My Trip to Palestine

Why am I doing it?

Simply put, I'm going to Palestine because there is a genocide and anything that can be done should be done to stop it. You might not understand one or both of those two things, so I'll try my best to explain the way I see it.

The Genocide

Lots of people have their own opinions about what a genocide is. The United Nations created the Genocide Convention in 1948 to define and criminalize genocide internationally. I hate the UN and I don't think their definition should be the end-all-be-all of defining genocide, but it is the most recognized definition of genocide internationally and its definition has been used in laws and tribunals all around the world. 153 countries ratified the convention (and therefore its definition), and 150 have incorporated it into their domestic laws. Using this definition as common ground, we can now investigate the claim that Israel is committing genocide from two perspectives. First, we can see who has agreed that Israel is committing genocide. Second, we can look at the definition ourselves and see if it applies.

Who agrees?

There are too many to list here, but I'll refer to two very helpful Wikipedia pages. Notice that both Wikipedia pages have over 100 sources and are extended-confirmed-protected, meaning only a small group of reliable researchers can edit these pages.

I'd recommend you read the intro paragraphs in both articles, and then scroll through the lists they have provided. It's a lot. It's important to note that both articles are referring to Gaza specifically. I'm not going to Gaza, but Israel is still committing genocide on the Palestinian people living 20-30 miles away from the Palestinians I'll be with in the West Bank.

What do you think?

Article II of the Genocide Convention says:

... any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
a) Killing members of the group;
b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

Parts a, b, and c are easy to establish.

a) - Obviously killing happens all the time in wars, but not every war is considered a genocide. But the difference in casualties is vast. According to both the Gaza Health Ministry and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at least 75,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7th, 2023 as a part of the Gaza War, while at least 2,000 Israelis have been killed. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights found that 70% of Palestinians killed in houses/residential buildings are women and children.

b) - Hard to quantify, but let's look at one exam: murdering children. In May 2024 (less than a year after October 7th and the start of the Gaza war), there were 24,686 identifiable bodies in Gaza. 31.6% of those corpses are identifiably children (source).

c) - According to an Oxfam and Action on Armed Violence report on Israel's bombing in Gaza (source):

Additionally, the August-December 2025 Israeli blockade on all food, water, medicine, and electricity and repeated airstrikes on food infrastructure have led to a lasting famine. It is estimated that every Palestinian in Gaza is experiencing food insecurity (source). The deaths from starvation are unknown.

Why am I trying?

I feel as if I can help, so I feel like I should. It’s really as simple as that. Years in the future, I hope that everyone sees this genocide for what it is.