Ilana Feldman, a professor of Anthropology, History, and International Affairs at George Washington University, presented a talk on humanitarian danger and the struggles of Palestinian life in Gaza on March 27. 

She explored Israel’s history of collective punishment of Palestinians, challenges to getting aid in Gaza, and why these problems have been perpetuated for decades. The event was hosted by the Anthropology Department, Center for the Humanities, and Jewish, Islamic, and Middle Eastern Studies Department, and the talk gave historical anecdotes to explain the current conflict. Feldman highlighted a history of Israeli collective punishment — punishing Palestinian ethnic groups as a whole for the crimes of few — to elucidate the humanitarian crisis happening now in Gaza.

“The simultaneous experience and expression of these two sorts of feelings, disappointment and belief, exhaustion and commitment, has been a defining feature of Palestinian life and politics since [the Nakba] in 1948,” Feldman said. 

Feldman talked about the role humanitarian organizations like the U.N. and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have played in this conflict.

“[In the past] the ICRC tried various ways to get Israel to acknowledge its responsibilities and the authority of international law,” Feldman said. “They knew it would have an impact on generations to come of Palestinian displacement and dispossession.”

Feldman talked about the challenges of delivering aid to Palestinians right now during the “Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip.”

“Only limited aid is permitted entry,” Feldman said. “A convoy trying to deliver assistance within the strip comes under regular Israeli attacks, hospitals and ambulances are repeatedly targeted. So-called safe zones and safe evacuation corridors are also bombed.”

Feldman said there are no humanitarian solutions to this issue since the underlying conditions require political action. Feldman described how the Israeli government makes collective punishment look like collateral suffering.

According to Feldman, “Israel’s occupation of Gaza began in June 1967 and threats of collective punishment began that same month.” 

“The military governor of the city threatened the population with the cutting off of water, electricity, and other services if [rebels] did not relinquish their weapons.”

In response to this collective punishment, Feldman says the ICRC wrote to former prime minister Golda Meir expressing concerns about 140 Palestinian homes that were destroyed in occupied territories. In response, Meir said these punishments were meant to establish a “fundamental humanitarian objective.”

“Meir claims that it is Israelis that suffer the loss of Palestinian lives,” said Feldman. She went on to quote Meir, who once said “When peace comes we will perhaps in time be able to forgive the Arabs for killing our sons, but it will be harder for us to forgive them for having forced us to kill their sons.”

In doing so, Feldman said that Meir downplays collective punishment under the “glare of concern” for Palestinians and compared it to the present humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying that “the crisis’ goal is to sear the Palestinian consciousness.”

Feldman said that Israel outlined a policy in a military document that identifies the precise number of calories required to keep populations right above the UN definition of hunger. Feldman says that goods are regularly rejected due to this policy, and if a single item is rejected, the truck is sent back.

“Israel has blocked water purifiers, medical supplies, water testing kits, water filters, solar power refrigerators, and pasta because of this,” Feldman said. “The Israeli government is using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare in Gaza, which is a war crime.”

After the event, Shirine Awad, a sophomore and Palestinian-American, said what resonated with her most were Feldman’s remarks on the absence of accountability that Israel is facing for its actions.

“Israel has been violating international law with ongoing genocide in Gaza, and there have not been any repercussions for this,” Awad said. “Many issues are going on because no implications have been put to help the Palestinian people.”

Feldman said that Israel has a long history of denial about war crimes and violations of international law.

“These crimes perpetuate due to denial: Nakba denial, occupation denial, and of course, denial of Palestinian collective existence,” said Feldman. “But denial does not need to be believable to be effective.”

Professor Eman Ganeyem, a member of the newly created organization Faculty for Justice in Palestine, said she appreciates Feldman’s perspective as a Jewish scholar who also has a background in international relations, when explaining the current situation.

“As a Palestinian myself, I haven’t found spaces on this campus where these conversations can happen. It has felt very alienating, and it’s been a struggle, so I hope this event is one of many more to come,” said Ganeyem.

During a Q&A after the lecture, someone asked why others do not sympathize with the Palestinian people given the atrocities that have been committed against them.

Feldman responded, “Too many Palestinians are not even seen as people who deserve aid due to media coverage and politics. Not everyone is recognized as human.”