Editor's Correspondence: Discussion on "savagery" and shared humanity
On October 25, 2023, a panel on "Violence in Israel and Palestine" was co-organized by the Middle East Studies and Peace and Conflict Studies programs. The discussion, which included university professors, aimed to shed light on the ongoing conflict in the region.
The panel discussion came amidst a surge in violence in Israel and Palestine, with an estimated 8,500 Palestinians killed by the Israeli Defense Forces, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs. The number of Israelis massacred by the militant group Hamas is estimated to be around 1,400. A release by the non-profit organization Save the Children stated that an overwhelming number of those killed were civilians, with 3,257 of those killed between October 7 and October 29 being children.
The violence in Israel and Palestine has been compared to the conflicts of the fifth century BCE, where the distinction between Greeks and "barbarians" was central to the rhetoric used to describe and classify violent conflict. The word "barbaros" was used by ancient Greek writers to refer to non-Greeks, understood to take its etymology from the sound of other languages.
This essentializing and dehumanizing dichotomy, first presented by authors like Herodotus and Aristotle, has had enduring and destructive legacies. Herodotus, in his Histories, presented the war between the allied city-states on the Greek peninsula and the Persian Empire as the latest in a centuries-old series of contests between Greeks and barbarians. Aristotle, in Book 1 of his Politics, classified barbarians as inherently inferior and subservient to the naturally superior Greeks.
These views were authoritative, and their influence extended over the coming millennia. The Classical Archaeology class at Worcester Art Museum allows students to explore 2,500 years of ancient art, providing a platform to understand the historical context of these divisive ideologies.
In a modern context, these ideologies have resurfaced in unexpected places. During a question-and-answer period, a faculty member critiqued the perceived pro-Palestine bias of the panel and expressed the position that the violence in Israel and Palestine amounts to a conflict between "civilization" and "barbarism."
Meanwhile, the debate society at Jacob Fenwick University, as reported by Jacob Wu '27, discussed the 2024 presidential election, Greek life on campus, and human morality. The ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine, unfortunately, remains a stark reminder of the lasting impact of these ancient dichotomies.
A modern take on Iphigenia, a play by Euripides, was performed by the departments of Theater & Dance and Classics, offering a poignant reflection on the timeless nature of conflict and the human condition. As the world continues to grapple with the complexities of the Israel-Palestine conflict, it is essential to remember the lessons of history and strive for understanding and peace.
Read also:
- Executive from significant German automobile corporation advocates for a truthful assessment of transition toward electric vehicles
- Crisis in a neighboring nation: immediate cheese withdrawal at Rewe & Co, resulting in two fatalities.
- United Kingdom Christians Voice Opposition to Assisted Dying Legislation
- Democrats are subtly dismantling the Affordable Care Act. Here's the breakdown
