Israel-Gaza War, October 2023 – Photo by Naaman Omar, Palestinian News & Information Agency (Wafa) in contract with APAimages, Wikimedia Commons.
On Saturday, October 7, Hamas, the terroristic organisation ruling over the Gaza Strip, Palestine, crossed the Israeli border to invade kibbutz villages and a rave party to massacre 1,400 people from house to house brutally, mutilate, torture and humiliate their bodies, and even behead over 40 children. The militants also kidnapped over 220 people before retreating to Gaza. The hostages and all the 2.2m inhabitants of the Palestinian territory became a human shield.
“At first, it was a shock,” leading Israeli architect Moshe Safdie told journalist Charlie Rose. Back then, he wondered, “How’s that possible?” Safdie believes that the “actual government has been so obsessed and dedicated to taking over and annexing the West Bank they invested money, energy and the military in the West Bank at the expense of protecting the Gaza border.”
Of course, this must not undermine nor justify Hamas’ responsibility for the brutal act they perpetrated. “After all, Hamas has never been a compassionate representative of the population of Gaza. The money they received has been spent on making tunnels, buying missiles, training the army, etc. Hamas has to be eliminated. But the big challenge that Israel is facing right now is how to do it with a level of compassion and consideration for its population.”
Israel-Gaza War, map October 2023 – Wikimedia Commons.
The Gaza Strip is a 10km wide and 42 km long territory squeezed between Israel, the Mediterranean Sea and Egypt in the South. Since 2006, Gaza has been under the despotic rule of Hamas, which has links with the antisemitic Hezbollah party in Lebanon and the Iranian regime.
Moshe Safdie is one of the most influential Israeli architects. Born in 1985, ten years before the creation of Israel itself, he has lived through the country’s development, crisis and challenges. “I hope the actual government will form a broad coalition including the government’s oppositions and the groups who took over the streets earlier this year [Read more and check our report from Jerusalem Design Week 2023].”
Moshe Safdie – Portrait by Michal Ronnen Safdie, Wikimedia Commons.
Watch the full interview HERE.
Israel-Gaza War, October 2023 – Photo by Naaman Omar, Palestinian News & Information Agency (Wafa) in contract with APAimages, Wikimedia Commons.
