The war in Gaza has caused a whirlwind of emotions, prompting people of all ages to take action through protest and other means. Following Hamas’ sudden attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, groups across the globe have gathered in various settings to encourage others to take action. As in most times of conflict, sentiments and passion run high. Feelings such as anger, hatred, grief, love and joy surface and give way to the rise of movements and organizations, and are contributing factors to long-standing beliefs. Many times people will convey their fervor through protests. Several Madison students have attended protests to express their perspectives.
On Nov. 4, over 100,000 people attended a protest held in Washington D.C. at Freedom plaza to call for a ceasefire. Many pro-Palestinian protesters do not view this situation as a war, but rather as a genocide of the Palestianian people. Feeling as though she owes something to people who are struggling in Gaza, not knowing if they will wake up the next day, Mariam Fatima (’26) attended this protest.
“When I attended the protest I felt very sad and also angry,” Fatima said. “Sad because it’s just so disturbing that thousands of innocent peoples lives have been taken from them, and angry because of the injustice from our government on a situation which I feel like most people can see as an obvious genocide taking place in front of all our eyes.”
Apart from calling for a ceasefire, pro-Palestine supporters also attend protests to criticize Israel—condemning them for what they consider to be apartheid and genocide, to challenge American leaders and to encourage them to stop supporting Israel, to protest the child suffering in Gaza and to show support for the greater Muslim community.
“I hope to see some progress with achieving justice for the Palestinian people struggling right now,” Fatima said. “As of right now not a lot has changed with the circumstances of the war unfortunately, but more people have donated money to the people of Palestine, amongst some of those people being people with big platforms on social media. I think this is a great thing because not only does it influence other people to speak up about the situation, but it also makes it easier for other people with big platforms to speak up as well.”
Pro-Israel protests have also emerged a result of the ongoing war. On Nov. 14, hundreds of thousands of people gathered to support Israel at Washington D.C.’s National Mall, notably making headlines with their cries of “not again.” Since the start of the war there has been a sudden increase of anti-semitism and Jewish hate.
“It has made me almost scared to be Jewish,” Roi Litman (’25) said. “The reactions of the war have completely shocked me. When I was growing up my parents told me to always be wary of hateful people. I thought they were overreacting and that humanity had evolved to a much more civilized state. I sincerely thought that our society had moved past racism and antisemitism, but I was extremely wrong. Jewish hate is everywhere, and I have witnessed it first hand. People want the destruction of my people and don’t even consider me to be a human being.”
Litman also explained his family’s close proximity to the events of the war.
“I have family living in Tel Aviv that I am very close with,” Litman said. “I have also been to Israel and I consider it as a second home. I was on a call with my cousins in Israel when I heard sirens blaring in the background and they had to hang up in order to enter the safe room. My family was attacked while I was on a call with them, thankfully they are O.K. I also have a cousin and some friends who are currently fighting in the front lines.”
Beyond expressing concerns surrounding the rising anti-semitism, supporters of Israel voice the desire to free Israeli hostages, to support the continuation of US support for Israel and to protest Hamas.
The debate over which side to support has been a topic of controversy, with many who are choosing to not take sides being accused of supporting oppression.
“One important thing I want to say is that no matter which side you support, supporting Hamas is objectively wrong,” Cole Stux (’25) a Jewish student with Palestinian family, said. “Also, it’s important to know what point you’re actually arguing, for example, the stolen land argument against Israel isn’t super great, as Israel has historically been Jewish, and Jewish people have been trying to get back to Israel for a long time. At the same time, a valid point is Jewish settlers making settlements on Palestinian land, as it really is unnecessary.”
Aside from public protests, people have also taken to social media to share their stance on the war in Gaza, encouraging others to stand with one group or another, to sign petitions that call for a ceasefire, etc. Others who have been active on social media are spreading information about the war and calling attention to how celebrities and companies are taking action. Consumers are boycotting brands such as Starbucks and Disney due to their alleged efforts to support Israel in the war through donations and other means, while clients of luxury brands are boycotting Dior over the rumors that suggest they fired model Bella Hadid because of her pro-Palestine stance.
“I’m boycotting a number of different companies that support Israel and its occupation of Palestine but the major ones include McDonald’s, Starbucks and Coca-Cola,” an anonymous Madison student said. “I’m boycotting these companies because I feel it’s one of the only ways I can truly help make a difference, help my people and help support a greater cause.”
Despite the fact that social media has a massive amount of readily available information, propaganda has also been spreading as people are quick to post their opinions. This can severely impact the quality of the information as most viewers are focused on the emotion portrayed through videos. This is especially concerning, given that many people get their information from social media. Misinformation has created false narratives surrounding both Israel and Palestine as people continue to spread inaccurate information, similar to a game of Telephone.
“I wouldn’t say that there’s been a big change in how Israel or Palestine are viewed, it’s merely exposed what views were already there,” Stux said. “The only change in opinion came from people who didn’t bother to understand the situation before the war happened.”