The reason that so many US college students and 20-somethings support Hamas’s violence against Israel is because of “Decolonization.”
Read my editorial in today’s Moscow-Pullman Daily News to hear all about it.
My 2002 master’s thesis delved into applying the Christian Just War theory to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. I’ve become deeply familiar with its principles, which strike a balance between achieving victory while upholding ethical warfare standards.
The Just War theory divides into two key tenets: Jus ad Bellum (Justice of War) and Jus in Bello (Justice in War). Jus ad Bellum concerns the morality of entering into war. It underscores the need for a legitimate authority to declare war, ensuring both a justifiable cause and righteous intentions. This tenet also views war as a last resort, considering how the damages inflicted might outweigh the potential benefits.
Jus in Bello, on the other hand, emphasizes ethical conduct during warfare. Central to this tenet is the distinction between civilian and military targets. Intentionally targeting civilians is morally reprehensible. Additionally, any force employed should be directly proportional to the threat posed. Notably, certain acts, including methods of torture like waterboarding, are strictly prohibited.
In my master’s thesis, I levied criticism against the George W. Bush administration and Congress for proclaiming a “war on terror.” Designating terror—a mere tactic—as an adversary was flawed. For instance, post-Pearl Harbor, the US didn’t declare war on kamikaze tactics but on Japan itself. Similarly, declaring a “war on terror” was bound to fail. The ambiguous “war on drugs” has also proven ineffective as drug abuse has risen.
Founded in the backdrop of 1987 during the First Intifada, Hamas has since evolved, possessing dual roles: one as a political entity and the other as a militant faction, each with its distinct agenda. While its political wing is mostly active within the Gaza Strip, the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections marked its rise to governance in the area.
The militant wing of Hamas, on the other hand, initiates ever-escalating conflict between the terrorist group and Israel. Rocket attacks from Gaza into Israeli territory often endanger civilian infrastructures like schools and hospitals since Hamas use these vulnerable targets as human shields, making it risky for Israel to retaliate.
It’s important to mention that multiple countries, including the United States, European Union, Canada, Australia, as well as Israel, label Hamas as a terrorist organization. This designation arises from its use of violence against civilians and its publicly stated goal of eradicating Israel.
While the saying, “one man’s freedom fighter is another’s terrorist,” often resonates, Hamas’s actions tell a different story. Their operations initially targeted Israel Defense Force bases, but quickly shifted to Israeli border towns. In these areas, they carried out numerous heinous acts: assassinating civilians, beheading children, and raping women. The extent of their atrocities became starkly evident when they executed 300 civilians during a music concert. Shockingly, Hamas broadcasted footage of its militants committing these acts, showcasing their monstruous actions. As I write this, there are 210 confirmed civilian hostages being held by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).
Even worse, reactions from the U.S. have painted a bleak picture of how radicalism has taken hold of our politically inflamed academic community. A consortium of student groups from Harvard University are unequivocally blaming Israel for the acts committed by Hamas. ‘Yalies 4 Palestine,’ an officially sanctioned student group at Yale, publicized a pro-Hamas demonstration in New Haven. Their promotional message emphasized the fraternity “celebrating the resistance’s success”. At other college rallies, students have been videoed chanting, “Palestine: from the river to the sea” and “by any means necessary,” blithely celebrating the genocide of an entire people group.
Something is deeply wrong in academia. For decades they have tolerated and promoted violent ideologies. Most recently, their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) commissariat promotes critical race theory, teaching there are two classes of people based on race: the oppressors (colonizers, white, rich, bourgeoisie, capitalists, Jews) and the oppressed (colonized, non-white, poor, proletariat, workers, Palestinians). “Decolonization” requires that the oppressors have their privileges taken away by any means necessary including barbaric violence. Anything is justified in the name of decolonization.
Students who support decolonization see Hamas’s terrorist activities as a legitimate response to their oppression. Of great concern is that these radical students are the type of people who will commit atrocities like this in the United States, given the opportunity to get away with it.