Note from the editors: WSPN prides itself on being an unbiased, open forum for students to express themselves and their opinions. While WSPN aims to represent all voices, the student opinion articles expressed on WSPN do not represent the views of the publication as a whole. WSPN condemns violence and hatred, and hopes to provide a platform for conversation about important issues in our local community. WSPN will be publishing more coverage on this topic soon, including additional opinion articles, to ensure that multiple perspectives are represented. Please refer to our longer editor’s note here.
We stand with all Palestinians, because the war crimes committed by Israel for decades are blatant acts of terrorism that know no religion. At least 17,700 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed as of Dec. 9. This bombardment and oppression started many decades ago, yet has been ignored as the Palestinian people have been constantly dehumanized.
The definition of a terrorist is “a person who uses unlawful violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.” Under this definition, we believe the Israeli government should be labeled as that. They have never been held accountable for breaking multiple UN resolutions and international laws. We also recognize that the atrocities committed by Israel do not reflect on Judaism. This is about land and human rights, not religion. Context is needed to form an unbiased opinion on the situation.
Do you know that over 63% of Gaza’s population rely on international aid? Do you know that over 80% of Gaza’s population live in poverty? Do you know that 500-700 Palestinian children are imprisoned by Israel every year? Do you know that over 60% of Gaza’s population is facing food insecurity? Do you know that 90% of the water in Gaza is undrinkable? However, these horrifying conditions didn’t begin on Oct. 7, when a group of Gazans breached the wall that Israel built to trap them in the Gaza Strip.
Although the Balfour declaration states that “nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-jewish communities in Palestine,” the essence of Zionism directly correlates to the expulsion of Palestinians. During the Nakba in 1948, 750,000 Palestinians were brutally expelled from their homes in a series of massacres with no rights of return. The Nakba was one of the first atrocities committed by Israel that’s continuing even today, as Palestinians are still denied rights to return. One zionist militant during the Nakba confessed, “there were soldiers [who] took flamethrowers and ran after the villagers and burned them.” This same pattern of brutality and expulsion continues as Palestinians are repeatedly expelled from their homes, fearing for their lives.
We would also like to acknowledge that in the Torah, the first Jew present in the Holy Land was Abraham. The origins of all three monotheistic religions can be traced back to Abraham, which is why it is very harmful when a religious group claims that they’re indigenous to a land. The Torah also states that when it was time to establish a state of Israel, that no matter what, humanity should always come first, and if any of the laws of the Torah must be broken in order to make a home in the Holy Land, then it wasn’t time yet (Jeremiah 27:22 and Ketubot 111a). This reiterates that Zionism and Judaism are not intertwined.
The Gaza Strip and the West Bank are the current Palestinian territories. Gaza and the West Bank are separated, with Israeli land cutting in between them. Due to their separation, Hamas is based in Gaza, and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) is based in the West Bank. The idea that Gaza has a “government” is quickly disproven by the fact that Gazans do not have control over their water sources, electricity, food supply, imports and exports or sea and air space.
Hamas is a “political group” and, in our opinion, essentially “Israel’s creation” made to oppose the PLO in 1987. But, would Hamas even exist if it weren’t for the cruelty of the Israeli government? The individuals in Hamas were radicalized by the anger and grief fueled by the constant attacks on their lives. Palestinians in Gaza have also exhausted every other attempt to reach peace in non-violent ways. For example, when Palestinian Gazans peacefully protested at the borders, they were shot by snipers in response. In the West Bank, 239 Palestinian civilians have been killed since Oct. 7, despite having no connections to Hamas. In 2022, 170 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank, and in 2021, 319 were killed. See the pattern? The injustice should be evident to anyone who’s been paying attention to the truth.
However, it is important to note that misinformation and bias are everywhere. In news reports, why is it that Israelis are killed, while Palestinians are dead? We believe that the value of Palestinian lives are continuously minimized. When talking about the deal between Hamas and Israel to release 150 Palestinians for 50 Israelis, some have referred to the Israelis being held by Hamas as “hostages,” while referring to the Palestinian being held by Israel as “prisoners.” Yet, two thirds of the Palestinians exchanged were not convicted of any crimes, most were arrested as children and 118 of 150 released are currently children. This year, prior to Oct. 7, over 1,200 Palestinians were held by Israel in administrative detention with no charges. Where was the international community’s outrage for these Palestinian hostages? Where was it in 2022, 2021, 2020 and so on? The lack of attention on and knowledge of Palestinian struggles is nothing new, but a horrifying reality that Palestinians have been forced to live through for decades.
The language and actions of Israeli politicians further dehumanizes Palestinians. Israeli politicians continue to refer to Palestinians as “children of darkness” and “human animals.” On Oct. 9, Defense Minister of Israel Yoav Gallant said, “there will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed. We are fighting animal people, and we will act accordingly.” Even Israeli Army Spokesman R Adm Daniel Hagari claimed on Oct. 10, “We are dropping hundreds of tons of bombs on Gaza. The focus is on destruction, not accuracy.”
But let’s take Israel’s argument into consideration: that the attacks on Gaza are justified because they’re only fighting Hamas. Using that logic, if a school shooter was hiding out in a classroom, would it be morally acceptable to bomb the entire school? If you answered no, then there should be no justification for the absolute bombing of Gaza and its civilians.
As we watch these devastating attacks transpire from afar, it’s more important than ever that we stand up and fight for a productive solution. We want change, and we want it now.
The phrase “Free Palestine” is similar to the phrase “Black Lives Matter,” in that it doesn’t take away from the freedom of any other group, but rather advocates for the needs of an oppressed one. You may have heard Palestinian supporters say, “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” Some people interpret this as an antisemitic phrase, but we believe that the true purpose of this phrase is to call for the freedom of all Palestinians living under Israel’s apartheid system from the Jordan river to the Mediterranean Sea. It’s a call for the indigenous people to be granted the right to govern over their land, and it is in no way calling for the expulsion or murder of Jews. Palestinians should have the same right to live in freedom and safety as Israelis. No life is more valuable than another. That being said, we also feel that Palestinians have a right to resist their occupiers – a right granted to them by international law.
The path to peace lies on everyone being held equally accountable to international law. A ceasefire would only be a temporary solution, because as long as the occupation exists, violence and resistance will also exist. Even today, many Israeli citizens recognize that this occupation contributes to the cycle of violence, resulting in the loss of trust in their own government. On Dec. 3, Israelis in Tel Aviv protested their government’s actions, calling for their prime minister to step down. This is just one of countless protests and strikes within Israel. In addition, Holocaust survivor and trauma expert Gabor Mate spoke on the importance of historical context to the events currently unfolding. Click here to see the short clip and click here for the full interview.
As a society, it is our responsibility to be aware of what is happening around the world. We ask you to continue reading, continue asking questions and continue seeking knowledge, because that is how we can reach a state of peace and safety for everyone. As Nelson Mandela, the face of the South African anti-apartheid movement and an outspoken supporter of Palestinian rights declared in 1997, “we know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”
Finding Courage • Jan 26, 2024 at 9:16 AM
1/26/2024
The International Court of Justice said it has jurisdiction over the dispute between South Africa and Israel, over whether Israel’s actions in Gaza could amount to genocide.
“In the court’s view, at least some of the acts and omissions alleged by South Africa, to have been committed by Israel in Gaza, appear to be capable of falling within the provisions” of the genocide convention, judge Joan Donoghue said.
Donoghue said the court had rejected Israel’s request to remove the case.
Kate • Dec 21, 2023 at 10:23 AM
I almost want to say that this article was researched and written by the group of biased adults with a special interest and not students. It is written by someone on a salary of some nonprofit anti Israel organization. VERY dangerous essay. Presents only one side of the conflict. Israel is a wonderful and very peace loving country. Unfortunately Palestinian Arabs do not want to live in peace and use all advantages of having Israel as a neighbor. Shame. Palestinian Arabs can profoundly profit from all medical, technological, humanitarian advances that Israel can offer. Instead it is none stop sneaky violence of suicide bombers, attacking civilian homes when people are sleeping, throwing rocks into the moving cars on the freeways and killing entire families and on and on and on… I do believe that in my lifetime a smart politician from the Arab side will come to the political stage and find a way to regulate this conflict. Israel is ready. Unfortunately Palestinian Arabs are not. 2000 and 2005 showed an entire world that Israel is ready for peace.
Anonymous • Dec 15, 2023 at 8:24 PM
Thank you for all this research and for writing such a detailed informative article.
I appreciate your courage for speaking up for the Palestinians. In the past 2 months, there have been many bullish voices in town trying to silence anyone and everyone who speaks up for Palestine’s suffering, and squash anyone who passes an opinion against Israel.
It is sad to see how in their quest for fairness, they are the ones playing unfair as they tear away signs that go against their own views and join with other likeminded people to lash out and bully those in opposition. Sad how they believe in freedom of speech for themselves but forget about the freedom of speech of others. Sad how they believe in justice, fairness and safety for themselves but forget the same for others. All the angry comments here are clear proof of that.
Know that there are many people out that are watching, reading, listening.. in silence maybe, but can clearly see who the real bullies are.
Thank you for taking courage to stand your ground amongst such bullies and for speaking up for those that are suffering in Palestine.
Hedaia Elelimy and Noreen Javed • Dec 14, 2023 at 10:54 AM
This is a message from the writers of this Op-ed. We want to affirm that we stand by our writing, and we are within our rights to write and post this article.(Check letter from the editors for more info.) No, we will not take it down, and no, we will not be intimidated by anyone, whether that’s parents or higher-ups from the town. We will continue to use our voices for the voiceless in Palestine. Nothing in this article is inciting violence or hate towards anyone, it is simply shedding light on the very real devastating situation of Palestinian life under Israeli law as stated by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, etc.
We also stand by the fact that nothing we said in this article is antisemitic. There are over 300 holocaust survivors and their descendants who stand with Palestine, including Dr. Gabor Mate (his recent interview on this issue is linked at the bottom of our article.) If they can call out Israel’s human rights abuses without being called anti-semitic, then so can we. Any act of antisemitism or any act of hate deeply saddens us. As two students who are minorities in this country and this community, we understand how serious this issue is. While acknowledging that, we also want to make it clear that we refuse to be associated with or falsely accused/ held accountable for recent antisemitic incidents in our community. That is not what we stand for and neither does our article.
The cover photo was taken by Hedaia’s close friend at one of the many protests we have attended together. I (Hedaia) met many people like the ones on the front cover. I spoke to them and understood their points of view. We chose this picture because it shows that standing together against violence is much more powerful than being divided for hate.
Lastly, this editorial doesn’t speak about Hamas or for Hamas. We are using this platform as a voice for the greater population of Palestine. These human rights abuses predate the creation of Hamas. For example, the 1948 Deir Yassin Massacre, 1948 Tantura Massacre, 1953 Qibya Massacre, 1956 Kafr Qasim Massacre, 1956 Rafah Massacre, 1970 Bahr El-Baqar Massacre, 1982 Sabra and Shatila Massacre and many many more. We refuse to accept that the killing of 17,000+ people is justifiable for any reason. We refuse to accept that the killing of ANY innocent person is justifiable.
The excuse “the past is complicated” is repeatedly used to overlook the numerous massacres and human rights abuses committed by Israel throughout the years and avoid conversations about this topic. By educating ourselves on the history of this land, we can look past this excuse and find a pathway toward peace and safety for everyone.
Thank you to everyone supporting our right to post this article whether or not they agree with it. As WSPN stated, this is an opinion piece, like many other opinion pieces posted on WSPN about this same topic in the past.
Anonymous • Dec 13, 2023 at 3:47 PM
Has it ever crossed any of your minds that a huge population of the palestinians are most likely actually descendants of jews from judea? just because they aren’t STILL jews that doesn’t mean that they can’t be indigenous
Anonymous • Dec 13, 2023 at 2:09 PM
The article we’re discussing focuses a lot on the struggles faced by Palestinians, but it hardly mentions the challenges and experiences of the Israeli people. This kind of one-sided storytelling can be seen as propaganda because it presents only part of the complex situation, pushing a specific viewpoint. When we don’t hear about the Israeli side, we miss understanding the full picture. The article’s use of terms like ‘war crimes’ and ‘terrorism’ to describe Israel’s actions is also problematic. These are serious accusations that should be based on solid evidence and legal judgment, not just opinions.
Moreover, the lack of attention to the Israeli perspective can be seen as antisemitic. Antisemitism is the hostility or prejudice against Jewish people, and it can happen when their side of the story is ignored or when they are unfairly blamed for things. It’s important in discussions like this to consider both Palestinian and Israeli sides. By understanding both viewpoints.
Finding Courage • Dec 14, 2023 at 8:56 AM
When Dr. Fleishman completely ignored any of the Muslim and Arab students in his initial note to the community on this topic, no one deemed this omission as ‘Islamophobic’, though it was a shame.
In the same vain, I disagree with your logic to deem anything and everything as anti-Semitic on a whim — this is not helpful when there are true acts of antisemitism.
Eli B • Dec 13, 2023 at 11:18 AM
What a biased hateful non-factual piece of trash!
This is not an “opinion” it’s an outrageous lie !
Gaza had self rule and Hamas was their elected government! Billions of dollars poured into Gaza including money from Israel. Before Oct 7 Gaza was free to do as they pleased and the world gave Hamas money !! Israel gave Gazans job permits to work in Israel but no Israeli was permitted entry into Gaza ! Your hateful uneducated article is disgusting! Separation of Judaism from Israel is laughable ! You are saying “Jews are fine” but “Israel is a terrorist state”. It’s the new era of Jew Hate. Jews come from Judea ! If you deny the ties between the Jewish people and Israel you are fabricating an alternative history.
Anonymous • Dec 13, 2023 at 12:30 PM
The trash logic in this comment is exactly why articles like above are needed.
All major three religions have ties to that land. Palestinians are descendants of those who lived there and followed those religions.That does not justify occupation, apartheid and murder. Nothing does.
Anonymous • Dec 13, 2023 at 2:30 PM
No, but you know what does justify murder. Murdering so you don’t end up being murdered which seems to be the sad point this has got to.
Isreal has very justifiable reasons to be taking preventive measures against Hamas, as they’ve been sending rockets at Isreal for a long time now, and Isreal is clearly fed up.
Hamas started this battle & if you think it ends w/ Isreal just giving up you’re deeply mistaken. Hamas would continue to carry out attacks leaving the Jewish civilians in shambles. Isreal has made it clear their top priority is to protect their citizens, and Hamas has made it clear that they will use the Palestinian people as meat shields.
Shame on anyone who’s not condemning Hamas
Tired of BS • Dec 14, 2023 at 8:02 AM
Funny how when Palestinians (who are the ones colonised – a piece of information you like to disregard) use a similar logic we call them terrorists.
Finding Courage • Dec 14, 2023 at 8:57 AM
The tragic irony of who funds Hamas….
Anonymous • Dec 13, 2023 at 3:46 PM
Hey little buddy, Please scroll down and read the comment left by the writers of this article because as they have proven, many massacres of the palestinian people happened BEFORE Hamas was created. Is that justifiable? and what about the people being killed in the west bank although they have no ties to Hamas? what’s ur justification for that? and what about the 300 holocaust survivors and descendants that have called out israel’s human rights abuses? are they also antisemites? watch the interview they linked at the bottom with the holocaust survivor Dr. Gabor Mate. By ur logic he’s also an antisemite.
Lauren • Dec 13, 2023 at 11:15 PM
I learned so much from this article, thank you for sharing this really opened my eyes. You put a lot of work into sharing the facts. Seems like a lot of people in the comments are having a hard time with facts today.
Mittu • Dec 13, 2023 at 11:04 AM
Folks questioning the accuracy of information listed in this article must review the sources. For your benefit, I am listing them below. A large number of these sources are very reputable media houses and/or global organizations.
When you say the article refers to false information, are you asserting that all these media houses and/or global organizations are operating under complete and utter falsehood?
News Media
• Associated Press News — [United States]
• PBS — [United States]
• NPR – National Public Radio — [United States]
• The Intercept — [United States]
• The New Yorker — [United States]
• The Guardian — [United Kingdom]
• The New Arab — [United Kingdom]
• Aljazeera — [Qatar]
• Anadolu Agency — [Turkey]
• The Business Standard — [Bangladesh]
Peace, Security & Humanitarian Organizations
• United Nations — [United States]
• United Nations OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) — [East Jerusalem]
• Amnesty International — [United Kingdom]
• Defense for Children International — [Palestine]
• Human Rights Watch — [United States]
• Palestine’s Children’s Relief Fund — [United States/Palestine]
• BTSELEM – The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories — [Israel]
• Independent Jewish Voices Canada — [Canada]
Religious Texts
• Sefaria – Library of the Torah — [New York, United States]
Social Media (only one reference to each of the following)
• YouTube
• TikTok
• Instagram
Anonymous • Dec 13, 2023 at 7:22 PM
The leaders of six large, global humanitarian organizations wrote a Guest Essay in the NY Times on 12/12/2023, “We Are No Strangers to Human Suffering, but We’ve Seen Nothing Like the Siege of Gaza,” written by the leaders of CARE USA, Mercy Corps, Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam America, Refugees International & Save the Children. Perhaps we can believe what these organizations who are on the ground in Gaza are telling us if the sources Mittu outlines are not good enough?
“We Are No Strangers to Human Suffering, but We’ve Seen Nothing Like the Siege of Gaza
We are no strangers to human suffering — to conflict, to natural disasters, to some of the world’s largest and gravest catastrophes. We were there when fighting erupted in Khartoum, Sudan. As bombs rained down on Ukraine. When earthquakes leveled southern Turkey and northern Syria. As the Horn of Africa faced its worst drought in years. The list goes on.
But as the leaders of some of the world’s largest global humanitarian organizations, we have seen nothing like the siege of Gaza. In the more than two months since the horrifying attack on Israel that killed more than 1,200 people and resulted in some 240 abductions, about 18,000 Gazans — including more than 7,500 children — have been killed, according to the Gazan health ministry. More children have been reported killed in this conflict than in all major global conflicts combined last year.
The atrocities committed by Hamas on Oct. 7 were unconscionable and depraved, and the taking and holding of hostages is abhorrent. The calls for their release are urgent and justified. But the right to self-defense does not and cannot require unleashing this humanitarian nightmare on millions of civilians. It is not a path to accountability, healing or peace. In no other war we can think of in this century have civilians been so trapped, without any avenue or option to escape to save themselves and their children.
Most of our organizations have been operating in Gaza for decades. But we can do nothing remotely adequate to address the level of suffering there without an immediate and complete cease-fire and an end to the siege. The aerial bombardments have rendered our jobs impossible. The withholding of water, fuel, food and other basic goods has created an enormous scale of need that aid alone cannot offset.
Global leaders — and especially the United States government — must understand that we cannot save lives under these conditions. A significant change in approach from the U.S. government is needed today to pull Gaza back from this abyss.
For a start, the Biden administration must stop its diplomatic interference at the United Nations, blocking calls for a cease-fire.
Since the pause in fighting ended, we are again witnessing an exceptionally high level of bombardment, and at increasing ferocity. The few areas left in Gaza that are untouched by bombardment are shrinking by the hour, forcing more and more civilians to seek safety that does not exist. Over 80 percent of 2.3 million Gazans are now displaced. The newest Israeli offensive is now forcing them to cluster on a tiny sliver of land.
The bombardment is not the only thing brutally cutting lives short. The siege of — and blockades surrounding — Gaza have led to a critical food scarcity, cutoffs of medical supplies and electricity, and a lack of clean water. There is barely any medical care to be found in the enclave and few medications. Surgeons are working by the light of their mobile phones, without anesthetics. They are using dishcloths as bandages. The risk of waves of waterborne and infectious disease will only grow in the increasingly overcrowded living conditions of the displaced.
One of our colleagues in Gaza recently described their struggle to feed an orphaned infant who had been rescued from the rubble of an airstrike. The baby had not eaten for days after her mother’s death. Colleagues could only scrounge up powdered milk — not formula, not breast milk, and not a nutritionally suitable infant food — to help stave off her starvation.
Before the war, hundreds of truckloads of aid were needed each day to support Gazans’ daily existence. Only a trickle of that required aid has made it into Gaza in the two months since the war began. But even if more were allowed in, our work in Gaza is dependent on ensuring our teams can move safely to set up warehouses, shelters, health clinics, schools, and water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure.
Today our staff members are not safe. They tell us they’re making the daily choice of staying with their families in one place so that they can die together or go out to seek water and food.
Among leaders in Washington, there is constant talk about preparing for the “day after.” But if this relentless bombardment and siege continue, there will be no “day after” for Gaza. It will be too late. Hundreds of thousands of lives hang in the balance today.
So far, American diplomacy in this war has not delivered on the goals President Biden has conveyed: protection of innocent civilians, adherence to humanitarian law, more aid delivery. To stop Gaza’s apocalyptic free fall, the Biden administration must take tangible measures, as it does in other conflicts, to up the ante with all parties to the conflict and bordering countries.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken once said of the war in Ukraine that the targeting of heat, water and electricity was a “brutalization of Ukraine’s people” and “barbaric.” The Biden administration should acknowledge that the same holds true in Gaza. While it has announced measures to deter violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, Mr. Blinken and his colleagues should apply similar pressure to stop violence against civilians in Gaza, too.
The harrowing events unfolding before us are shaping a global narrative that, if unchanged, will reveal a legacy of indifference in the face of unspeakable suffering, bias in the application of the laws of conflict and impunity for actors that violate international humanitarian law.
The U.S. government must act now — and fight for humanity.”
Eugene • Dec 15, 2023 at 8:53 AM
You are arguing against yourself – it has now been proven that the humanitarian organizations and UN were fully aware of Hamas’ infrastructure and diverting of international aid, and went along with it in order to keep the money faucet going. The “reporters” that some of the major news outlets employed participated in the October 7th massacre. And the fact that some of the major news outlets just print whatever facts the Hamas Health Ministry is feeding them does not reflect well on them.
Anonymous • Dec 15, 2023 at 11:04 PM
Israel is deliberately assassinating journalists, independent and others. It looks like believing “the reporters that some of the major news outlets employed participated in the October 7th massacre” is helping you cope with the unimaginable savagery Israel is inflicting on Gaza.
Eugene • Dec 13, 2023 at 8:38 AM
The majority of “facts” in this opinion are simply not true, and likely came from TikTok videos, specifically designed by USA’s enemies to disinform and weaponize young people in the West, and use anti-Semitism to sow the divide between us. Free speech is important, and I am glad that students have a forum to repost any disinformation or anti-Semitic propaganda they want, but I hope that the majority of the student body in this highly-educated school district can find better sources. I refuse to concede that we have lost this generation to TikTok and Palewood, and as the last 60 days have revealed the extent of delusion and lack of basic historical knowledge, this is an opportunity to turn this around, and not allow this to grow into something truly irreversible.
Finding Courage • Dec 13, 2023 at 10:27 AM
Truth of the matter is, sharing of information is dangerous to propaganda. That’s why internet is shutoff in Gaza and almost100 members of the Gazan Press have been targeted and killed. The young generation are being exposed to real images and video. The truth is ugly and yes, the realization of the falsehoods we’ve been fed is irreversible. But the most worrisome aspect for you should be the new generation of young Jews who are waking up and realizing the truth. Kudos to Jewish Voices for Peace.
Lauren • Dec 13, 2023 at 11:22 PM
Crying “disinformation” because it challenges your own privilege doesn’t make it true brother.
Eugene • Dec 15, 2023 at 9:28 AM
Yes, yes, it’s the same real images and video that suggested using horse dewormer for Covid, and offered clear evidence of Nazis in Ukraine, Obama’s Kenyan birth certificate, Antifa and FBI behind January 6th, Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster. At some point you need to grow up and use your brain when watching TikTok videos. Yes, it’s easier to just hate a minority and jump through hoops to try to find evidence to justify horrific actions by a terrorist organization and their supporters trying to wipe that minority off the face of the earth, but then you at least have to admit what you are really saying, not pretend that it’s about some occupation narrative invented by the Soviet Union and the KGB in 1960’s as part of the Cold War AGAINST THE UNITED STATES.
Anonymous • Dec 15, 2023 at 10:36 PM
Oh yes lets blame the communists LOL – this is epic
Anonymous • Dec 12, 2023 at 9:19 PM
This is an awful piece of writing. As a Jewish student, things will now get worse based off a article that provides exceptionally false information. I understand that yes, this is an opinion piece, but to make claims without finding accurate sources is just preposterous and the writers should be ashamed with themselves, as well as the Wayland school system for failing to educate these writers properly. The pro-Israel article (by another student) was carefully fact checked, this, on the other hand, misleads students and readers on what is going on in Israel at the moment and will only fuel the burning fire that is the antisemitism that our school faces.
Finding Courage • Dec 13, 2023 at 10:29 AM
You are just mad people are finding their voice and have the courage to speak up against the years of injustice you condone.
Anonymous • Dec 13, 2023 at 12:55 PM
Nothing fuels antisemitism as much as tying the beautiful Jewish religious tradition to an occupying murdering political ideology and entity. Palestinian liberation and Jewish safety go hand in hand. Antisemitism similar to other isms is created and sustained by white supremacy.
Eugene • Dec 15, 2023 at 10:11 AM
It’s the opposite, Hamas support and white supremacy go hand and hand, it’s called the horseshoe theory. Left-wing and Right-wing extremists are both obsessed with anti-Semitism, which is nothing new, what is new – online disinformation being so successful in pushing people to both sides of the extreme, fueling anti-Semitism like we haven’t seen since the 1930’s. Incidentally, Goebbels and his team would be very proud of this article and his ideas making a come back, right as the last remaining Holocaust survivors are starting to pass away. The only difference to 1930’s is the existence of a strong Jewish state, which the anti-Semites realize all too well, and have worked tirelessly for 75 years to erase it’s existence. Hopefully they will not be successful, and while more and more people have abandoned the “Never Again” cause, I do truly hope that the good eventually prevails, and the young people commenting here won’t come after the Jews of Wayland with torches and pitchforks.
Finding Courage • Dec 15, 2023 at 12:10 PM
Dear Eugene, careful, your self-supremacy and privilege are showing…finding you are alone in this fight? Must be difficult.
Anonymous • Dec 15, 2023 at 10:50 PM
Sorry, Fearmongering doesn’t work anymore.
Lauren • Dec 13, 2023 at 11:28 PM
Imagine calling a students article “an awful piece of writing” after typing a giant paragraph that says absolutely nothing. Israel’s violent occupation is a fact and I’m sorry you’re having trouble reconning with your own bigotry and cognitive dissonance.
Isabelle • Dec 12, 2023 at 6:07 PM
Thank you so much to Hedaia and Noreen for sharing the information in your article and comment. The level of research displayed is impressive, and your activism is inspiring, especially as a classmate of yours. Free Palestine ??
Finding Courage • Dec 12, 2023 at 4:37 PM
Even our government understands what’s going on. Keep speaking up against injustice!
“Rifts between the United States and Israel spilled into public view Tuesday as President Joe Biden warned that Israel was losing international support for its campaign against Hamas and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly rejected American plans for post-war Gaza.” (CNN, 12/12/2023)
Ryan Desmond • Dec 12, 2023 at 2:07 PM
While I applaud WSPN for allowing articles from both perspectives be published I think they need to take a deeper look at the content of this article. Comparing “Free Palestine” and “Black Lives Matter” is truly awful. There aren’t terrorists living among the African-American community and African-Americans aren’t committing war crimes. The blatant anti-semitism in this article needs to be handled by administration. As a former Wayland student, there were many times I felt that Administration crossed boundaries and interfered with situations outside of their jurisdiction but allowing this to be published on something they very much have control over is appalling.
Anonymous • Dec 12, 2023 at 9:30 PM
These phrases were simply being compared to show that calling for the freedom of/justice for one group of people does not take away from the freedom of/justice for another group. Nothing in this article is hateful or attacking Jewish people as a whole, it merely serves to criticize the actions of the Israeli government, a government which has been bombing Palestinians for decades. At the same time, we recognize that antisemitism has been on the rise in and outside of the United States, and are disgusted by all acts of hate against Jewish people that we’ve seen within our community and outside of our community. However, this does not represent the pro-Palestinian cause. We, as people who support Palestine, are tired of seeing people die and watching the west turn a blind eye to it. We are tired of repeatedly being silenced every time we speak out against this injustice. If you would not discredit the phrase “Black Lives Matter” because you do not support the actions of a certain group of black people, and you would not see an Israeli life as any less valuable because of the heinous actions of the government or the IDF, then do not criticize us for calling for the freedom of the Palestinians who are currently dying by the thousands.
John Ali • Dec 13, 2023 at 9:10 AM
I see where your coming from with your response and I agree with almost everything you said, but I would believe that comparing the BLM situation to the Palestine situation is not possible given how different the political climates are in the two countries. One country is a world power struggling with internal issues of social justice, and one country in currently involved in a brutal war. My opinion is that it is completely fine to address and comment on the Palestine issue, but do not compare it to BLM because they are completely different.
Anonymous • Dec 13, 2023 at 3:11 PM
I understand where you’re coming from but I think you are comparing the 2 movements while the authors seemed to be comparing the phrases. BLM was getting hated on because it was centered around black struggle and in response ppl started saying no that’s bad, actually it’s ALM. The same thing happens when people say free palestine. People view it as excluding israelis and jews rights and freedom when, just like BLM that isn’t the truth. It doesn’t exclude or take away from another groups rights, it just emphasizes the ones that are being oppressed
Minnah • Dec 12, 2023 at 1:21 PM
A well-written and insightful piece. Thank you Hedaia and Noureen for taking the time to research and write this, and for addressing many common misconceptions about Palestinian resistance. Speaking of research, I encourage all readers to click on the many orange hyperlinked words for further reading about the events mentioned in this article. We must resist misinformation by educating ourselves and seeking the truth, even if it may be difficult to face. I hope this article can make possible more meaningful and not inflammatory dialogue about difficult topics within our schools. I also hope it encourages us all to be more empathetic by looking beyond our own feelings and working towards justice for those suffering more than ourselves.
Kevin • Dec 12, 2023 at 12:43 PM
Interesting how WSPN has been preaching about free speech, however they have censored many comments as seen on facebook and my own. I wrote comments that factually picked apart this awful article, but apparently free speech only applies when you are pushing their narrative. This further proves something has gone wrong within WSPN and its leadership. Truly disappointing.
Co-Editors-in-Chief • Dec 12, 2023 at 8:55 PM
Hi Kevin,
Please refer to WSPN’s comment policy and the editor’s note we published yesterday. The comment policy states that, “once submitted, comments become the property of WSPN.” As stated by both the comment policy and yesterday’s editor’s note, “comments that are violent, directly target the student writers or specific groups of people or are threatening in any manner will not be published.” As the Co-Editors-in-Chief, we feel strongly that opinions are given the opportunity to be expressed both through opinion articles and comments; however, to protect students and our publication, we adhere to specific guidelines in regard to comments. If a comment is not approved, the commenter is welcome to revise their comment to match our guidelines and resubmit (within reason).
Thanks,
Nadya Chase and Talia Macchi (Co-Editors-in-Chief)
Comment policy: https://waylandstudentpress.com/policies/
Editor’s note: https://waylandstudentpress.com/116982/opinion/letter-from-the-editors-addressing-the-community-response-to-israel-hamas-war-coverage/
Anonymous • Dec 13, 2023 at 9:00 AM
Hi kevin, if you use your eyes for a quick sec you can see that many comments here are negative and very disrespectful, but they are here for everyone to read. If your comments were not posted that means that your comments were either violent, targeting the students specifically or threatening. Which one do you think your comments qualify for? However disappointed you are in WSPN I want you to know that I am even more disappointed in you!
Finding Courage • Dec 13, 2023 at 10:31 AM
Yikes, looks like you wrote some pretty naughty comments, Kevin?
Lauren • Dec 13, 2023 at 11:31 PM
Sounds like Kevin the keyboard warrior is sad 🙁
Amy L. • Dec 12, 2023 at 1:16 AM
Thank you for standing up for those who’s voices and cries for help have been ignored for way too long. Thank you for opening up the doors to having discussion and people learning more about the long history of this occupation, now turned into genocide.
Ihab Abdelaal • Dec 11, 2023 at 11:28 PM
First , thanks WSPN for letting the students express their opinions about the current situation
Second , thanks Hedaia & Noreen for your great efforts , your article shows the truth with evidence
??????
Alaa E. • Dec 11, 2023 at 9:27 PM
I want to thank WSPN that they gave the students the opportunity to share their opinions of both sides on this loaded topic. Yet, these students did so in a very respectful and productive manner. I also want to thank the students for taking the time and effort to do research and for the valuable informative articles they published as a result. I believe that these articles are a great place to start for anyone who is looking to learn more about this topic. This definitely isn’t the whole story, but people can do more research about what the students on both sides have written. It is important that we listen to both sides and read different sources before formulating an opinion on any issue.
Hedaia Elelimy and Noreen Javed • Dec 11, 2023 at 7:46 PM
This is a message from the writers of this Op-ed. We want to affirm that we stand by our writing, and we are within our rights to spread this message. We will continue to use our voices for the voiceless in Palestine. No, we will not take it down, and no, we will not be intimidated by anyone, whether that’s parents or higher-ups from the town. Nothing in this article is inciting violence or hate towards anyone, it is simply shedding light on the very real devastating situation of Palestinian life under Israeli law as stated by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, etc.
We also stand by the fact that nothing we said in this article is antisemitic. There are over 300 holocaust survivors and their descendants who stand with Palestine, including Dr. Gabor Mate (his recent interview on this issue is linked at the bottom of our article.) If they can call out Israel’s human rights abuses without being called anti-semitic, then so can we. Any act of antisemitism or any act of hate deeply saddens us. As two students who are minorities in this country and this community, we understand how serious this issue is. While acknowledging that, we also want to make it clear that we refuse to be associated with or falsely held accountable for recent events in our community, like the drawings of swastikas on Rice Road. That is not what we stand for and neither does our article. The cover photo was taken by Hedaia’s close friend at one of the many protests we have attended together. I (Hedaia) met many people like the ones on the front cover. I spoke to them and understood their points of view. We chose this picture because it shows that standing together against violence is much more powerful than being divided for hate.
Lastly, this editorial doesn’t speak about Hamas or for Hamas. We are using this platform as a voice for the greater population of Palestine. These human rights abuses predate the creation of Hamas. For example, the 1948 Deir Yassin Massacre, 1948 Tantura Massacre, 1953 Qibya Massacre, 1956 Kafr Qasim Massacre, 1956 Rafah Massacre, 1970 Bahr El-Baqar massacre, 1982 Sabra and Shatila Massacre and many many more. We refuse to accept that the killing of 17,000+ people is justifiable for any reason. We refuse to accept that the killing of ANY innocent person is justifiable. The excuse “the past is complicated” is repeatedly used to overlook the numerous massacres and human rights abuses committed by Israel throughout the years and avoid conversations about this topic. By educating ourselves on the history of this land, we can look past this excuse and find a pathway toward peace and safety for everyone.
Thank you to everyone supporting our right to post this article whether or not they agree with it. As WSPN stated, this is an opinion piece, like many other opinion pieces posted on WSPN about this same topic in the past. We encourage you all to take a look at the letter from the editors posted today on WSPN.
ZNT • Dec 12, 2023 at 8:00 AM
Thanks for the additional thoughts – but this feels disingenuous on its face and gaslighting at best. You claim that it is harmful when a religious group claims a land – but… you actively choose a picture of ostensibly Jewish children with signs saying to the effect of Jews against Zionism…
further – you say that you “refuse to accept that the killing of ANY innocent person is justifiable” – but without acknowledging at all the atrocity of October 7th, you say that Palestinians have a right to resist – clearly indicating your support for the terrorism…
Stop the Hate • Dec 12, 2023 at 1:21 PM
Yeah of course they didn’t acknowledge October 7th – she literally said in her comment that the article isn’t speaking about or for Hamas, just for the greater Palestinian population. It is very important that the distinction between Hamas and Palestine be clear, because they are separate entities.
Finding Courage • Dec 13, 2023 at 10:35 AM
Good girls! Double down on the truth.
These old guys and gals are entitled and they are ripping mad that you speak for the oppressed and the voiceless. They think money, power and propaganda influence will indefinitely control the truth from immerging.
Lauren • Dec 13, 2023 at 11:35 PM
Good job! So we’ll sourced and eloquently written. We stand by you and we stand by the truth.
Neighbor • Dec 11, 2023 at 7:42 PM
This is the first time in Wayland I have seen any support for what the Palestinian people suffer from daily. I thank these students for using their platform to share a much-needed perspective.
On the whole the authors do a decent job of providing context to why a group like Hamas becomes violent. I don’t think they intend to justify horrific violence against innocent people, but rather to provide context to how people could resort to violence in the face of never-ending oppression.
The analogy of a school shooter being taken out by bombing the entire school was excellent. No sane person could watch what Isreal is doing to Gaza and think this is the “just” way to bring those who are accountable to justice. In fact it looks like an attempt to irradicate, demoralize, dehumanize an entire population of already desperate people by a world power with more weapons than heart. And the USA stands proudly beside them.
Lastly, there needs to be a real conversation about Zionism, Isreal and Anti-semitism. Those who conflate criticism of the state of Isreal with the hate of all Jewish people are hurting everyone – even the Jewish community. If you believe being critical of Isreal is anti-semitism, then you are saying that Isreal is carte-blanch allowed to do anything they desire without response because to speak out against them is hate. That is patently false and broken logic. It also leads to the denial of facts on the ground and turning a blind eye to humanity.
Lastly, I ask those commenters who speak so passionately about the inhumane things done to women and children by Hamas…is it acceptable when a powerful military does those acts with high-tech weapons? Is a dead innocent child in the arms of their mother in Gaza not just as heart-wrenching as one in the arms of their Israeli mother? Where is your humanity?
Cease Fire Now – Free Palestine.
Good job Wayland Student Press
MaryAnn • Dec 11, 2023 at 5:58 PM
First amendment rights are eroded on a daily basis and freedom of the press is key good job WSPN reporters you will go far please after graduation realize your impact beyond Wayland
Steve • Dec 11, 2023 at 5:18 PM
To those whose comments ignorantly bash WSPN for publishing this piece please note, as clearly stated at the beginning of the article, this is an opinion piece. WSPN, as most reputable news sources do, routinely publishes opinion pieces. It’s a right and a privilege that has and is equally afforded to all of you so that you can voice your opinions on the articles and subjects via your comments. The editors publish your comments (as long as they meet WSPN publishing guidelines) without bias. WSPN provided the same opportunity for the student writers of this and the other related opinion pieces for their voices to be heard. While often difficult, these open discussions are healthy and necessary.
So agree or disagree with each piece as you desire, but don’t lash out at the forum that provides the opportunity for discussion. And remember these are students. Additionally, please take the time to read the incredibly well-written “Letter from the Editors” regarding these opinion pieces. The fact that they had to even write this is disappointing. It clearly shows that many of those commenting (either in this forum or directly to WSPN and WHS administration) do not have a rudimentary understanding of the difference between a news story and an opinion piece. Letter from the editors: Addressing the community response to Israel-Hamas war coverage –
Anonymous • Dec 11, 2023 at 5:14 PM
I, as a Jewish-American, think that you have done an excellent job with capturing what Israel has been doing. Furthermore, anyone who claims that this is antisemitic clearly didn’t even bother reading the article. ??Free Palestine??
ZNT • Dec 11, 2023 at 4:30 PM
The is a vile editorial, made worse by the anti-Semitic picture at the top. It’s inappropriate of the paper to use picture of ostensibly and stereotypically Jewish children who are holding signs calling for the end of Israel. This isn’t about the historical context. This is pure antisemitism and calling for the end of Israel. Poor form.
Anonymous • Dec 12, 2023 at 4:40 AM
Do you mean that even jews who are basically semitic are antisemitic?!!
H.N.N • Dec 12, 2023 at 8:46 AM
One of the authors has already testified to the image being taken by a close friend at a protest they attended.
Howard Lenow • Dec 13, 2023 at 7:34 PM
For those who don’t know, the picture of the Hasidic garbed individuals belong to a a Jewish Hasidic sect called the Neturei Karta. As a Jew and one of the founders of Jewish Voice for Peace, I have attended many peace events and peace marches both in the US and in Israel and the West Bank with their members in attendance . While I am not a member of their organization, (and don’t subscribe to their beliefs) they were founded in 1938 and have long opposed the contemporary State of Israel because they believe that only the Messiah can re-establish a Jewish homeland. So the comments that somehow accuse the editors of anti-Semitic intent by using this picture should probably retract those accusations because they likely were unaware of the existence of the Neturei Karta. Moreover, I applaud and offer my support to the brave students who posted this opinion piece, not because I agree with everything in their piece, but because I know what it is like to stand up for human rights for the Palestinian people and to call for all players in the conflict to abide by the principles of international human rights law and the international rule of law in war. These are not simple issues with black and white answers and there are cruel forces at work for the many varied interests reflected in this conflict. But, there are also many heroic and principled actors. To be clear, I stand for peace and the human rights of all the people involved in the conflict. I condemn the October 7th massacre in unambiguous terms AND I condemn the horrific bombing of Gaza and slaughter of over 20,000 innocent Palestinians. Please, all of those who choose to comment, find ways to speak to each other with respect even if you disagree or come from different experiences and backgrounds. We diminish ourselves when we do anything else.
Lauren • Dec 13, 2023 at 11:38 PM
Lol the fragility
Cathy Caulfield • Dec 11, 2023 at 4:19 PM
The past is very complicated–but it is sad to see how divided this topic is when the issue should be about Hamas (not the Palestinians) violating a cease fire, who then killed, maimed, tortured, kidnapped and raped innocent people, including children.
Sami • Dec 12, 2023 at 8:39 AM
You and Israel wants to keep this about Hamas. This is about an entire population being occupied and dehumanized for 75 years and this was only the last round of violence of many. The fact that this article addresses the entirety of the problem doesn’t suit those who only want to focus attention away from what the occupation has been doing for years since 1948. If this violence was to ever end is to end the occupation and the acknowledgment of the Palestinians to exist as their own independent state. The current genocidal response of Israel against Palestinians will only flame more rounds of violence to come. we Americans should know that we are enabling this violence to go on by the blind support of the state of occupation on the tune of 18 Billions dollars a year from our own tax money. Everyone should rethink their positions and think about what can be done to stop this violence.
Finding Courage • Dec 12, 2023 at 4:23 PM
You would be surprised to learn who props up and funds Hamas. Its not complicated — its irony. Its tragic for the innocents on all sides.
Sana Gilani • Dec 11, 2023 at 2:04 PM
This was a great article! Thank you to the student writers for taking the time to be a voice for the indigenous people of Palestine that live under the occupation of Israel. Several Human Rights organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have deemed Israel to be committing apartheid against Palestinians. The UN has also long-spoken against the growing illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank in Palestine. These historical realities are important to look at as we discuss the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Great work student writers and thank you to the Wayland School System for publishing this piece!
Saman • Dec 11, 2023 at 1:33 PM
Great article guys!! As a former WHC graduate I am so proud to see students raising their voice on the atrocities happening in Gaza. For anyone that doesn’t rlly know what’s going on, or doesn’t know about the history of Palestine, I recommend rather than reading angry folks in the comments to actually go research the topic from accredited source like Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, The United Nations News, etc. There are also lots of great books on the topic.
Tooba Gilani • Dec 11, 2023 at 1:26 PM
Thank you for your bravery in speaking up on the crisis in Gaza! What is happening today to a civilian population is unconscionable – we’re all seeing the devastating images coming out of Gaza every day – and it is important that an honest look at historical facts is reviewed to understand the decades of oppression and apartheid. The apartheid of Israel’s government has been documented at length by humans rights organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and illegal settlements/settler violence in the West Bank and the “open-air prison conditions” of Gaza have been documented by the United Nations, as well. Thank you again for speaking up on this difficult topic.
MaryAnn • Dec 11, 2023 at 11:07 AM
These articles are opinion editorial pieces and stated as such.
As someone who has been the Israel twice for work and witnessed rich cultural history and shocking treatment of Palestinians being bussed in for menial work and bussed out, not allowed to leave the premises as well as militarized 18 year old Israelis carrying machine guns as casually as a pocketbook, one gets a real sense of the tensions over there.
It is important to have all sides exposed.
The current war was triggered by the 2018 Jewish Nation-State Basic Law, which enshrines Jewish supremacy over Palestinian citizens. Though mostly symbolic and met with back lash, it basically declared Israel as a Jewish state The law has distinct apartheid characteristics.
This law guarantees the ethnic-religious character of Israel as exclusively Jewish, and entrenches the privileges enjoyed by Jewish citizens, while simultaneously anchoring discrimination against Palestinian citizens and legitimizing exclusion, racism, and systemic inequality.
The biggest problem is not the Zionist extremists who cheer the killing of Palestinian children in Gaza, and applaud every Israeli bomb that falls on a private residence. The biggest problem is the Israeli mainstream, which had zero tolerance for any kind of dissent, or even the simplest human compassion with Palestinian sacrifice, suffering and bloodshed.
It is all about dehumanization. As long as Israelis don’t perceive Palestinians as human beings, there will never be a real solution. Unfortunately, dehumanizing the Palestinians has been policy in Israel since 1947. It is taught in every Israeli school, and re-enforced in all Israeli media; to ignore and deny the facts of modern Israel’s founding and crimes, and to enable the Israelis to live in peace, without any moral dilemmas. If the Palestinians are not ‘human beings’, there are no questions about ‘human rights’. This process climaxed in this war and exposed the deep moral blindness which has not just covered and engulfed Israel, but also Israel’s supporters in Western governments.
Globally, most nations oppose Israel’s actions, and believe that Zionists control U.S. Foreign policy, which is why Israel is so brazen. With the U.S. now led by weak and incompetent politicians, enemies may perceive opportunities.
Kudos for these young journalists to tackle such daunting issues.
ZNT • Dec 11, 2023 at 3:58 PM
this is incredibly antisemitic. “Zionists control US Foreign Policy”?!
Anonymous • Dec 12, 2023 at 8:03 AM
Stop conflating Zionists with Jews. Stop discrediting anti-Zionist Jews by labeling every criticism as antisemitism. The AIPAC does donate immensely to politicians.
Anonymous • Dec 12, 2023 at 8:38 AM
No it’s not. Stop conflating Zionism with Judaism. Stop discrediting anti-Zionist Jews.
Nadia K • Dec 12, 2023 at 9:03 AM
There’s absolutely nothing antisemitic about it- pls quit crying wolf anytime there is a legitimate criticism of Israel! The AIPAC lobby has funded the majority of politicians— even defunded some simply because they stood up for Palestinian rights- case in point- Carl Levin from Michigan (a Jewish rabbi) who was defunded and his opponent was heavily funded by the AIPAC so he can be unseated! AIPAC is the reason why we have a corrupt political system- it’s time to call a spade a spade!
Anonymous • Dec 11, 2023 at 10:30 AM
The comments in this OPINIONATED ARTICLE (emphasis on OPINIONATED) are horrifying.
These students have the COMPLETE right (BY LAW!) to comment on this situation.
Dina S. • Dec 11, 2023 at 10:01 AM
Thank you for this article, and thank you to the WHS editors for publishing this and protecting freedom of the press. And shame on all the adults attacking these students who are expressing their opinion. It’s called an “opinion” piece. A similar opinion piece covering the other perspective was published earlier, a piece which used much of the same unsubstantiated propaganda and xenophobic rhetoric that adults are repeating in the comments. But no one attacked the child who published it because, again, an “opinion” piece.
Jeff Baron • Dec 11, 2023 at 9:46 AM
The authors of this opinion piece have only demonstrated that they are biased, uneducated, and sadly misinformed. This entire piece casts a pall on the stunning lack of education they received at WHS and diminishes the credibility of those who stand behind it.
Stop the Hate • Dec 12, 2023 at 1:32 PM
The author of this opinion comment has only demonstrated that they are biased, uneducated, and sadly closed-minded. This entire comment casts a pall on the stunning lack of respect and decency that this person has and diminishes the credibility of the voices that the students at WHS have in the context of current global events.
Finding Courage • Dec 12, 2023 at 4:29 PM
In the age of social media, access to information and images, you cannot stand behind this argument anymore. You are just mad that the ones on the side of the oppressed finally found the courage to speak up. I am sorry but its a new age.
Jeff Baron • Dec 13, 2023 at 5:12 PM
Ironic that a commenter identified as ‘Finding Courage’ shows zero courage in remaining anonymous. And ‘Stop the Hate’ can only plagiarize my comment anonymously without an original thought. Again, more sad commentary on both the situation and those involved with supporting this unsubstantiated piece supporting terrorism and the purveyors of such. This comment section, including the a host of anonymous/pseudonym commenters along with the many unpublished comments selectively silenced by the editorial staff, has become more toxic than the “opinion” piece itself. Hard to imagine that was possible, but it is.
Finding Courage • Dec 14, 2023 at 9:00 AM
We assure you we are not bots, but humans. In a McCarthy-esque environment around this issue, there is no benefit to us being doxxed and cancelled. Take away for you is the sheer volume of voices in support of the Palestinians — anonymous or not.
Jeff Baron • Dec 14, 2023 at 11:23 PM
Anonymous cowardly voices have no value at all…
Stop the Jeff • Dec 20, 2023 at 10:41 AM
Hi Jeff,
There are some great articles on the concept of parody and understanding the difference between satire and plagiarism out there on the internet. I suggest you start reading.
Let me know if you have any other “original” thoughts. It’s unfortunate that your comments have become more toxic than the “opinion” piece itself or any comments that have replied to you. Hard to imagine that was possible, but here we are.
-Stop the Jeff
Jane • Dec 11, 2023 at 7:01 AM
You, WSPN, and the school should be ashamed of yourselves for pushing misinformation and false facts to justify the Nazi terrorist attack of Hamas which involved gang rape of women in front of their kids, beheading, cutting out organs, slaughter, burning alive, kidnapping. Among other things pretending that the Arab refusal to accept a two-state solution when the United Nations formed a Jewish State and an Arab state in Palestine in 1948 and the Arabs immediately starting a war against Israel trying to eliminate the Jews and grab up all the land “from the river to the sea” was forcible expulsion. The Arabs refused peace in 1948, they started a genocidal war against the Jews, they lost and then spread propaganda (eg forcibly expelled) to appeal to the masses who aren’t educated in the facts. The school should also be ashamed for cultivating a climate of anti-semetism—enabling this false rhetoric to take on a life of its own because it hasn’t done its job of educating — removed the Holocaust curriculum from the school, removed the DC trip and the visit to the Holocaust museum from The curriculum, allowing people to deface posters of kidnapped people, making Nazi gestures, refusing to add a “united against anti-semetism” poster while agreeing to have posters for stop Asian hate and BLM, publishing propaganda designed to inflame hate, and further erasing history relating to hate against Jews by refusing to call the Nazi Swastika by its name. Also being completely unable to say they are against anti-semetism without also saying “and Islamophobia” — as if they go hand in hand or implying that the Nazi Hamas targeting of innocent civilians and brutalizing them (anti-semetism) is the same as Israel defending itself against those attacks. No, that’s not Islamophobia. Where was the outcry when the US killed 300,000 Iraqi when seeking non-existing weapons of mass destruction? Or when we killed afghani civilian in our war against al-queda? Does the school say “blue lives matter” everytime it says “black lives matter”? Is that your take on inclusion?
Womp Womp • Dec 11, 2023 at 9:45 AM
womp womp
Mohamed Elelimy • Dec 11, 2023 at 9:54 AM
This great article did not only show the fact of the Israeli occupation… the article also succeeds to show the ignorance and the brain washing that lot’s of the Israeli supporters are suffering from. Just read the comments and you will easily recognize that… one of them is starting his analysis since 1947.. accusing the writer of ignorance… while it looks like no one talked to him about what happened before 1947….
I believe that the level technology that we have these days… will not allow any kind of excuse to keep your self living with this level of ignorance and Superficiality.
Jill • Dec 11, 2023 at 10:01 AM
Cry about it Jane, the blatant denial of facts is so clear from you and everyone throwing hate toward these students. In no way is this article antisemitic. You cannot just call everything in support of Palestine antisemitism. You are a grown woman bashing kids for their perspective on a GENOCIDE that is so obviously wrong. There are so many quotes from participants in this genocide that just show the pure brutality of Israel and the disgusting acts they have committed again and again against the Palestinians. As a Palestinian who was expelled from my own home in PALESTINE let me tell you a little about how my family and I were treated so I can inform you since you’re so blinded by the fact you think anything and everything is antisemitism. I was born in jalazoun, Ramallah. There is no Hamas there it is under the PLO. At 4 am my house was raided and destroyed and my brother was arrested for absolutely no reason. We were kicked out of the house only to come back a week later and find Jewish settlers living in our home. IM WHAT WORLD IS THAT EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE TO MORALLY CLOSE TO ACCEPTABLE. The state of Israel has committed numerous and numerous war crimes against an entire population. They bordered up 2.3 million people in the worlds most densely populated area. SHAME ON YOU AND EVERYONE WHO CLAIMS THAT ANYTHING ABOUT THIS IS ANTISEMITIC. Ur crocodile tears will not work. Free Palestine and the Palestinian people from this genocide.
Alex • Dec 11, 2023 at 12:03 PM
I don’t think you understand what “genocide” is. newsflash: the term has a definition, as does another one “apartheid”. Please review the basic facts and then we can discuss why the fake “genocide” doesn’t stand up to the definition of the convention for prevention of genocide dated 1948.
Jill • Dec 11, 2023 at 6:55 PM
The word “genocide” is defined as the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group. As of right now, Israel has killed 17,700 CIVILIANS in Gaza, TWO THIRDS OF THOSE DEATHS ARE WOMEN AND CHILDREN. So what you are trying to tell me Alex is that Israel bombed these civilians by “accident”. Almost 160 children are killed a day, that’s nearly one child every 10 minutes.
Have u no shame? How are you so blinded by ur stupid ideology that the sight of children being murdered isn’t even close to disturbing to you unless they are apart of your race. Shame on you and every person who supports this Zionist regime
AA • Dec 11, 2023 at 2:00 PM
“Where was the outcry when the US killed 300,000 Iraqi when seeking non-existing weapons of mass destruction? Or when we killed afghani civilian in our war against al-queda?” Why is this a gotcha moment for you? It wasn’t justifiable then and it isn’t justifiable now. The difference is that we can see what’s actually happening to Palestinians. The propaganda efforts from the IDF are completely transparent. We have access to stories from brave Palestinian journalists. There are thousands of photos and videos of Palestinian children losing their families and their lives. Believe it or not, some people don’t want to be complicit in that.
Mittu • Dec 12, 2023 at 12:54 PM
The school – finally – chose to not misappropriate the word “Swastika” and its original symbol (different than the Nazi symbol) has been incorrectly used for decades by the western society. You and your children have been taught incorrect history. Swastika is a Sanskrit word that means “well-being” and goes back 8,000 years. It’s used as an auspicious symbol by over 1.5 billion Hindu’s, Buddhists, Jains and other communities around the world for time eternal and even today. The Nazi symbol is called the “HakenKreuz” (hooked cross). Please read WHS principal’s weekly message on December 1st in case you missed it.
———————————-
Message from WPS Administrative Council regarding the term “swastika”
Due to recent antisemitic incidents in Wayland and accompanying police reports, district and school leaders wrote to you and in doing so we referenced “Swastikas” found in town. We appreciate the outreach of our Hindu families who expressed concern about the use of the term “Swastika.” At our last administrative council meeting, we engaged in conversation around the history of the Nazis coopting the term Swastika and slightly altering an ancient celebratory Hindu symbol with a rich, positive tradition across many cultures. Moving forward we agreed to shift our language when there is a need to reference that symbol and refer to it as the “Nazi Symbol.” The language we use matters. We want all to feel seen and valued to find a true sense of belonging in our community. As Maya Angelou reminds us, the power of education is that when we know better we can do better. To learn more, please click on this link: The Ancient Symbol that Was Hijacked by Evil.
Avi J Abel • Dec 10, 2023 at 4:03 PM
Shame on the administration for allowing an article full of misinformation to be published. The lead photograph tells it all as a biased and hateful article slanted and full on falsehoods. Shame!
Stop the Hate • Dec 12, 2023 at 1:36 PM
Free speech. Get educated. Shame!
Finding Courage • Dec 13, 2023 at 10:40 AM
Avi, my friend, in the age of access to real images and video, you cannot stand behind this argument anymore. You are just mad that the ones on the side of the oppressed finally found the courage to speak up. I acknowledge it must be very tough on you and I am sorry.
Muneeba Ahmad • Dec 9, 2023 at 7:46 PM
An eloquently crafted article that provides a concise overview of the history, background, and the underlying causes of the issue. Living in inhumane conditions is universally undesirable. As highlighted in the article, it is our societal duty to stay informed about global events.
anonymous • Dec 9, 2023 at 5:16 PM
amazing job! this article needs to be heard ????
Realan • Dec 9, 2023 at 2:24 PM
Excellent article with concise and objective summary of historical facts
C Corugedo • Dec 9, 2023 at 1:57 PM
thank you for speaking up for Palestinians, this is very well written!
Amr • Dec 9, 2023 at 12:31 PM
Excellent article, thank you. People need to know the history.
Nana Abdelkader • Dec 9, 2023 at 11:38 AM
Amazing work! Keep inspiring and informing the truth! God bless you!!!
Anjum Javed • Dec 9, 2023 at 11:18 AM
An excellent summary and detailed analysis of the current situation due to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and peoples.
Angela Zachery • Dec 9, 2023 at 11:17 AM
The young authors fail to realize the difference between innocent Palestinian people and the murderous Hamas terrorists. There is a huge difference.
I am surprised that the paper allowed this opinion piece with the “facts” and statistics that were included and the sources they were allowed to use. This piece is bordering on justification of the horrific, sexually violent and torturous attacks on innocent Israeli and international citizens including women, children and elderly. Anything that doesn’t 100% disavow that behavior should never be published in a school paper and only serves to make our Jewish students feel attacked again and blurs the line of right and wrong for all students. For certain behaviors, there is no gray. Only right and wrong. What Hamas did was 100% evil. There is no justification.
There should also be a separation between Hamas and the Palestinian people. The true outcry should be to free innocent Palestinians from murderous terrorist of Hamas. I’m disappointed in the decision to publish this piece as it was written. I don’t blame the kids who are speaking for innocent Palestinian people. I blame the adults for failing to draw the line and making sure that pure evil is called out at the same time allowing empathy for innocent civilians on both sides.
Finding Courage • Dec 13, 2023 at 10:43 AM
You would be surprised at who props up and funds Hamas. The irony is tragic. Innocents on both sides suffer.
Islam • Dec 9, 2023 at 10:51 AM
Well said. I love how the article briefly discussed the region history and carefully documented the attrocities that happened including the recent shocking racist comments from Israeli politicians.
Sumaya • Dec 9, 2023 at 9:12 AM
Beautiful article! Thorough explanation and Thank you for sharing!
Haifa • Dec 9, 2023 at 4:38 AM
????
Hana karim • Dec 8, 2023 at 10:56 PM
Wow!! What an amazing article that tells the truth about what is going on, the bias of governments, and media. We hope for cease fire, and Palestinian to get their rights back
Well done!!
Max • Dec 11, 2023 at 6:50 PM
I don’t really think they deserve a ceasefire until Hamas is gone. Calling for a ceasefire is redonkulous. They also still have the hostages.
Maryam • Dec 12, 2023 at 1:33 PM
‘Deserve’ wow
Genocidal mentality
Lisa Lisi • Dec 8, 2023 at 10:20 PM
Thanks for the information. Great article
Ken C • Dec 8, 2023 at 10:20 PM
This piece is deeply disturbing from beginning to end. The content is offensive and is clearly antisemitic. The sources used in this opinion are not representative of journalistic integrity and perpetuate information that is neither factual nor fairly represented.
This is a clear demonstration of double standards, if this were about other minority groups with the same type of information and style of writing it would never have been published. Shame on the supposed advisors to this paper for allowing such a ridiculous piece of writing to be published.
Saadia • Dec 11, 2023 at 9:55 AM
Would you mind sharing the incorrect facts? I think it’s important for everyone on both sides of the narrative to educate themselves. Hence my question.
Finding Courage • Dec 12, 2023 at 4:44 PM
Its disturbing to you that people have the courage to speak up. Social media has given the world access to images and information like never before. People with hearts and minds know when they see injustice, no matter who is inflicting it.
Dalia Salem • Dec 8, 2023 at 9:57 PM
Thank you for the informative brief.
Hamida Merchant • Dec 8, 2023 at 8:41 PM
Thank you for bringing voice to oppressed indigenous populations who are still suffering the effects of colonialism. Bravo
Islam Dehis • Dec 8, 2023 at 8:21 PM
Great effort. Great enthusiasm. But above all, exemplary courage. Thank you.
Evan Finkelstein • Dec 8, 2023 at 7:21 PM
What an astonishing composition of ignorance.
Your writing ranges from misunderstanding, to misrepresentation, to outright fabrication.
The volume of words required to dispel all the nonsense you published is too numerous to include in this reply.
But I will try.
Are you at al familiar with what happened inside of the region of Palestine in November of 1947, after the U.N. voted on the partition plan to create the independent state of Israel?
First: All of the white-collar Muslim Palestinians fled, presuming that they could return once the Jewish state had been eradicated.
Then: A significant segment of the Muslim population launched a war against the indigenous Jewish people.
Consequent to this armed conflict, many Muslims fled from their homes and became refugees. They have their own fellow Muslims to blame for their Nakba, not the Jewish people.
Do you know what happened on in May of 1948?
-All of Israel’s neighbors declared war on Israel. This led to further displacement of Palestinian Muslims…again, courtesy of their fellow Muslims.
Since that time, this refugee population has been maintained by the nations of Egypt, Jordan Syria, and Lebanon. They are kept as a tool, used to generate antipathy for the people of Israel.
Israel has essentially lived in a state of siege since its inception.
I do not believe that anyone would disagree with the point that the people of Gaza live under terrible conditions. From a humanitarian standpoint, their living conditions are unspeakable.
You would like to place the blame for these conditions at the feet of Israel. Doing so would be rather dishonest. The billions of dollars of aid that Gaza has received has not gone to infrastructure, education, or healthcare. It has gone to fortifying the position of the terrorist group Hamas. Hamas has complete disregard for the people of Gaza, and their only goal is the destruction of Israel, at any cost, Palestinian lives included.
“From the River To The Sea, Palestine Will Be Free” means only one thing.
Get the Jews out of Israel, by whatever means necessary. This by definition is a call for genocide. Speaking of genocide; while the events in Gaza are undoubtedly tragic, they do not represent genocide either in scale or intent. Let me repeat: NO GENCIDE HAPPENING IN GAZA.
Your writing is perfectly in sync with someone who has been fed an entirely false narrative.
If Palestinian people are in search of the people to blame for their plight, they need look no further than their own brothers and sisters.
Matt S. • Dec 11, 2023 at 8:34 PM
Dear Evan,
Too much emphasis is put on whether the actions taken by the IDF in Gaza constitute genocide. Does it really matter whether the act is genocide or not?
Over 18,000 fatalities have been reported in Gaza, including over 5,000 women and over 7,000 children. Compare this to the Russo-Ukraine War. That conflict has been ongoing since February of 2022, yet the 11,000 civilians thought to have been killed in that conflict are already less than the total of women and children killed in Gaza. One cannot argue that all of those who have been killed were members of Hamas, and it certainly did not matter to those killed whether the action was done with genocidal intent or not.
While Israel has a right to defend itself against the attack by Hamas, including by invading Gaza to remove the organization, it has been largely the civilians of Gaza who have suffered as a result of the conflict, not the terrorists of Hamas.
Kabirah • Dec 8, 2023 at 6:19 PM
Thank you for taking time to educate your readers about the oppression of the Palestinian people. The article was beautifully written.
norah elazzouzi • Dec 8, 2023 at 6:18 PM
Very good job. I found this article informational. Thank you.
Leslie • Dec 8, 2023 at 6:15 PM
Great job telling the truth!
Wael Taha • Dec 8, 2023 at 6:12 PM
We totally support you, you’re doing the right thing, being human and just is never a wrong thing.
Christina M • Dec 8, 2023 at 5:59 PM
Thank you Noreen and Hedaia for eloquently speaking on such an important topic, and working to educate against so much misinformation!
Sadly, I believe the number of Palestinians killed is now at *17,177
Nayera Thabet • Dec 8, 2023 at 5:56 PM
Well articulated! Palestinians have been through so much, thank you for shedding light on their plight.
Sadia • Dec 8, 2023 at 5:56 PM
Well researched piece! Thank you sharing and enlightening us all.
Ali Rizvi • Dec 8, 2023 at 5:54 PM
“Kudos to the Wayland High School students for their courageous and insightful article on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It’s truly commendable to see young minds engaging in meaningful dialogue and shedding light on complex issues. The commitment to unbiased expression and the call for understanding and peace demonstrate a commendable level of maturity and empathy. Keep up the excellent work, WSPN, in fostering open conversations and providing a platform for diverse perspectives. These students are a testament to the power of informed and compassionate youth. #StudentVoice #PeaceForAll”
Lipi • Dec 8, 2023 at 5:44 PM
Love this piece! Thanks for speaking truth to power
[email protected] • Dec 8, 2023 at 5:42 PM
What is most disturbing about this opinion piece is the incredible lack of knowledge and understanding of the history of Israel, Hamas, Palestinian people and so much more. Your complete ignorance does not make your comments any less anti semetic!
This is not to suggest that Israel policies are appropriate or not but simply putting your words forward with reckless disregard for facts is extremely negligent, and hurtful and you should be ashamed.
Get fully educated on the history and peace process. War is terrible and many innocents are killed, but defending your people from a group that has only one goal of wiping all Jews off the map requires response from the Israel government .
You should further learn the meaning of “genocide” before speaking about it so freely.
Finding Courage • Dec 13, 2023 at 10:53 AM
But the scholars of genocide deem this is a genocide…
Amanda Zaman • Dec 8, 2023 at 5:41 PM
Thank you for your bravery, and putting together this piece. It’s not easy to speak the truth in the face of America’s long standing blind support of Israel. Words matter immensely & I appreciate you calling out the dehumanizing words that have been used by the media & politicians to devalue Palestinian life.
Yasmin Hassan • Dec 8, 2023 at 5:38 PM
Great great great job
I am so proud of you young ladies
Alaa Ahmed • Dec 8, 2023 at 5:32 PM
This material is very factual and accurate. God bless!
A G • Dec 8, 2023 at 5:28 PM
Really impressive piece! Proud of MA high school students 🙂
Negm • Dec 8, 2023 at 5:19 PM
Great article!
Maryam • Dec 8, 2023 at 5:15 PM
Very well written! Free Palestine !
H.A • Dec 8, 2023 at 5:13 PM
really well written and a great way to shed light on the horrors palestinians are facing on the daily…
Zachary Gordon • Dec 8, 2023 at 5:08 PM
Reference to the my above comment: Jeremiah is in Neviim, not Ketuvim. Still in the Tanakh, point still stands.
Rouba • Dec 8, 2023 at 5:01 PM
Nice informative article, summarizes the history of Israeli occupation to Palestine very accurately!
Marina Rada • Dec 8, 2023 at 4:19 PM
?amazing work!
Lisa Goldsmith • Dec 8, 2023 at 3:55 PM
That the Wayland public school system allowed this article to print is disgraceful. The entire article from the picture to the statistics are filled with antisemitism. It is quite apparent that an inclusion/diversity expert needs to step in and provide counselling to the administration.
This article should be taken down immediately.
AA • Dec 11, 2023 at 2:08 PM
How can statistics be antisemitic? The statistics about the number Palestinian civilians murdered? There’s nothing more truthful than a number.
H.N.N. • Dec 11, 2023 at 9:52 PM
I find this comment quite baffling. I have tried to look at all the statistics mentioned and have outlined them below. I would encourage readers to look through them as well.
“At least 17,700 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed as of Dec. 9.”
“over 63% of Gaza’s population rel[ies] on international aid.”
“80% of Gaza’s population live in poverty.”
“500-700 Palestinian children are imprisoned by Israel every year”
“60% of Gaza’s population is facing food insecurity”
“90% of the water in Gaza is undrinkable”
“in 1948, 750,000 Palestinians were brutally expelled from their homes in a series of massacres”
“239 Palestinian civilians have been killed since Oct. 7, despite having no connections to Hamas”
“2022, 170 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank, and in 2021, 319 were killed”
“2/3 of the Palestinians exchanged were not convicted of any crimes”
“118 of 150 [Palestinians] released are currently children”.
H.N.N • Dec 12, 2023 at 1:01 PM
I implore you to explain how these statistics are antisemitic. Because I fear that you have twisted the words of student journalists into something untrue and volatile.
Finding Courage • Dec 12, 2023 at 4:33 PM
Jewish Voice for Peace are very opposed to the handling of this conflict. Their mantra? “Not in our name!”
I’ll leave you with this latest…
“Rifts between the United States and Israel spilled into public view Tuesday as President Joe Biden warned that Israel was losing international support for its campaign against Hamas and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly rejected American plans for post-war Gaza.” (CNN, 12/12/2023)
Howard Lenow • Dec 14, 2023 at 8:10 PM
Um, Finding Courage—whoever you are—your reference to Jewish Voice for Peace confused me. I am one of the founders of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). JVP has been in the forefront of speaking out for Palestinian human rights for 30 years. JVP has called for a complete ceasefire and an end to the slaughter of Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank. JVP has and continues to challenge and object to continued US support for arms shipments to Israel. JVP has also spoken out clearly against the October 7th massacre and works continuously to support non-violent resistance. What exactly were you referring to when you mentioned JVP? Once again, especially the adults commenting, temper your language especially when addressing high school kids. If you disagree with something, fine, but do it without attacking these brave student editors who obviously feel strongly about this conflict and who clearly put time and effort into expressing their passion. We should be encouraging rational and intellectual debate, promoting academic freedom in our local schools. I, for one, salute the editors and truly hope that the adults take a step back and find ways to offer constructive comment rather than just rant.
Finding Courage • Dec 15, 2023 at 12:14 PM
Howard, I salute you and Jewish Voices for Peace. Wanted to point out to Lisa Goldsmith that she would be calling YOU anti-Semitic, too. Sorry my writing was confusing.
Zachary • Dec 8, 2023 at 3:41 PM
I am very disappointed with the lack of journalistic integrity in this article. I am pro-Israel, and even I want to see articles published on both sides. What I don’t want is an almost careless manipulation of misinformation, avoidance of facts and integrity, and borderline demonization of Israel and Jews. Right off the bat, we see a picture of anti-Zionist Jews. Why? Why tokenize and misrepresent the Jewish population (these Jews are about ~5-10% of the global Jewish population – about 90% of Jews are Zionist)? Why use a minority and a picture of something you barely even talk about in the article? You stand will all Palestinians? So you support the few of them that are terrorist? Then, you hyperlink death figures from Al-Jazeera, which is an extremely biased website to begin with. You don’t point out the fact that Hamas runs the Gaza Health Ministry and there are known flaws in the casualty reports. For example, they claimed 500 people died at Shifa Hospital explosion when it was only 50, and not from an Israeli strike. So it’s not in good faith to cite that without explaining the numbers. Next: Israel built the wall to trap Gazans in the strip? They prevented terrorism! Hamas literally fired on them soon after they pulled ISRAELIS from their homes in Gaza. And Gazans did not breach the wall, thousands of terrorists launched a land, air, and sea invasion to mass rape, murder, and kidnap innocent civilians. It’s abhorrent reporting to call 10/7 a “wall breach”. Is there any condemnation of Hamas, a terrorist organization who makes their people suffer, as well as the atrocities I listed above? I don’t see it. But you say Gaza doesn’t have a government, and Hamas is a political group in back to back sentences. Excuse me. How do you reconcile those two contrasting statements? Bottom line: you can’t just spew misinformation. I am all for a Palestine article but man, not like this. Moving on to the Hagari quote. If you would just READ the article that you hyperlinked, Guardian acknowledges they mistranslated his quote, but you still went ahead and cited the wrong quote. Us readers aren’t that careless. By the way, the book of Jeremiah is not in the Torah. It’s in the Tanakh, specifically the Ketuvim, or prophets. This is hurtful to many of us who actually study the scriptures; we care that you get this information right instead of a gross generalization. Please, fact check before you publish. And, I’m not going to get too far into the occupation. I’ll do that later. Using that buzzword for half a paragraph and then talking about a war is delegitimization of Israel. Overall, I expect better from WSPN across the board here, especially regarding the commitment to fact-based reporting. You can have your own opinion, but not your own facts. Thank you and please consider immediate revision.
Madeeha • Dec 8, 2023 at 3:24 PM
Thank you for writing this article, humanizing the people of Gaza and highlighting that this is not a religious issue but a humanitarian one. The truth will always prevail. ??
ZNT • Dec 8, 2023 at 3:13 PM
Wayland schools have clearly failed the writers. Hamas would be thrilled that their propaganda has so thoroughly been accepted.
I am appalled at the naivety and lack of decency that the writers have. “some have referred to the Israelis being held by Hamas as “hostages,” I sincerely ask – what would you possibly call a baby and her 4 year old brother?
The award winning Wayland Student Press should do better.
For such a biased ‘historical’ view – there is an appalling lack of historical context to acknowledge the many times Palestinians and their neighboring supporters spurned peace for violence. There is no mention of the Yom Kippur War, Camp David Accords, or Oslo Accords? Does it not fit into this overly simplistic narrative of Palestinians as an oppressed people?
hannah gordon • Dec 8, 2023 at 2:59 PM
As a Jewish graduate of Wayland High School, I cannot even begin to describe how horrified and appalled I am that something like this would be published. Not only is this article disgustingly antisemitic, but it completely invalidates everything that Jews in Wayland are feeling currently.
No matter which way you look at it, Hamas is a terrorist organization whose goal is to annihilate Jews worldwide. Those words aren’t from me, they are from the leaders of Hamas themselves. And while I’m not saying that I agree with everything the Israeli government is doing, I am saying that there is no excuse to falsely portray Hamas as anything other than terrorist. Defining a terrorist organization and placing the blame on Israel while blatantly ignoring Hamas’s actions is pure ignorance.
I agree that the innocent people of Gaza should not have to suffer from Hamas. However, I also believe that the innocent people of Israel shouldn’t have to suffer mass murder and kidnapping at the hands of Hamas, either. Everyone involved has suffered too much, but at the end of the day, Hamas is a problem.
I would strongly recommend to all of the staff at WSPN that allowed this article to be published that you educate yourselves before publishing anything else on this topic in the future. This article is in no way an unbiased piece and it should have been researched from both sides. Any amount of scrutiny of this piece reveals how untrue many of the statements are. There is an extreme amount of false news and bias coming from an organization that says it prides itself on being unbiased and representative of multiple perspectives. Much of what is claimed in this article can easily be refuted using the same sources the author cites.
This article should have been fact checked and read by multiple individuals from administration before being published. It clearly was not. It propitiates false claims and misinformation that leads to antisemitism. After everything that has happened in Wayland and the world recently, I am incredibly disgusted and deeply saddened that WSPN produced this article. Please consider taking it down for the Jews in the community. I urge all of you at WSPN to do your research and refrain from publishing such offensive, hateful material in the future.
Anonymous • Dec 8, 2023 at 2:50 PM
This is an incredibly well written article. Fantastic work by young journalists who I’m sure put countless hours into research, writing, and showing that research in the article. I’m sure this will get lots of backlash in a town like Wayland, but just know you guys are on your way to becoming incredible journalists. As a jewish person myself, I’m horrified of the misinformation and claims that “Free Palestine” is an anti-semitic phrase. Hopefully you guys can change some minds with this.
Pnina Sasson • Dec 8, 2023 at 1:43 PM
I find this to be very harmful to the Jewish and non-Jewish community at Wayland High. It is important to educate on the facts and there are far too many missing from this paper. There is a lot of false information as well, many of such are antisemitic and denying Israel’s right to exist, and the Jewish people living in Israel’s right to exist as well. Many students have family and friends living there and experiencing this first hand. To deny and fail to acknowledge their truth is harmful to these students, and compromises the validity Wayland Student Press.
A • Dec 8, 2023 at 1:39 PM
The claims made in this article are incredibly harmful and based on biased sources. It is absolutely shameful that this was published.
A • Dec 8, 2023 at 1:17 PM
This piece of uneducated writing actively justifies the horrors of October 7th that took place against innocent Israeli Civilians. This article is so disgustingly antisemitic by suggesting the atrocities of October 7th were valid because of historical actions of Israel. Hamas is a terrorist group, if they did what they did in the United States they would be called a terrorist organization by everyone. Defining a terrorist organization and placing the definition on Israel while blatantly ignoring Hamas’s actions is pure ignorance. Israel’s government is by no means perfect or just, but not unequivocally condemning Hamas’s violent attacks and wrongful acts is extremely detrimental. The innocent people of Gaza should not have to suffer from Hamas. You state, “The idea that Gaza has a “government” is quickly disproven by the fact that Gazans do not have control over their water sources, electricity food supply, imports and exports
space.” They don’t have control because of HAMAS. Do yourself a favor and educate yourself a little bit. This is not an unbiased piece and you should be reading literature from both sides. I agree that innocent Palestinians have suffered way too much, but we differ because you don’t see that Hamas is a problem. I am curious to see your remarks on the Holocaust, was that also the fault of the Jewish people? Did they deserve the horrific punishments they endured. Based on this piece, I would think you would also justify the Holocaust.
This article should have been fact checked and read by multiple individuals from administration before being published. It propitiates false claims and misinformation that leads to antisemitism. Please consider taking it down for the Jews in your community.
Ksenya Shtutin • Dec 8, 2023 at 1:14 PM
This article is a disgrace to Wayland! It is filled with hate and blatant lies.
Yes, Judaism, Christianity and Islam originate from Abraham. But Judaism predates both the others by hundreds if not thousands of years. All religions have been offered and are allowed to visit the holy places. Are Jews allowed in Mecca?
Yes, Gaza relies on international aid which has been stolen by Hamas to build tunnels instead of water and electricity.
Muslims serve in all levels of Israeli government and society. Do you know what apartheid means?
I am disgusted by this.
Finding Courage • Dec 12, 2023 at 4:46 PM
You are just mad that people have the courage to speak up. Social media has given the world access to images and information like never before. People with hearts and minds know when they see injustice, no mater who is inflicting it. Do you know who is propping up and funding Hamas? The irony is tragic for all innocents.
Jackie • Dec 8, 2023 at 1:12 PM
Did you know that rockets are blasted into Israel every day from Hamas and others?
Did you know that Hamas (factually) does not provide food, gas, electricity to its civilians? Yet the leaders of Hamas are some of the wealthiest?
Are you aware that Palestinians can go to work to Israel yet not the other way around?
I suggest we all do some reading up on the other sides.
Apartheid: a policy or system of segregation or discrimination on grounds of race.
Israel left Gaza in 2005 and Hamas took over.
Genocide: the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group.
Palestinian population has exponentially grown since 2005 yet on 10/7 this occurred to Jews and Israelis.
Adam • Dec 8, 2023 at 12:54 PM
What a stunning example of the failure of the Wayland school system. This piece of vitriol tells a one-sided story full of fanciful “facts” and quotes sourced from known purveyors of misinformation. The image accompanying the story could not have been more poorly chosen; it alone is full of full of hate and lies. The most accurate thing the authors state is this: “However, it is important to note that misinformation and bias is everywhere.” Yes it is, especially in this hateful piece. Shameful.
Finding Courage • Dec 13, 2023 at 10:56 AM
Its disturbing to you that people have the courage to speak up. Social media has given the world access to images like never before. People with hearts and minds know when they see injustice, no matter who is inflicting it. Exposing the truth is not hate though you’d like to spin it to be so…
Jill • Dec 8, 2023 at 12:41 PM
Wow this article moved me and opened my eyes on this conflict, I never realized Israel would commit such atrocities and people would just remain silent even when knowing
JC • Dec 8, 2023 at 1:22 PM
This article is filled with inaccuracies and is heavily biased to be completely against Israel. To really be informed you have to spend a great deal of time reading from different perspectives and varied reputable new sources.
JC • Dec 8, 2023 at 12:24 PM
This piece is full of hate and filled with harmful opinions and allegations without proper news sources. This will serve to further the already pervasive problems of anti-semitism we are experiencing at Wayland High School. The authors have not shown any ability here to understand another perspective and are seeking to demonize the only Jewish state in the world. Shame on WSPN.
Finding Courage • Dec 13, 2023 at 1:29 PM
By their actions, the state is doing a good job of demonizing themselves, on their own. Its not a good look.
Anonymous • Dec 8, 2023 at 12:15 PM
This is an exceptionally harmful peace riddled with misinformation and baseless claims. Wayland High School needs to investigate how this was allowed to be published. Absolutely offensive and disgraceful.