OPINION: Israel/Hamas conflict is viewed in the wrong lens by American media

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in TNPs fall print.

Marc Goldstein is a sophomore studying journalism and opinion editor for The New Political.

Please note that the views and opinions do not reflect those of The New Political.

Israel, a country that is 448% smaller than the United States in terms of total area and 324% smaller in population, has been at the center of international affairs for the past two weeks. The long-standing ally to the US has always been a hotbed for controversy. It is virtually impossible for the State of Israel to escape all of the violence of the Middle East. For years, though, Israel has been able to stave off the enemies that lie outside of its territory. 

The ability for Israel to prevail against Hamas, a Palestinian-led terrorist group, is not truly in question. The issue that arises from this conflict is the slippery slope that engaging in this war creates for Israelis. 

Going back to the days of the Old Testament, the Torah, the Jewish people, led by Moses, were promised the Land of Israel. After the Holocaust, the United Nations granted British-occupied territory to Jews across the world to escape persecution in 1947. Yom Ha’atzmaut, directly translated to Independence Day from Hebrew, is celebrated every year on the 5th day of Iyar, a day in the lunar-based Jewish calendar that usually falls around the beginning of May. 

The story of Israel is not just butterflies and roses from there, though. Literally the day after Israel was recognized, on May 15, 1948, violence in the region began with Israel at the center of it. Also known as the Israeli War of Independence, Israel was faced with hostility by Palestinians who were upset by the proposed plan to split Palestine between the two religions. Once the British forces withdrew from Israel, the fighting got more intense as neighboring countries, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq and Syria all aided the Palestinians. Ultimately, this was to no avail as Israel won the territory and signed armistices with each of the countries separately. 

This conflict was just a taste of what was to come in terms of the Israeli-Palestinian violence. Other conflicts like the 1956 Suez Canal skirmish, 1967 Six-Day War that granted Israel complete control over Jerusalem, and the Yom Kippur War in 1973, all ultimately granted Israel the entire territory that it has today. 

The question that is often asked by many Americans is why Israel’s existence bothers the other countries of the region so much. That answer is complicated in diplomatic, policy-related terms, but socially it is simple. Israel is a democratic nation that has a strong alliance with America. In the Middle East, both of those factors create a lot of hatred. Additionally, the city of Jerusalem is a point of massive contention in the area. While Jews believe that it is the holiest city in the world and that the Messiah will eventually walk through the gates of the Western Wall to declare all fighting and unrest over, Muslims also believe in the sanctity of the city. This tug-of-war is not one that can be settled with a compromise in the eyes of these groups. This creates violence both within the city and throughout the country. 

By the turn of the century, Israelis and Palestinians remained in a back-and-forth conflict. One side would bomb the other, resulting in the death of a couple people, forcing the other side to retaliate. This continued until 2008 when Israel underwent Operation Case Lead. The entire operation was an attempt to stop rocket attacks by Hamas. The outcome was reached by Israel in early 2009, but there were reports of war crimes being committed, soiling the reputation of the nation internationally. 

The final preceding conflict between Hamas and Israel came recently in 2021. The 2021 Israel-Palestine Crisis was one of the bloodiest conflicts as each side lost hundreds of civilians. The entire campaign began when Hamas attacked Israel using rockets. In fact, there were hundreds of rockets that were fired by Hamas over the course of the conflict. Israel responded with airstrikes and, eventually, representatives from the United Nations intervened to coerce a ceasefire for the sides. 

That leads us to current times. The issues in Israel are widely noted by mainstream media. This exposure has led to some demonstrations across the United States on behalf of both sides of the current conflict, leading to some tension between the sides. For the longest time, though, the idea of being pro-Israel is seen as a Republican idea while being pro-Palestine is viewed as a Democratic ideal. However, that is far from the truth. 

Israel is a democratic nation that shares the same ideals as America in many senses. Democracy, equality and freedom are all adopted by Israel. However, many Democrats are quick to condemn Israel due to certain policies and back Palestine’s right to exist. Some of the values being argued over makes a very interesting conundrum for those supporting Palestine especially considering the source of the weapons and technology. 

Iran, an adversary of the US since the 1980s, has been rumored to have supplied Hamas with weapons. While these claims have not been verified, there is evidence supporting the claim as well. In any regard, the US has openly condemned Iran for its support of Hamas and its involvement in this conflict in attempts to keep the war controlled to a certain degree. 

The question, though, is not about Israel and the U.S. The question is why so many Americans are against Israel. The answer is rather simple: ignorance and misinformation. 

People who are pro-Palestine are, by and large, doing so to support the Muslim faith. The fact of the matter is that Palestine is run by Hamas, a terrorist organization. People see Palestine and only see the flag or the people, not the group in charge that has committed numerous war crimes and atrocities. Additionally, those in favor of Palestine are ignoring a pivotal fact when calling for Israel to end violence: Israel is a land for the Jews, a haven and place for refuge following the events of the Holocaust. The entire nation is something of an apology gift from the international community after nearly 6.1 million Jews were murdered by the Nazi regime. 

The support of Palestine is, in many senses, pure antisemitism. This was seen in the rally in Sydney, Australia as antisemitism was openly on display. Israeli citizens, and Jews worldwide, have been through enough. Pro-Palestinian citizens living in the state is only one of many problems with Israel and the global media should be more proactive in condemning the actions of the pro-Palestine crowds. In actuality, the same people who are holding up flags, advocating for Palestine are, in turn, openly supporting a terrorist organization. If that got reported in the same sense as the anti-Israel rhetoric, the international opinion on the current war would be far closer to the reality; that reality is Israel protecting itself against terrorism.