From city streets to Ivy League universities, pro-Palestinian supporters have been shut down and branded as antisemitic. To be clear, Hamas’ actions are indeed reprehensible, but Hamas and the Palestinian people are not one in the same.
Palestinians suffer under both the entrenched and corrupt Hamas terrorist government and at the mercy of Israel, which controls everything from their water and power supplies to passage in and out of Gaza. Palestinians have as legitimate a claim to the area Israel occupies both historically and religiously, yet after losing a war 75 years ago, they have been relegated to the glorified refugee enclaves of Gaza and the West Bank.
According to United Nations data, since 2008, more than 6,400 Palestinians have lost their lives in the conflict, as compared to 300 Israelis, not counting the most recent fatalities.
Again, not to downplay the recent terrorist actions, but understanding the broader picture and injustices explain why many sympathize with the Palestinian cause. This should not be confused with being antisemitic.
Steve Dang
Kaimuki
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