What if...?

 

What if all the students protesting the treatment of Gaza, were protesting Hamas and October 7th?

Would the college management protect them?

Growing up, I thought Israel could do no wrong. Then I met a Palestinian woman and I heard another side. After moving to Geneva, I met many Palestinians and listened to their stories.

My opinions changed and I did enough research to get some balance.

I am not anti-Jew. I've had Jewish bosses. I won't use the cliché even my best friends are (fill in the group), but I have never decided if I liked or disliked someone based on their religion. Their behaviour, yes, their religion, no.

I was engaged to a Jewish man for a period of time. It wasn't because of his religion that we didn't marry. We were unsuited in other ways. I was thrilled for him after we broke up when he met a woman more suited to what each of us wanted which had nothing to do with religion.

I think back to the Vietnam protests. If you change the signs, it is the same. Kids wanting something fairer, college administrations and often parents disagreeing with the kids.

Much later Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense at the time of Vietnam wrote a book which revealed the kids had been right.

The kids are right this time.

I do not negate that the Jewish people have been treated horribly over the centuries. The Holocaust made the many pogorams look minor. Prejudical treatment of any minority by the majority is always wrong.

But it was also wrong to take land from one people to give to another because it was their ancestral home.

Here's another what if...? Anyone who believes that, would be more than willing to give all American land back to the Indians. Surely moving to another country or living in reservations with limited rights and abilities to live a normal life, would be fine. After all it was the Indians' home first.

There is no way to condone the October 7th Hamas attack but just putting the number of deaths of both sides and the destruction does not balance. 

I do not believe that Netanyahu wants a settlement. He has announced more illegal settlements, more land thefts.

I am ashamed that my birth country is supplying the weapons that are killing so many women and children. 

I am tired of hearing that Israel has a right to defend itself. So do the Palestinians and every human and country on the planet, but doing it with mass murder, mass destruction is not a right.

Years ago, I was a strict parent. I let me daughter know there was a code of behaviour and she better not get in trouble in school UNLESS she was defending a principle. 

If my kid was in one the tents, I'd be tempted to join them. I would be proud that they are standing up for what is right just as kids stood up for what was right in Vietnam instead of swallowing the lies and propaganda being fed. 

May the protests all over the world continue until the leaders stop this war.