*Disclaimer: This article represents Sara’s opinion alone, not that of Gulliver Prep, the administration, or the staff of the Raider Voice.

On Oct. 7, terrorist organization Hamas – the ruling party of the Gaza Strip which is recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and other countries – attacked the state of Israel. Hamas launched its attacks on one of the most joyous Jewish holidays – Simchat Torah – and on the morning of Shabbat, killing the most Jews in a single day since the Holocaust (so far, over 1,400 Jews have been murdered and over 4,500 have been injured). Two weeks later it became a full-on war and both the Israeli and Palestinian communities have suffered immense losses of innocent civilians.

This conflict is more than just the bloodiest day in Israel’s history: it is unprecedented in the immediate availability of information – and misinformation – in the media, both social and traditional. This avalanche of (mis)information requires that we educate ourselves on the facts – about the terrorist attacks on civilians and the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict – and avoid succumbing to the false narratives spread online.

Understanding the greater Israeli-Palestinian conflict requires familiarity with centuries of history. It is a nuanced topic and I don’t expect vast knowledge of the conflict from anyone. However, to have strong opinions about politics and global affairs, one must be informed. But to understand and process what happened two weeks ago, all you need is compassion. As a Jew, I’ve felt unable to mourn because I have had to spend the past two weeks defending my community and country.

Many people truly don’t seem to understand and grasp the gravity of the situation and their silence scares me; if you’re silent now, what could your silence be a part of in the future?

Beyond the sorrow and shock of everything that has happened, my experience as a Jewish student has been mixed. While some friends felt indifferent to the war, I will forever be grateful to the guidance counselors and the teachers who have asked me how I’m doing and my friends in and outside of school who have checked in with me.

For Jews like me who live thousands of miles away from Israel and have a deep connection to the state, the community is small enough that many of us have family and friends in Israel or know someone who does.

I don’t expect everyone to express a nuanced and hyper-educated point of view of the conflict. What I do expect, though, is a basic degree of compassion for anyone (Jewish or Palestinian) who’s been impacted by the loss of innocent human life. 

I write in the hope that we can be empathetic and have compassion surrounding Oct. 7. It’s not a simple conflict and simplistic perspectives don’t help. But compassion and empathy do.