Wounds, scars, injuries, destroyed homes, and the deceased are all effects of the Israel and Palestine war. It’s devastating what’s happening in these two countries. How has it escalated to become such a life threatening situation for so many? This war started today because Israel still occupies the West Bank and claims East of Jerusalem as the Capital of hoped-for future for Palestinian state. Israel has launched four protracted military assaults on Gaza; from 2008 to 2021, leading up to today’s current events in Palestine. On October 7th of this year, militants from the Palestinian group Hamas attacked and killed 1200 Israeli citizens. 240 Israeli citizens were also taken hostage. In retaliation Israel launched an attack on the Gaza Strip resulting in over 13, 300 Palestinian deaths (npr.org).
To get a local perspective on this global issue, we interviewed Marcos Gonzales and Tiffany Melo, two TCA students, to try to get different perspectives about and see what they think about the war.
To begin I sat down with Tiffany Melo. She is a 16 year old from the Bronx, New York who goes to school in Washington Heights. My first question for Ms. Melo was, how do you feel the Palestine war is affecting people in America? She responded and stated that the Palestine war has certainly sparked conversation and raised awareness among people in America. She also said that the Palestine war has had various impacts on people in America. “It has led to discussions about international relations, human rights, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” said Melo. Next I asked Melo, in her opinion what role should the international community play in resolving the Israel-Palestinian conflict? She took a second and then said that the international community plays an important role in resolving the Israel-Palestinian conflict. She passionately said that they can provide strategic support, negotiations, and encourage both sides to join in peaceful discussions. Additionally she said, “It’s important for countries around the world to work together to find a fair and balanced solution that respects the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians.”
We also took the opportunity to interview Marcos Gonzalez who is a senior at The College Academy. I was able to sit down with him and ask a couple of questions based on the war that is happening in Israel right now. The first question I asked him was what are your thoughts on the war that is happening?” Mr. Gonzalez responded with “ I think the war is pointless because they have been fighting for the same territory over the years, and this has caused many lives to be taken away”. The second question I asked was if you had the opportunity, what would you have done to help the people in Israel? Mr. Gonzales told me he would start a food drive and provide shelters for families.
After asking Marcos Gonzalez and Tiffany Melo we were able to gather some information. I believe getting a student’s opinion is important because we can hear how they truly think and why they feel that way. It is truly devastating that many lives and homes have been destroyed and that they will never recover from this horrible tragedy. We all hope Israeli and Palestinian people will get the help they need for the sake of their lives.
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