Though the epicenter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is in the Middle East, the dispute’s nuanced implications pervade various communities across the world. The latest war between Israel and Hamas has sparked contentious debates, re-emphasized underlying tension and fueled hostile and alienating environments. Many communities, including Newport Beach, have reported despicable incidents of discrimination rooted in these international tensions. The persecution of diverse individuals illustrates the undying necessity to remind the youth that apathy is the absence of humanity.
Israel and Palestine’s physical confrontation has translated into vicious hate crimes against individuals that share identity markers with members of the involved parties. Newport Beach police are investigating how a locker was vandalized with swastikas at Corona del Mar High School in mid-October, the Los
Angeles
Times reports. Representatives from Groundswell (the Orange County Human Relations Council) detail the rise of Islamophobia within local schools as Muslim students receive derogatory comments from peers who wrongly accuse them of supporting terrorist ideals.
The stories are many, but the conclusion is the same: terror engulfs students. While some kids feel the frightening effects of prejudice, others navigate the world in a cloud of obliviousness. The conflict’s origins and ongoing fallout often seem incomprehensibly complicated to many adults and children. This narrative is poisonous. The dystopian juxtaposition of two vastly different realities — one of fear and one of apathy — is concerning. While it is unproductive and intellectually elitist to shame individuals for a lack of knowledge, it is crucial for the youth to be educated about current events.
As this wide-scale humanitarian crisis unfolds, young people must seek out diverse stories and empower others to do the same. While all should strive to become students of the world as they gather information that highlights differing perspectives, it is especially important that young people engage in such activities because the youth are the foundation of the future. Arguably, it is most vital that these young individuals center compassion for humanity when developing informed opinions and conversing with others. We should strive to symphathize with all people of the world, see past social categorizations and respect the dignity of every individual. Only then can we foster a culture of compassion and understanding needed to reach equitable solutions.
