Since the establishment of Israel in 1948, there has been an ongoing war and the devastation of many lives – both Jewish and Palestinian. To review this conflict from a human perspective, a person can see that as long as there is loss of life, neither side can be placed on a victory podium.
Supporting a war and its “legitimacy” is completely different from the reality of enduring such a nightmare. Throughout history, wars and conflicts have been the main causes of human destruction and the end of civilizations leaving nothing but poverty in there wake. Behind every war there is a singular group of people drawing a strategy to blindfold the public to gain support. This can easily be observed in the Middle East conflicts.
The Jewish conflict in the region and the struggle of proving their identities can be compared to the Kurds’ conflict with Turkey, Iran, and the former Saddam Hussain’s regime of Iraq.
In the Middle East and among Arab nations, Jews were always deprecated the same way as the Kurds in the region. Often, those regimes have attempted to assimilate the ethnic minorities into the majority without recognizing their histories and backgrounds. But wars never provide a path to peace.
However, it only takes one message from a wrong shepherd to wage a war and drive people into the ditch of catastrophe “My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains. From mountain to hill they have gone. They have forgotten their fold.” (Jeremiah 50:6)
The marathon of war has no finish line and the cloud of exhaustion will eventually cover the sky of the nation – blotting out all hope. The nations have not been able to solve their conflicts or achieve their goals through wars and bloodshed.
It is important for the American public to realize that the life of a Jewish person is as valuable as the life of a Palestinian and visa-versa. This is what American leftists continue to miss during their protests. Individual Jews cannot be held responsible for the Israeli government’s policies in Gaza. On the other hand, Hamas’ action in killing an innocent Jewish does not legitimize the reverse action by the Israeli government in killing an innocent Palestinian.
Evidently, after 10 months of this most recent Israel-Hamas war, the outcome is the loss of thousands of lives and the severe destruction of property. Generally, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is based on a stretchable war strategy, which means the war continues from one area to another and undercut any radical solution to end it.
The United States clearly understands the complication of the Middle East situation but is unable to find a permanent solution. In fact, the United States’ strategy has in many ways exacerbated the situation and created more adversaries for America in the region. According to the Associated Press, leaders and experts have said the U.S Navy is now facing the most intense combat since World War II against the Yemeni Houthi group backed by Iran in the Arab Peninsula region.
Ethnic, religious, and nations’ issues have never been solved through wars. Perhaps the best other example in the region is Turkey that has been fighting the Kurdistan Labor Party – the main Kurdish political party that has been struggling for the rights of Kurds in Turkey since 1984. Turkey has not achieved any result except casualties and further unrest in their country.
Wars can affect the legitimacy and the right to exist of a particular ethnic group and impact its situation negatively. For example, the anti-Semitism in the U.S and the Western Societies after October 7, 2023, has risen. Indeed, the Israel-Hamas war has provoked supporters from both sides and intensified the hate against each other. This shows that wars can change ethics, culture, and the principles of people.
At the end of the day, wars can best be defined as being the language of those who have lose their logic.
– Serwan Zangana supported Operation Iraqi Freedom as a U.S Army translator before coming to the U.S from Kurdistan, Iraq in 1997 to seek political asylum. He was granted asylum status and years later proudly became a U.S citizen. He currently serves as a correction officer in Roanoke.