On Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, 130 students and staff gathered in the main gym from 8:30-8:45 a.m. to rally for peace regarding the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. The optional, student-led rally was organized by senior Jana Badawi and junior James O’Keeffe in hopes of promoting the sentiment of humanitarian peace and media literacy regarding the conflict.

“Most students are obviously aware of the current situation, and sometimes it can feel as if you’re helpless or you can’t really do anything because you’re so far away from it,” O’Keeffe said. “But something that you’ll learn is that your voice has power. We can all make a change.”

“Most students are obviously aware of the current situation, and sometimes it can feel as if you’re helpless or you can’t really do anything because you’re so far away from it. But something that you’ll learn is that your voice has power. We can all make a change.” 

— James O’Keeffe, junior

The conflict between Israel and Palestine dates back 75 years, since 1948. The recent Israel-Hamas war, however, has taken place since Oct. 7, 2023.

Since then, 1,200 Israelis and 17,000 Palestinians have been killed, and the numbers continue to rise as the conflict continues.

“Since this has been going on for 75 years, it has eventually turned into something much more massive than fighting over land,” junior Jana Abdelrahman said. “We should be advocating for peace, and I think people are starting to realize that this violence is not helping any situation and more people are realizing that genocide should not be happening.”

During the rally, Badawi and O’Keeffe emphasized the importance of using one’s voice to advocate for those who do not have the privilege of free speech.

“I think we have great power, as we have the privilege to live in a democracy where everyone’s opinions should matter,” O’Keeffe said.

“We are the future generations. In a couple of years’ time, we’ll all be able to vote. We all have significant power in this country. And I think that we can make serious changes even as students.”

One such change that could prevent more deaths due to the conflict, O’Keeffe pointed out, was contacting local representatives to ask for the United States to vote in favor of a ceasefire.

“I see on the humanitarian side of things that we need to make sure that the least amount of humans, regardless of race, nationality, or ethnicity, are being killed,” O’Keeffe said.

Social studies teacher and advisor of the Muslim Student Association Mr. Kevin O’Neill also emphasized the importance of media literacy, especially when discussing humanitarian crises such as the Israel-Palestine conflict.

“I think there’s a lot of bad actors who are purposely giving bad information, and it makes this very complicated issue even more confusing,” O’Neill said. “And so I think it’s really important to look at numerous angles that’s not just the left and right sides [of the United States political spectrum].”

O’Neill said that identifying bias in sources and scrutinizing the sources themselves is a crucial skill while navigating political and social issues.

“Everything is reflected through [the lens of] ‘how is this going to affect a presidential candidate’s numbers?’ or ‘How is this going to impact the election results?’” O’Neill said.

“So, stepping back and looking at what some international news sources say is, in my opinion, incredibly valuable and it takes a habit – you can’t just click on one site and assume you know it all.”

“So, stepping back and looking at what some international news sources say is, in my opinion, incredibly valuable and it takes a habit – you can’t just click on one site and assume you know it all.”

— Mr. O’Neill, social studies teacher

The rally also brought forward the discussion of the importance of mutual respect for and understanding of one another’s experiences.

“While we recognize our school’s diverse range of thought, events like these allow students to have dialogue about the ongoing humanitarian crises that affect masses around the world,” junior Chloe Yang stated.

“The nature of Israel and Palestine has long been described as complicated, and while all issues have had many sides and controversies, it shouldn’t deter us from engaging with them, and collectively supporting the students and households affected.

“It’s especially important during these times, that we listen to other people’s perspectives and experiences and learn more about what we can do.”

“It’s especially important during these times, that we listen to other people’s perspectives and experiences and learn more about what we can do.”

— Chloe Yang, junior

The rally also emphasized sentiments of solidarity and unity.

“In times like this, we are all global citizens, so we should all be looking for peace,” O’Keeffe said. “Especially during the holiday season. And another duty that we have as LHS students and as global citizens is to make sure that hate does not spread, whether it be Islamophobia or Antisemitism.”

The rally concluded with three minutes of silence dedicated to the victims, both Israeli and Palestinian, of the ongoing conflict.