Letter from the Editors
The conflict between Israel and Palestine can be traced back to the late nineteenth century when the United Nations adopted the Partition plan dividing the British Mandate of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states. The first Arab-Israeli war broke out and in turn caused the land to be separated into 3 parts: the state of Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip (Global Conflict Tracker). Tensions continued to grow for years along with the complexity of the issue itself. After an unprecedented attack on Gaza by an Islamist group called Hamas, a formal war directive was set forth by the Israel Defense Forces and retaliation after retaliation ensued.
The history and backstory to this conflict is so immense and complex that it cannot possibly be accurately portrayed within a half-page editorial without bias and exclusion of facts. This publication includes staff members passionate about both sides, but it was leadership’s ultimate decision to not add fuel to the fire of misinformation and antagonizing statements with an under-researched commentary that regurgitates the same information everyone else is relaying. There are people who dedicate their lives to studying global conflicts and they should be the ones giving their educated opinions on the subject. In a school with such a diverse student body, it is simply irresponsible to take a stance without alienating an entire group of people one way or the other.
As can be seen on many college campuses across the country, demonstrations have broken out and not all have remained peaceful. The messages of these protests, driven by the pain and loss of each country’s supporters, can be overshadowed by the vicious criticisms being exchanged between groups. This has caused a dilemma for college staff as they attempt to balance the right to protest with the civility that a school campus demands (Cal Matters). In early October, three students from Tulane University were assaulted in the cross-fire of the protests between both groups (National Broadcasting Company News).
The tensions in the modern day world are worse than ever with every single issue and question- political or cultural- being a polarizing subject that becomes the starting point for a fiery and hurtful debate. A productive discussion would need both sides to open to each other and be thoughtful as to the other person’s perspective and their backgrounds. At a high school level, it would be extremely difficult to have such talks without alienating or offending a group due to a general lack of maturity, understanding and empathy. This conflict contains several layers to dissect and analyze that the leadership team does not feel qualified nor comfortable to cover at length without containing inaccuracies and omission of facts. The violence on all fronts, both physical and verbal, in response to the developments of the conflict is appalling. The Pen stands firm in its denouncement of the terrorism and murder of innocent citizens as well as further violence on the part of people who claim to support the same cause. This is not a new political issue to be argued about and then forgotten; this is a humanitarian crisis that requires the recognition of a common goal: peaceful existence.
