Decades of conflict in the Middle East between Palestine and Israel took a violent, heartbreaking and graphic turn on Oct. 7 when the Palestinian militant group Hamas stormed into Israel, killing an estimated about 1,200 civilians and taking 253 hostages. The attacks not only escalated tensions between the two nations, but caused an uproar of disagreement across the world, including on the campus of Rockhurst University.

The war is now six months old, showing no signs of end as humanitarian crises in Gaza, including an increasing threat of starvation among civilians and children, grow by the day. On April 4, U.S. President Joe Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the situation in Gaza was “unacceptable,” and that future U.S. aid would be dependent on immediate steps to end civilian suffering as he called for an immediate ceasefire.

The conflict began on Oct. 7 with Hamas’ attacks, including at the Nova Music Festival in Southern Israel where more than 400 people were killed. Shortly after, the Israeli government declared war on Hamas and began launching air attacks and ground operations into Gaza.

Biden quickly issued a statement that same day expressing not only his support standing in solidarity with Israel, but that of the entire United States.

“I come to Israel with a single message: You are not alone. You are not alone. As long as the United States stands, and we will stand forever, we will not let you ever be alone,” said Biden.

The statement released came as no surprise since the U.S. and Israel have more than 50 years of support for each other, with the U.S. being the first country to recognize Israel when it declared independence in 1948.

Despite the ongoing support the two countries have had for each other, many Americans were unsure if the government should have gotten involved so quickly in the longstanding conflict. According to a study at the Pew Research Center in December 2023, around 41% of U.S. adults disapproved of the response, 35% approved and around 24% were unsure.

Not only has the Israel-Hamas war left millions of Americans in confusion and distress, but it has also caused widespread tension across college campuses. Many higher education institutions that have supported open dialogue around political issues have not led discussions on the current conflict in the Middle East. That includes Rockhurst.

According to ABC News in November 2023, the anxiety of creating a conversation around the conflict stems from the deep, long, complex history between the two countries and the connection between religion and identity. However, conversation is what is needed in times like these as it may help students look at the world from new perspectives and better understand the actions of others.

Rockhurst addressed the conflict within days of the initial attacks. On Oct. 10, President Sandra Cassady in a statement said, “We stand in solidarity with those whose lives are now filled with grief, despair and uncertainty and we condemn these attacks on innocent people.”

While the statements from the university urged for peace and unity, there has been a lack of student and faculty perspective on the issue and few opportunities for further discussion. Resources for students and faculty were mentioned, but no chance for better understanding of the conflict. The lack of university discussion was thrown in the spotlight in between semesters, when a video surfaced of Dr. Mohamed Kohia, who retired from Rockhurst in 2023 as a professor of physical therapy, supporting the attacks on Israel. The video was originally posted two weeks after the Hamas attacks on YouTube by the Kansas City Islamic Center.

“When you look at what happened on Oct. 7 – amazing… It took only a few minutes for a few believers to destroy that narrative, to finish it up, to cross [into Israel] and kill many and to capture many, and to go down deeper into occupied lands, over 40 kilometers. It is a miracle,” said Kohia.

Cassady responded to the video on Jan. 5 in posts shared on the university social media accounts. She stated, “We recently were made aware that Dr. Mohamed Kohia, who retired from Rockhurst University in 2023 as professor of physical therapy, is seemingly shown in a video where he is identified as a Rockhurst University professor and is expressing views on the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel. The University has reason to question whether this video accurately depicts Dr. Kohia’s comments, which are not in alignment with the mission and core values of Rockhurst University, a Catholic, Jesuit university community that comprises and welcomes people of many faiths. Since Oct. 7, we have joined with people of goodwill throughout the world who are praying for an end to the violence in the Middle East.”

As complexities and death tolls continue to rise, Rockhurst must strive to create a meaningful conversation that cares for the whole person. In the meantime, there are many sources available online that go into greater detail and depth, which I highly recommend you seek out, such as NPR and BBC to name a few.

Many students have yet to full understand the decade long conflict in the Middle East that led to the eruption of violence, from Hamas’ initial attack to the Israeli army’s response that has killed tens of thousands of people, many of whom are civilians.

Uncomfortable, challenging and complex conversations prepare us for professional environments and being able to understand differing views. The Rockhurst mission statement says that we are a community of people “who engage with the complexities of our world,” but the university has yet to promote the facilitation of those conversations on campus, and I challenge for that to happen.