The Middle East is truly one of the most gorgeous and impactful places in the world; known for its gorgeous sceneries, culture, and food as well as obviously being the birthplace of the three largest religions in the world: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. It is no wonder that Israel/Palestine (being a part of this region) is regarded as the “Holy Land”. However, what has been going on there for centuries, and what is going on currently has been anything but “holy”… Israel and Palestine have a dark history of war and it seems like that history is repeating itself. “Hamas” (an Islamic, Palestinian, militant group) conducted a surprise attack that “killed at least 1,200 Israelis”, according to The New York Times, this prompted the obviously enraged Israeli government to declare war, and in response to this attack, Israel has been bombarding the Gaza Strip (region occupied by Palestine) with airstrikes, killing thousands of Palestinians as well.
Meanwhile, in America, many celebrities have come out and shown their support for Israel while others showed support for Palestine. One of these celebrities is Supermodel Gigi Hadid (who’s mother is Dutch and father is a Palestinian-Muslim); Hadid shared a post to her Instagram condemning the attacks on Israel. In the post, she stated: “My thoughts are with all those affected by this unjustifiable tragedy and every day that innocent lives are taken by this conflict – too many of which are children. I have deep empathy and heartbreak for the Palestinian struggle and life under occupation, it’s a responsibility I hold daily. I also feel a responsibility to my Jewish friends to make it clear, as I have before: While I have hopes and dreams for Palestinians, none of them include the harm of a Jewish person. The terrorizing of innocent people is not in alignment with and does not do any good for the ‘Free Palestine’ movement.”
She also wrote: “There are a lot of complex, personal and valid feelings, but every human deserves basic rights, treatment, and security; no matter their nationality, religion, ethnicity or where they were born. I know my words will never be enough or heal the deep wounds of so many, but I pray for the safety of innocent lives, always,” according to Rolling Stone Magazine.
The rest of the post can be seen here:
Hamas has even attacked an Israeli music festival abducting as well as killing men, women, children, and even the elderly. Some of these festival goers are reported missing while 260 have been reported dead, according to AP News. Some of these female victims have even been raped, as per Tablet Magazine.
All throughout history, war has obviously only been known to cause devastation, grief, and loss while peace, love, and unity have been known to cause prosperity as well as joy. Separation, choosing sides, ego/pride, lack of unity as well as the inability to see the suffering and humanity of others can also breed conflict. No higher power (whether one believes in a higher power or not) can persuade one to kill, rape, or steal, only the evil and brokenness within ourselves can cause us to do that.
