OU professors explain Hamas attack on Israel as Jewish Oklahomans grieve losses

Oct. 17—The Jewish community in Oklahoma has been traumatized by last week's attack by Hamas, the militant Islamic extremist group, which has taken the lives of thousands of people, both Jews and Muslims.

"The Jewish community is deeply traumatized. For everyone I speak with, no matter what their political leanings, it feels like life as we know it will never be the same again," said Rhona Seidelman, Schusterman Chair of Israel Studies at the University of Oklahoma.

"The extent of the viciousness that was on display, and the joy that the terrorists displayed in the suffering of our community — children, babies, the elderly — conjured for almost everyone images of the Holocaust. Everyone I know knows someone who was murdered, attacked or taken hostage this past week. Everyone."

She said the Oklahoma Jewish community has watched rallies across the world celebrating the attack.

Kasi Shelton, executive director of Hillel at the University of Oklahoma, said recent events have impacted Jewish students in Norman.

"We have been dealing with the impact of the crisis in Israel, and it is traumatizing to so many," Shelton said. "Our students are trying to process the news, grieve for the lives lost, and find ways to support one another."

Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies and Farzaneh Family Center for Iranian and Persian Gulf Studies, said to understand the conflict, it is important to understand the history of Israel.

"Gaza is a strip of land about 25 miles long and six miles deep. So it's about the size of Washington D.C. and has 2 million people on it. It's one of the most densely populated parts of the world," Landis said.

Landis, who condemned the attack, said about 70% of those living in Gaza Strip are refugees, driven out of Palestine to create the Jewish State in 1948.

The Arab-Israeli War took place in 1948, during which Israel took over 78% of what was previously Palestine.

"The two plots of land they did not conquer were West Bank and Gaza Strip, which are not connected," he said. "It's been surrounded by Israel ever since."

Hamas originated in 1987.

"It is a political party that came from the Muslim Brotherhood," Landis said. "It is a radical branch of the Muslim Brotherhood that was created in the middle of Intifada."

Seidelman said Hamas attacked Israel because the group refuses to accept that Jews have a right to a nation state, and because Israeli leaders have not done enough to end Israel occupation of West Bank and don't offer Palestinians full equality under the law.

"Mostly, I think it all boils down to extremism: extremists who sow division and hatred," she said.

While West Bank and Gaza are under Palestinian occupation, Landis said Jews have encroached, which has caused conflict.

"There are 750,000 Israeli settlers in the heart of the West Bank in the midst of these 3.5 million Palestinians. It's all illegal, according to international law, but it's legal according to Israeli law," Landis said.

He said Israelis are occupying West Bank to justify annexing it.

In 2005, Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told Israeli settlers to withdraw from Gaza, which Landis said was controversial at the time.

"He did it to get rid of a big hunk of the Palestinian population that would have integrated into Israel had Israel annexed the region," he said.

Seidelman said Israel removed 9,000 people in 22 settlements at this time.

"For many of us, myself included, this was a point of tremendous pride and seen as an important stepping stone, proving that Israel was willing to take this first important step of removing and resettling its own citizens as a step of ending Israeli occupation of Palestinians," she said.

Currently, a wall separates Gaza from Egypt, which prevents Palestinians from leaving to the South.

Walls also separate Gaza form Israel, which Hamas broke down on Oct. 7.

"The Hamas militants broke through this wall that surrounds Gaza in five different places by using bulldozers and other things," Landis said. "Thousands broke through. Israel was completely caught flat-footed. They streamed in, raided, and started killing everybody. They slaughtered young people, women, and whoever they came across."

He said most Hamas militants who breached the wall are now dead.

"Some managed to return with prisoners, but most were killed by Israeli Defense Forces," she said.

Seidelman said she wants Prime Minister Isaac Herzog, President Joe Biden, and Israel's allies to use their power to return Israeli hostages home safely.

"I hope that they will work for creative solutions to work with Egypt and the international community to help protect the civilian population in Gaza and to prevent an even larger humanitarian crisis in Gaza than the disaster we are already seeing," she said.

In 2005, President George Bush supported a nation-wide election in West Bank and Gaza Strip to succeed Yasser Arafat, who died the previous year.

"He was pushing democracy in the Middle East," said Landis. "Low and behold, Hamas won the elections, upsetting Israel and the U.S. as they were designated a terrorist organization."

He said Hamas won because Palestinians preferred a religious state, and Hamas has controlled Gaza Strip ever since.

Both Landis and Seidelman issued statements suggesting that the region requires moderate voices to end the conflict.

"There are fantastic and important organizations and people who are fighting for Palestinian rights for a two state solution so that both Jews and Palestinians can have the right to self determination," Seidelman said.

"There are people and organizations that are fighting for an improved equality for Palestinian citizens of Israel. You can and should fight for Palestinian rights, you can fight for an end to the occupation and for improved rights of Arab Israelis. But anyone who is celebrating, justifying or excusing Hamas' massacre of Oct. 7 is spreading antisemitism and violence against Jews."

Landis said Hamas' attack may prompt more discussion on a two-state solution, but given the number of Israelis that occupy West Bank, it isn't likely that the two nations will agree at this time.

"There were proposals to create a highway in the air that was on pillars that would allow Palestinians to drive over Israel," said Landis. "They were trying to come up with solutions that would not force Israel to give up land."

Brian King covers education and politics for The Transcript. Reach him at bking@normantranscript.com.