Israel, Palestine, and the Future in Trump’s Hands

By Salahideen Salem
Opinion Columnist

A conflict often discussed around the world today ended up surfacing in discussion within St. Mary’s in the form of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. A controversial subject, this has remained a contentious matter over the past year, and it has so far been addressed by the college. With more knowledge surfacing through the media, a current of awareness has emerged throughout many places in America, including St. Mary’s, that Israel is conducting a genocide on the Palestinian people, as shown by Amnesty International’s and the UN’s writings on how long the conflict has been going on for. As a Palestinian and someone who has kept a close eye on colonial movements throughout history, this subject means a lot to me. Every day, I see the deaths, be they old or young, prosperous or not, with hopes and dreams crushed, and honestly I wish to speak out about this now. With what I will address next, I think it is most important to do so now.

Time has drawn on and the conflict has partially faded in people’s minds as election year has taken prominence in the American landscape. The question has turned from “how can we help stop this genocide” to “what will happen now in Trump’s hands” In this, the answer to many Americans has been clear, with his ineptitude carrying the day often with his actions. One example would be in his desire to make Gaza the 51st state of the United States. In the current landscape of America, we have faced great sums of money diverted from institutions such as healthcare and aid to the poor to now genocide, and ultimately we must ask ourselves how this problem will be solved. The answer, however, seems clear to many amidst the burgeoning ethical and economic issues that plague the world today. They will not be solved, at least, not by Trump, especially not with his current policies. His foreign policy especially seems to be no different from Biden’s, outright stating “Do what you have to do.” to Benjamin Netanyahu during the election. Furthermore, with the burgeoning economic crisis on the rise and the recession that has been ignored due to the elections, it appears that Trump has elected to cause new problems instead of fixing any. He’s cracking down on colleges now, after all . 

Despite all of this it is not a reason to lose hope. Simply because the person before President Biden is at the wheel again does not mean that it is cause to lose hope. Four years is a relative eyeblink in the passage of time, and we still have to focus and keep fighting. The world will change, but that does not mean we should not stop fighting injustice.

With Trump doubling down on America’s already abysmal foreign policies, we must endeavor to keep on speaking, not only for us as Americans but also as people. Just because everyday life continues does not mean we should not hold ourselves accountable. Just because we are local in Moraga does not mean that we can keep silent. Every act of speaking out begins small, and ultimately, this is no different. Time is moving fast and we have to act with it. The only question is how we shall do so.
    
And the answer to that, I feel, is obvious. Though politicians will pretend not to hear, we must raise our voices. We have to grasp the truth and hold it high. There is no other means of going about it beyond non-violence. Speak up. Shout louder. Protest, even. It will all make a difference, no matter how small it might seem.

 Amnesty International. “Israel Defying ICJ Ruling to Prevent Genocide by Failing to Allow Aid into Gaza.” Amnesty International, 26 Feb. 2024, www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/02/israel-defying-icj-ruling-to-prevent-genocide-by-failing-to-allow-adequate-humanitarian-aid-to-reach-gaza/. 
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