost. A graveyard politicizes the tragedy, cheapening the loss through a popular stunt — touting pain as if it represents the side with the only legitimate claims to suffering. No matter how bad we feel, no matter how much we suffer, we justify ourselves through our actions, not our pain.
Yakov S. Medinets is a third-year student in the College of Arts & Sciences.
Read More
SULLIVAN: Ramp up physical accessibility on Grounds
By Scarlett Sullivan | YesterdayThe University must take responsibility for the inaccessibility of Grounds and work to promote accessibility for all students despite misguided laws.
EDITORIAL: Scapegoating students will not stop hazing
By Editorial Board | 4 days agoInstead of retroactively responding to extreme hazing allegations, we, and especially the University, must begin asking more probing questions about the role of fraternal organizations on Grounds.
EDITORIAL: Celebrating and reflecting on The Cavalier Daily’s independence
By Editorial Board | April 18, 2024Our independence grants us the ability to ask the hard questions and to say what University representatives cannot.
