The conflict initiated by the bloody attack by Hamas, which terrorized the Jewish people, followed by Israel’s ferocious response, with unprecedented violence against Palestinian civilians, was chosen as the most significant event of the year 2023 by The duty. The conflagration in the Middle East, which continues to worsen, has destabilized the entire world and has had tangible repercussions here in Quebec.
On the evening of October 6, residents of Kibbutz Be’eri went to bed after celebrating the 77e anniversary of their community, founded in 1946 by the Zionist movement. At 6:30 a.m. the next morning, they were awakened by the sound of missiles, rockets and gunfire launched by Hamas terrorists. “We were in our house and suddenly we found ourselves in the middle of a battlefield,” said Alon Pauker, 57, a resident of Be’eri.
A few dozen kilometers away, terror also invaded Maya Roman, a resident of Tel Aviv. “When we heard the alarms, we took refuge in a shelter,” she says. What we experienced is very similar to September 11, 2001, in the sense that this event was constantly evolving without us understanding from the start the magnitude of what was happening. »
The more the day progressed, the more the toll of victims, wounded and hostages grew. The horror stories and shocking images were also piling up at a dizzying speed. A few hours after the start of the assault, Maya understood that her family was thrown into the center of this global crisis: her cousin Yarden Roman-Gat, 35, had been taken hostage.
In total, the October 7 terrorist attack cost the lives of 1,200 Israelis, mainly civilians. Of the approximately 240 hostages taken to Gaza, 105 were released during the seven-day truce negotiated between Israel and Hamas. Several others died. Israel’s bloody response to destroy Hamas left more than 21,110 dead, again mainly Palestinian civilians.
What is happening thousands of kilometers from home has had very tangible consequences here, in Quebec, where the social climate has deteriorated at the same rate as the horror unfolding in the Middle East. Quarrels broke out on college campuses. Anti-Semitic and Islamophobic acts were perpetrated. And large pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrations enlivened the streets of the province.
This series of events marked the year 2023.
Never again like before
In Be’eri, while Hamas terrorists sowed death, Alon Pauker remained holed up for about fifteen hours in his security room (safe room) with his wife. “We were terrified. We already understood that the world that was would no longer be. »
Some of his neighbors were unable to hold the handle of their security room hard enough against the attackers, and died from the bullets. Others were forced out as their homes were set on fire. “The terrorists were on drugs and just wanted to kill as many Jews as possible. »
Of the 1,220 residents of Kibbutz Be’eri, 93 were killed and 27 were taken hostage, according to Alon. Three of these hostages lost their lives in Gaza, and 16 were released. “It’s 10% of our community that has disappeared. »
A necessity
Alon, who describes himself as a man of the left, a fervent supporter of peace, and a critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, says he supports, for the first time in his life, a war led by Israel. “I always believed that this policy of managing conflict rather than resolving it was a time bomb. And this bomb finally exploded,” he says. But today, eliminating Hamas has become an implacable necessity, believes the man whose son is fighting in Gaza.
“Would you agree in Montreal to say that three kilometers from your home, there is an area controlled by the Islamic State? Since the answer is no, let’s put an end to Hamas, because we can no longer live alongside these monsters. »
Maya Roman, whose cousin was released after 54 days of captivity, also believes that “the cycle of violence is bad for all of us.” But currently, “no country in the world would agree to live with such a threat” alongside it. She said she was saddened by the deaths of civilians, but attributed the blame above all to Hamas. “They use the population as human shields. »
The constant anxiety
From Ottawa, Mohammed Nijim, originally from Gaza, has not taken his eyes off his phone since October 7. “It’s very stressful, and frustrating at the same time. Being abroad is difficult. We are far from our family and anything can happen to them at any time. »
In Gaza, Mohammed’s loved ones face death every day. Aware of his anguish, some even avoided sharing with him news that could disturb him. “My brother was injured in the leg. It’s nothing serious, but my family hid the news from me for ten days, because they didn’t want me to worry too much about him,” he says, his face heavy with fatigue. .
Mohammed also lost four childhood friends to Israeli bombs. “None of them had any links to Hamas. When we see innocent people dying, we begin to wonder: “Will it one day be my family’s turn?” We live with this, with this thought that our family could die at any moment. »
A “genocide in slow motion”
A doctoral candidate in sociology at Carleton University in Ottawa, the young researcher published an article last year entitled “Genocide in Palestine: Gaza as a case study” in theIInternational Journal for Human Rights. He argues that the authoritarian attitude of the Jewish state towards the Gaza Strip, particularly with its blockade established in 2007, should be studied as an attempt at “slow motion genocide” of the Palestinian people.
This article was written and published more than a year before the current Israeli attack on Palestinian territory. According to the researcher, anyone who avoids describing the situation as genocide misses an important perspective: “This person did not live in Gaza. And, in research, experience from a local perspective is very important. »
Growing up in Gaza, Mohammed experienced his share of Israeli attacks. As a child during the first intifada, as a young teenager during the second, he is well aware of the scale of the horrors of war, which fueled his desire for research. “But what is different this time is the intensity of the bombings and the cruelty of the war,” he maintains. “In 2014, people described the war as worse than the previous ones. But this year, when I speak to relatives, they tell me that every day of this war is equivalent to all previous attacks in its intensity and brutality. It looks like Israel wants to get rid of the Gaza dilemma once and for all. »
A hope persists
Beyond the horror, however, Mohammed remains hopeful. “Gaza keeps a very important place in my heart. This is where I spent my entire childhood. Childhood memories are a mirror of personality. So, even though I was traumatized by the war and the occupation, I still have beautiful memories [de Gaza]. »
He hopes to see a permanent and immediate ceasefire soon, “like every Palestinian”. But according to him, “it all depends on the leaders, on both sides. […] In Palestine, we had leaders who wanted to make things happen. But, in Israel, we have not seen the same will. And I don’t think it’s the people who don’t want peace. It comes from the ideologies that guide the country. »
After more than two months of war, Canada joined the call for a ceasefire on December 12, during a vote at the United Nations General Assembly. A position that Quebec does not share, announced the government of François Legault two days later.
A “more brutal” campaign
“Prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace process were already dim before October 7. I would now say that it is even worse today,” analyzes Rex Brynen, professor in the Department of Political Science at McGill University.
The shock of the October 7 attack is difficult for Israel to swallow, which partly explains the scale of the destruction of the military operation in the Gaza Strip. “Israel is much less cautious about harming civilians or infrastructure. »
Even though there are waves of opposition around the world to Israel’s bloody response in Gaza, the Jewish state seems determined to continue its attacks, which have intensified in recent days.
“There is extraordinary support for the military operation in Israel,” Mr. Brynen notes. “There are some concerns about hostages and negotiations [pour leur libération]. But the support is still very strong. And, because of this, Israel is proving quite resistant to external pressure for a ceasefire. »
Because unlike previous Israeli military operations, which were mainly punitive, the one we are currently witnessing aims “to regain the Gaza Strip, and to destroy the military capabilities of Hamas. All this, with an anger and a fear which really makes this campaign much more brutal than the previous ones,” underlines the Middle East specialist.