Clip-art created by Connor Stewart.
Origin of Israeli-Palestinian Conflicts
Differences regarding religion, politics and land ownership are abundant throughout the world. With this in mind, it is clear that geopolitical regions encompass a variety of countries that share these differences. Areas like the Middle East fit this category as in previous decades, there have been controversies stemming from this region. On an inner-regional level, Israel and the Palestinian territories have been conflicted since the inception of the two entities. One of the infamous conflicts between the two is the Six-Day War, where Israel opposed Palestine and their neighboring countries. After this concluded, Israel had seized the Palestinian territories. In retrospect, this was the last time Palestine would see their lands belong solely to themselves since 1967.
As for modern conflicts between Israel and Palestine, the Israel-Hamas war has been active since October 7, 2023. For context, the Palestinian territories split into two: the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The Gaza Strip, the territory west of Israel, is controlled by the Islamic Resistance Movement, commonly known as Hamas. As the name suggests, Hamas supports the movement of nationalism for Palestinians and the protection of their land. However, Hamas only controls the Gaza Strip, not the Fatah-controlled West Bank.
Involvement of Saxon Students
While this conflict might be on another continent, that does not negate it from reaching and affecting those of the United States. When mentioning the United States, a group of people synonymous with it is Generation Z, the second-youngest generation. This generation has a pleathora of outspoken activist students, fitting the bill of many South Salem High School students.
Traits of this youth activism linger in students like Josibeth Perez Miranda ‘24 and Patrick Hirsig-Guiterrez ‘24. Both seniors have begun dabbling in the activism field by speaking out on the Israel-Hamas conflict. Exercising their work by posting their concerns on Instagram. As well as this, they created images with phrases that are in support of the Palestinians.
“What I’m hoping to achieve is awareness. Other than donating, spreading awareness is the most important thing we can do to help those affected by this. Many teens are just seeing things like Instagram posts which are honestly informative, but I think bringing light to it and talking about it in a place like school can spark a conversation. This can lead to helping the issue or at least achieving a full understanding of the situation.”
– Perez Miranda said.
Beliefs and Hopes of High School Activists
As for the images both students have created, they encourage students to print them out and wear them on their clothes, so long as they willingly choose to. A peaceful stance will occur at South on the morning of November 28, serving the purpose of protesting the Palestinian violence. Spreading values via posters and print-outs is something both students prioritize as they believe it is the most effective way to educate the average student.
“The peaceful stance we are taking is what we think is best for now to raise awareness,” Perez Miranda said.
Luckily for Perez Miranda, Israel and Hamas agreed to hold a four-day ceasefire, which started on November 24, 2023. Allowing for hostages from each country to return to their homes, this ceasefire saved hundreds of Israeli and Palestinian lives.
“I think the genocide needs to stop completely. A ceasefire is needed at this point. Resources like food, aid and water are running low. People are homeless with nowhere to go,” Perez Miranda said.
Many consider an activist’s job never complete due to the constant production of social injustices. Similarly, Perez Miranda and Hirsig-Guiterrez have plans to rally support for their beliefs.
“We are hoping to do some kind of walkout but since that takes a lot of planning and time we cannot waste,” Perez Miranda said.
