Let's Talk Human Rights

By Sarah Behnke '23

Western coverage of Israel-Palestine often lacks one thing: context. The crisis is portrayed as some kind of ancient, unsolvable clash between two groups of people, one being Jewish Israelis and the other Palestinians, largely (but not exclusively) of Arab Muslim background. Many U.S. politicians take an “I don’t know enough about this issue” stance on the matter. However, I found that the context of the crisis is exactly what clarifies it; Israel-Palestine in Crisis: Perspectives from the Ground did just that. At the event, speakers living in Palestine shared their stories about the conditions under occupation. A University of Dayton historian also described how Palestinian land was appropriated and the culture uprooted to provide background. These accounts made it clear exactly why many of us have been left in the dark about what Palestinians actually face. It’s not an age-old tale of religious-based aggression, but the recurring story of the damages of colonialism and the erasure of populations of brown people by occupying forces.

Watch the event now:

During Fadi Abu Shammala’s deeply personal account of living in Gaza, he shared stories about the Israeli military occupation. The military not only physically destroys homes, businesses and people, but also controls the everyday life of Palestinians. Israeli forces have withheld access to clean water, eliminated opportunities for jobs, prohibited departure from the area and even limited electricity to just three hours a day in Palestinian homes and hospitals at times. Yet, it is only getting worse. Fadi explained that during the recent military action, Israel blocked fuel that was intended to replace electricity in hospitals from being imported into Gaza. Moreover, Israeli airstrikes damaged and destroyed roads that lead to a main hospital. 

At every turn, Palestinians are silenced by these actions. This system of oppression is not only present in this situation; it has parallels in other political and historical contexts. Because of Israel’s numerous violations of international law, Human Rights Watch has called the military occupation an act of apartheid, a term first used to describe the system of institutionalized racial segregation that existed in South Africa for much of the second half of the twentieth century. 

Israeli international human rights lawyer, Emily Schaeffer Omer-Man offered a critique of the way we measure and quantify violations of international law in the first place. Even laws set to protect the human rights of all people often uphold power imbalances to benefit those that create them. In the context of the Israel-Palestine crisis, in particular, she highlights how difficult it is to compare the damage done by either side, because of the structural imbalance of resources and power that exists between the established military of Israel and those fighting against it. The destruction of Palestinian homes, hospitals and media stations could be defended under these laws as part of Israel's right of self-defense, but this measure appears to justify the death of thousands. When international law does defend the rights of Palestinians in this crisis, the lack of enforcement of international law prevents change from actually happening.

This inequality is reflected in international law because the wounds of colonialism have not healed, and its effects present themselves in human rights struggles everywhere. The historical and present oppression of Palestinians is just one example. Sam Bahour, a Palestinian-American businessman, who was also a speaker in the event, argued that “Palestine can be the foundation for anything you want to study; you name the topic, this can be a case study for political or otherwise.” Environmental issues, carceral issues, health issues and more are perpetuated by this same systemic race and class inequity. 

This fight also happens right here in America, with the increased militarization of police, for example, as a historical tool for the oppression of Black Americans. Whether it be during Reconstruction, the Jim Crow era, or the present response to the Black Lives Matter movement, the U.S. continues to control many aspects of Black Americans’ lives in order to uphold systems of power. Israel’s military actions in oppressing Palestinians are similar. The U.S. funds Israeli arms that perpetuate this system. For example, the Biden administration recently approved a multi-million dollar weapons sale to Israel. These connections make this crisis our problem. Like Fadi stated, it is our tax dollars that are being spent to attack his people, which is why it is so vital to raise your voice to free Palestinians, not just on social media, and also to take action.

However, there is a glimmer of hope for the future of Palestinians. Social media has given Palestinians an outlet to tell their story, resulting in the recent surge of international coverage of the Palestinian perspective. Amani Rohana, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, observed this hope in her home of Haifa, located in Israel-proper. Arab Israeli citizens in Haifa and other “mixed cities” in Israel like it are connecting with their Palestinian identity in a way that they have never experienced before. After the establishment of Israel, Palestinians living in such cities were cut off from the Arab world, assimilated into Israeli society, and became known as “Arab Israelis,” distancing them from their Palestinian identity. Now, Amani says that many are identifying with their Palestinian roots again after an increase of violence against Arab Israelis by Israeli groups. This has prompted attempts by Palestinians in the area to confront this violence collectively, rather than living in fear individually. She says that mixed cities like hers “are having their own war” in the streets by organizing against these oppressors as a community.

Freeing Palestine is about more than a peace deal between the Palestinians and the Israeli government. Victims of colonialism everywhere face this same systemic oppression, by having their cultures, land and heritage erased by settlers. Uplifting Palestinians in this crisis is to liberate the oppressed from their oppressors, to truly allow fundamental human rights to be enjoyed by all. So raise your voice and stand up no matter where you are, especially here in the U.S., Palestine has a story, so let’s listen to it. While it may seem impossible to face this as an individual, hope can be found collectively.