As violence rages in the Gaza Strip 5,600 miles from Westport, some students and community organizations stand firm in their beliefs over the issue, while others remain confused over the details surrounding the conflict. Inklings has devoted its front page to explore the issue and the ways in which the conflict has affected the Westport community.
What is Hamas? Hamas, the Arabic acronym for the Islamic Resistance Movement, is a Palestinian organization, which has been in defacto control of the Gaza strip since 2007. Its governing Charter advocates as a founding principle the elimination of the state of Israel and the creation of a new Islamic state.
Due to its attacks on Israel, Hamas is considered to be a terrorist organization by the UN, the United States, and the European Union. In 2004, Hamas officially took control of the Palestinian Authority due to its victory in the parliamentary elections.
The Root of the Conflict The Hamas-led government has demanded that Israel withdraw to its pre-1967 borders, surrendering the lands Israel had gained during the Six-Day War – in particular, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
According to the BBC, the organization views the whole of Palestine as an Islamic land that is rightfully theirs, therefore justifying any actions against Israel, who is viewed as an occupier.
Israel’s Defense According to CNN, on Dec. 24, 2008, four days after an initial cease-fire officially ended, Hamas fired more than 65 rockets into southern Israel. The Israeli attack came three days later in an effort to defend themselves after Hamas increased its civilian targets.
According to the New York Times, more than 1,200 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed in a 22-day war as of Jan. 18, 2009. Fifty percent were civilians and 25 percent were children, according to the Washington Post. Israel says 500 of the dead were Palestinians soldiers.
Alleged War Crimes Controversy There has been much debate over Israel’s use of white phosphorus bombs. Although it is not a chemical weapon, Amnesty International considers its use a “war crime” when directed towards civilian targets.
The Gaza Strip has a population density of over 4,200 people per square kilometer-one of the largest in the world. According to the “Haaretz,” the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) has admitted to using 200 white phosphorus bombs, 180 of which were directed towards locations where Palestinian soldiers were believed to be firing from.
An army can use the white phosphorus to create smoke screens during war, which is what Israel says was its intention. Others, however, believe otherwise. On Jan 22, Kenneth Roth of Human Rights Watch noted, “The Israeli Defense Forces use phosphorus shells-and forfeit credibility.”
Reactions from the Staples Community Although the issue is widely disputed throughout the news, Staples students are generally uninformed, mainly due to the fact that the conflict is not discussed in school.
Some students strongly believe, however, that it is essential for students to be knowledgeable about the subject. Those students who feel passionately for one side or the other are turning to technology to get the word out.
Applications on Facebook allow students’ statuses to be update
d when there is new information on the war front. The Staples community as a whole has students’ and teachers’ opinions falling on both sides of the conflict. And reporters who tried to sample student opinion found most were uninformed about the conflict.
Reactions from the Westport Jewish Community At 44 percent of Westport’s overall population, there is a sighificant Jewish community in Westport. Leaders of the Westport Jewish community are attempting to inform those who do not know about the issue.
“It is a human tragedy. Everybody has to mourn whenever there is a loss of human innocent life. Israel never wanted this war,” said Rabbi Robert Orkand of Temple Israel.
The influential members of the community are also strong advocates of peace and the protection of innocents. The Rabbi stated that, “this is a war against people who don’t hesitate to hide amongst civilians.” “We want peace in the middle east,” added Cantor Richard Silverman of Temple Israel.
However, some students such as Joanna Wexler ’11, believe that as a whole, Westport Jews are still not sufficiently aware of the circumstances. Wexler adds, “The level of ignorance of Staples students is very sad, considering the number of Jews that live here.”
Wexler’s sentiments reflect those of the majority of the Westport Jewish community, who are supporters of peace and stability in the region.
