My great-grandmother and her family escaped from Hungary before the Holocaust as anti-Jewish pogroms began. Many other Jewish families were not able to escape. This history of persecution is not one that I take lightly.
Early Friday morning, the Israeli government announced that all 1.1 million Palestinians in northern Gaza had 24 hours to evacuate or face deadly consequences. Yet there is nowhere to go as Israel continues to drop bombs, reportedly deploys white phosphorus, and blocks the ability of Palestinians to escape, take shelter, receive medical care, or even access water or electricity.
The Israeli government is actively threatening to commit genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. And our government is supporting Israel unconditionally, with billions of dollars of military aid used to murder civilians, including more than 500 Palestinian children in Gaza since last week.
As a young Jew, I will not be silent. I will not be complicit. Never again means never again, for anyone, and Jewish safety cannot and will not happen at the expense of Palestinians.
Nina Wolff Landau
Amherst