As someone Jewish with a whole Jewish family, this is a very important topic to me. I’m sure you’ve heard about the Israel vs Palestine conflict. Currently the Israeli Military has taken over the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and much more which were previously Palestine’s lands. The Israeli Military is keeping Palestinian’s hostage, denying them basic necessities of life (water, food, shelter, etc) and using torturous methods.
This might be a new unheard of topic to you, but it’s been happening for longer than you think. After the Holocaust Antisemitic rates were still extremely high in Germany and around the world, Jewish people were desperate to find somewhere to go to feel safe and not be thrown Antisemitic slurs every waking moment. They worked with the UN to declare land theirs in the Middle East – this land happened to be Palestine. In May of 1948 the land that was once Palestine was declared Israel. Palestinians who lived in that land their whole life were forced out of their homes and many separated from their families, ever since then a war between Palestine and Israel has been occurring and territory that Palestinians own and are allowed on is getting smaller by the day. To this day Palestinians are being kicked off of their land, out of their homes, separated from their loved ones and many captured by the Israeli Military and forced into torturous situations.
Zionism and Zionists are an extremist group who want to declare an Israeli government – and in fact, many of us Jewish people oppose it.
You probably think what ISIS does is bad, and while it is, the Israeli Military uses similar methods to even children. Mohammed Mahsiri was a Palestinian man who shared his story, he endured physical and psychological torture at the young age of 17 by Israeli prison guards – and he’s not the only one.
“He tells IPS, he and his friend were walking down the street when Israeli military jeeps surrounded them, shouted at them in Hebrew to stop, and forced them inside a jeep.”
In 2015 the number of children in Israeli prisons almost more than doubled
“the number of Palestinian children in Israeli detention doubled to 307 at the end of October compared with 155 at the end of August.”
Towards the end of 2015 more than 85% of Palestinian children reported physical violence after their arrest, according to data collected by Defense for Children International Palestine which was an increase of 10% from 2014.
While it is understandable, it is harmful and hurtful to group together all Jewish people as Zionists. #FREEPALESTINE is a much needed movement that needs to continue to be heard, we need to do so without underlining Antisemitism. Antisemitic hate crimes have rose 40% in the U.S alone in the past few years, and almost 80% in France. As someone Jewish speaking out against Zionism is important to me, but it’s hard to do so and interact with others who are Anti-Zionism when people unknowingly do so with Antisemitic under tones – such as the times I’ve heard “Well Jewish people pretty much own the media, so of course it’s all about pro-Israel!”.
Comments are closed.