The "Human Shield" excuse for every Israeli Action
- No Silence Just Action
- Nov 17, 2023
- 6 min read
If you've followed the news, you know that as a result of the October 7th attack by Hamas against Israel, Israel has declared war on Palestine. I know the news says it is "against Hamas", but given the state of Palestine as a result of Israel's actions, I will say this "so-called war against Hamas", is in reality, a GENOCIDE against the Palestinian People.
And before anyone chooses to dispute what I said, I'd like to remind everyone that while 1200 Israelis died in the October 7th attack, and almost 200 have been taken hostage, 11,000 Palestinians have died as a result of Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip.
Casualties: 11,000 Palestinians vs 1,200 Israelis
Now, I've said this before and I'll say it again. I don't condone Hamas for the attack they made, but that doesn't mean Hamas did not act without just cause. Israel has occupied and brutalized the Palestinian Population since the 1940s. The Palestinian People have lived without full rights and respect in the Gaza and West Bank Regions. While yes, Jewish people were displaced during the Ottoman and earlier empires, by the time the concept of Israel was introduced, the Palestinians had long since lived in that area. That doesn't mean that Zionists had the right to come and force people from their homes.
I can continue talking about how wrong Israel is, but I think I've covered that in my original post on this matter.
Now, whether Hamas is truly using Palestinian civilians as human shields, I cannot say for sure. However, given the amount of damage that Israel is causing to Palestine, I think this excuse of theirs is becoming tired. Because if Hamas was truly using Palestinians as human shields against the Israeli Defense Forces, then that gives even more reason to distrust IDF, because this still counts as a Hostage situation. Using Human Shields, is another version of a hostage situation, so how is bombing the actual hell out of the entire population as a whole going to solve this situation? And if Israel truly cared about the Palestinian population, they would be trying to be careful with this situation the same way they are being "careful" with the hostages that Hamas had captured. If you continue to believe the words of the Israeli Defense Forces, then you should be considering the fact that in this sense, the Palestinians are being held hostage just as the 200 Israelis who were captured in the October 7th Attack. So how is collectively bombing a population the solution, and how is it not hypocritical when you are trying to negotiate for the hostages of your own country?
I for one, do not believe this excuse at all. Why? Because if you see every video on social media coming from both the Gaza Strip, and from military locations in Israeli settlements and cities like Tel Aviv where the Israeli Military is located, you can see the stark difference between the two situations. You can see civilians attempting to pull people out from the rubble from the attacks by IDF in Gaza, and on the other hand, you can see civilians and military celebrating the mass destruction and murder of the Gazan People in Tel Aviv. This proves that Israel is lying through its teeth to justify itself committing genocide. If you watched the news today, you'd have seen that almost 40 infants in the NICU in Gazan Hospitals were taken off the systems, because thanks to Israel, the Palestinian Healthcare System is near collapse. The doctors in these hospitals are struggling to keep these infants alive. Already, two infants in one hospital have died because of how bad the situation is getting.
If you watched ABC World News this past week, you'd have seen an interview with an IDF officer, who had stated that people "can be moved" from hospitals while the IDF commits its attacks in the areas. The officer had stated that ambulance services were available to move patients and that it was a matter of whether they "wanted to be moved". If this officer actually bothered to listen to what the doctors had said, critical patients cannot be moved if their lives are at risk. Sometimes moving a patient while they are critical, could kill them faster. If this officer had chosen to look into it, he would've known that, but he chose to totally disregard this because it was a Palestinian life at stake.
The consistent disregard for the value of life in the Palestinian Population conducted by the Israelis, and the United States' government officials is truly astounding. There is absolutely no regard or appreciation for the value of life, especially where Palestine is concerned. The United States had recently sent over 14 billion dollars in aid to Israel. 14 BILLION DOLLARS. If the United States could pull up that much money for a foreign country, they could have used that money to improve the state of our healthcare system, education system, housing development, and so much more. But instead, that money was sent to help a country give a collective punishment to innocent civilians instead of targeting Hamas specifically. By giving money to a country, claiming that it is for their "self-defense", but who is instead committing war crimes for days on end, and preaching here locally that the United States is "the land of the free", the United States government leaders have proven themselves to be hypocrites.
Let's not forget about the recent decision regarding a member of Congress who is the only Palestinian American in the House. Recently, a vote was cast to censure Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib for her remarks on the Israel-Palestine War. How is that ok? The United States prides itself on promoting the freedom of speech, as listed in the Bill of Rights in the Constitution, so how is restricting a Congresswoman from making remarks about her homeland not violating her right to freedom of speech? By voting to constrict what she chooses to say regarding her ethnic homeland, the United States has contradicted what was written in the Constitution. If government leaders are willing to do that to our representatives, what makes them unwilling to do whatever it takes to maintain their loyalties and ties to Israel?
If you've watched the news today, you've probably found out that one of the hostages taken by Hamas has been killed. Again, I will say this again, I absolutely do not condone Hamas for the actions and steps they have taken in this matter. I will never condone the use of violence and fear to force people to act a certain way. But, this should not take the conversation away from where it matters: The End of the Israel Apartheid in Gaza. Everything that is happening is a result of Israel's unlawful and inhuman occupation of Palestinian Land. It is a result of Israel's genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestine. Thousands of Palestinians have been killed in this conflict, and regardless of what is or is not shown on the news, Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been killed since the start of this occupation in the 1940s-1950s.
Yes, Israel was the victim of 1 attack by Hamas on October 7th, and now they've lost 1200 Israeli lives, and have 200 Hostages taken. As a result of this attack, over 10,000 Palestinians, the majority being children, have been killed by Israel's onslaught. Why is a collective punishment being carried out against Palestine, rather than the military using special forces teams to rescue the hostages and end Hamas? Palestine is at its breaking point and the lack of action is what gives groups like Hamas its power.
If we want to have a part in ending this apartheid we need to be able to keep this conversation going, all the way to the top of the government hierarchy. If you want to make a difference, reach out to your state representatives, House and Senate. Tell them what you want, and whether you oppose the stands they take. If you understand how desperate Palestine has become, because of the lack of action taken by this world's government leaders, then reach out to your state representatives and tell them to vote against US support for Israel. Speak with those supporting Israel, and make sure they have both sides of the story. If we continue to stay silent, we risk events like the Holocaust repeating. Zionists may have forgotten the trauma from that, but if we choose to stay silent about this, we are just as at fault as anyone else. Don't let this conversation end. The lives of every single person in Palestine - Gaza and the West Bank, may depend on us.
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