Editor’s note: This article was originally published in the May 2024 University News print edition.
As the death toll in Gaza rises to over 34,000 people, The University News stands in solidarity against the senseless murder of all citizens, and the genocide of Palestinians. After over six months of horrific events of violence perpetrated against those in Gaza and a recent increase in hostility towards pro-Palestine protests, The University News also unequivocally supports citizens’ right to peacefully protest Israel’s bombardment, especially those at universities throughout the globe. Covering conflict and tragedy in an accurate light requires the full historical context of colonial, imperialist and racist events.
The tension between the Israeli state and Palestinians is centuries old. Before the most recent Israeli military offensive, since 2008, more than 4,000 Palestinians lost their lives in territorial conflicts between the Israeli state and Hamas militants. Although still tragic, the Israeli side experienced a significantly lower death toll, with 106 civilian deaths.
The University News commits to ethical journalism and humanizing Palestinians in the face of persecution while urging other organizations to also move beyond simply reporting statistics of citizens’ deaths.
The death of 1,200 innocent Israeli citizens at the hands of Hamas fighters on Oct. 7 is devastating. While deeply tragic, the loss of these citizens cannot be equated to the systemic deprivation of resources and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Israel’s decision to invade and bomb the home of over 2 million Palestinians with no regard for innocent lives must also be condemned. Around 72% of those killed by the Israeli military offensive are women and children. While the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claim they are seeking to minimize civilian deaths, their actions tell a story of genocide.
A report published by a UN special rapporteur indicates there is evidence that Israel has violated three of the five acts listed under the UN genocide convention’s codification of genocide, concluding that there are reasonable grounds to consider Israel’s actions those of genocide. Israel continues to block aid and resources, leaving hospitals debilitated, thousands of children dead and the people of Gaza on the brink of famine. The University News denounces Israel’s creation of insufferable and life-threatening conditions that have resulted in the catastrophic loss of innocent lives.
The University News also unequivocally supports citizens’ right to peacefully protest Israel’s bombardment, and students’ right to protest how their tuition funds are being used.
This weekend, nearly 100 protestors were arrested while calling on Washington University to cut ties with Boeing Co., and amongst those arrested were several SLU students. Officers arrested demonstrators with little regard for their safety. An SIUE professor sustained a broken hand and multiple broken ribs after being dragged across campus and crushed by the weight of several officers.
In American history, the use of force to disband peaceful protest has resulted in the loss of life. In 1970, college students at Kent State protested President Nixon’s decision to send troops into Cambodia. As tensions rose between local authorities and protestors, the Republican governor of Ohio, James Rhodes, requested the presence of National Guard troops. On May 4, 1970, a few Guardsmen opened fire on students after protestors threw rocks. Thirteen students were injured, four fatally. While the Kent State protests turned into a riot, the use of force escalated the situation and led to the death of four students.
In a statement, Washington University claimed the arrest of protestors was a result of aggressive behavior. However, The University News on-scene reporter did not witness any hostile actions. The decision to use force to disband student protests across the nation is deeply concerning. Students arrested after simply sitting on a lawn at Columbia University and the University of Texas at Austin echo this disconcerting trend. The decision to meet demonstrators with force is an attempt to silence dissent among American students under the guise of disruption or aggression.
While there are certain restrictions on free speech, especially at private universities, institutions exploit these restrictions to silence protestors across the nation. For example, in 2019, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill protecting First Amendment rights at state universities.
“Some colleges are banning free speech on college campuses. Well, no more,” Abbott said in 2019. Now, however, Abbott recommends punishing pro-Palestine protests under the belief that they express antisemitism.
The University News decisively condemns both antisemitism and Islamophobia, acknowledging that protests denouncing the death of Palestinians or Israeli citizens are not intrinsically hateful.
Rather, many ongoing protests seek to speak and stand up for those who are experiencing injustice in the Middle East, specifically those who are dying in mass numbers at the hands of the IDF. The attempts to silence movements of solidarity, protests and factual reporting are all attacks on freedom of expression.
The media’s decision to simply report numbers of Palestinian deaths rather than tell the stories of those being killed is consistent with a historical persecution and oppression faced by Palestinians.
Currently, Israel bans foreign media outlets from entering Gaza and forces networks to comply with the rules and censorship of the Israeli Military Censor. Supporting free expression and speech is paramount as the American public learns about the violence in Gaza from local journalists. Since Israel’s response to the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, journalists have faced unprecedented levels of death and harm while reporting on the brutal military campaign.
As of April 29, 92 Palestinian, two Israeli and three Lebanese media workers have been killed. Several journalists have been threatened, assaulted and attacked while attempting to provide factual reporting on the violence in Gaza. However, highly motivated journalists continue to risk their lives to factually inform the world of the violence and mass deaths taking place in the region. The University News calls on writers, readers and editors to commit to ethical journalism that covers the ongoing genocide in Gaza and validates this genocide as evidence of enduring Israeli occupation prior to Oct. 7.
The University News stands with the Palestinian people, mourns the lives lost in this tragic genocide and supports the right to protest. We recognize the urgency of addressing these issues of injustice and are dedicated to ethical and factual reporting, with special attention to the dignity of human life. We call upon the SLU community to join us in challenging media norms that perpetuate oppression, demanding justice and standing united in the pursuit of peace.
