Before taking a side, reflect on the consequences across communities

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To my Jewish community—

I would like to share with you why I, as a proud Jewish person, stand firmly with Palestine and the efforts for Palestinian liberation on our campus. I recognize and empathize with the pain that members of our community are feeling. Any death is painful and I mean no disrespect to those mourning losses of family and friends.

I stand with Palestine because my ancestors knew violence and cruelty all too well. I stand with Palestine because I hear their cries and think of my ancestors who pleaded for mercy. I stand with Palestine because I know that “never again” means never again for all oppressed people, not just us. I stand with Palestine because we, as a persecuted people, have a duty to stand with all persecuted people.

If you currently “stand with Israel” and refuse to condemn the government’s actions, it is clear to me that you have not seen the videos of children screaming out for their missing parents or of parents holding their children as they die slow, painful deaths. In fact, I hope that you haven’t, because if you have and your position remains unchanged, I fear the absence of basic human compassion and empathy. Who taught you to hate so hard and so blindly? It certainly wasn’t a true follower of the Jewish faith or the mitzvot, which commands us to love the stranger and instructs us not to stand idly by when human life is in danger.

As of Nov. 10, over 11,078 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,500 children. There’s no end in sight. This is a genocide. The lack of sensitivity, concern and understanding of these facts that I’ve seen from my peers, whom I have spent countless holidays with, pains me. How did we once sit next to one another, honoring the tenacity and determination for the survival of our ancestors to now, abandoning those same morals? I don’t recognize you at all.

I no longer know what it means to me to be Jewish or if I have a place in a Jewish community, especially on Syracuse University’s campus. The hate being radiated from the community is inexcusable; I cannot stand by a community that blindly supports the current ethnic cleansing of Palestinians with blatant disregard for human suffering. While I’m disappointed by this loss of community, I feel greater pain for all those who don’t know whether they will live or die each day, for those who have lost family members numbering in the double digits and for those who have felt the last breath leave their loved ones as they die.

The Nov. 9 walkout was a peaceful cry for help and recognition of the immense loss and pain in Gaza, a beautiful and profound gathering of people in pain that I was proud to support and bear witness to.

I’m begging you to look beyond how the past month has affected you. I’m begging you to put yourself in someone else’s shoes for one moment. Imagine the pain, the loss, the deep trauma that will be carried on for generations to come. These statements are not made to discredit your grief but to implore you to recognize that pain in others around you. I ask you to allow them the space to grieve and demand the justice that they deserve.

I urge you to question your sources and be curious enough to hear the stories of “the other side.” Think critically about what’s happening around you, ask questions and have conversations. Listen with an open mind and heart. This is the time to stand up against persecution, violence and injustice. It’s never too late to be on the right side of history.

L’chaim.

The Daily Orange has verified the identity of this Syracuse University student. All questions or concerns regarding this piece can be directed to Opinion@dailyorange.com or Editor@dailyorange.com.

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