Op-Ed: From a Jewish Daughter of the Virgin Islands

Editor’s note: The following is an opinion piece and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of this publication. We value community voices — to share yours, email visource@gmail.com.

I recently read an op-ed that deeply concerned me—not because it called attention to suffering, but because of how much it left out. If we’re going to speak about war, justice, and humanity, we must be willing to tell the full story, not just the parts that fit a narrative.

Emotional appeals that ignore context and absolve violent regimes of responsibility are not advocacy. They’re propaganda. The author’s declarations of blame were not neutral or universally accepted—they were opinions presented as fact, and that distinction matters.

Gaza is suffering, yes. But Hamas chose war, not peace. Ignoring their crimes—against Israelis and their own people—is not humanitarianism. It’s bias. We long for peace. It’s all we’ve ever wanted. But peace won’t come through denial, erasure, or rewriting half the story.

As a mother, I cry for starving children in Gaza, Sudan, Yemen, and beyond. I also cry for Israeli parents whose children were slaughtered at a music festival, raped, burned alive, dragged through the streets of Gaza, or taken hostage and still not returned. Their pain, too, demands acknowledgment. Why does it so often go unmentioned?

Many of us remember the silence after October 7, when Jewish babies were murdered and families massacred. That silence still echoes. Some of the same voices now sharing one-sided narratives never once mourned with us. And now, they call for justice without recognizing who governs Gaza—a terrorist organization with a charter that calls for global Jewish genocide.

It’s not hateful to ask: where is that same passion for justice when Hamas stores weapons in schools, fires rockets from hospitals, hijacks aid convoys, and holds civilians hostage—both Israeli and Palestinian?

Let’s speak about aid. There is no Israeli policy of starvation. Israel delivers daily truckloads of food, water, and medicine—hundreds of thousands of tons. Yet the UN reported that 87% of aid was intercepted by Hamas from May to July. Hamas has beaten children for “stealing,” killed aid workers, and hoarded supplies for its fighters. Israel even pushes aid through out of desperation—hoping, at the very least, that the hostages are fed.

If you have evidence that Israel is withholding aid as a weapon, present it. If not, ask harder questions. Where is the accountability for Hamas? Where is the demand for Palestinian leadership that puts its people first?

Let’s also acknowledge historical context: there was no Israeli presence in Gaza before this war. Israel withdrew in 2005. Since then, Hamas has rejected multiple peace offers—in 2000, 2008, and 2020—and has launched wars in 2007, 2008, 2014, 2021, and again in 2023. Billions in international aid were funneled into Gaza. Instead of schools and hospitals, Hamas built miles of underground tunnels beneath civilian infrastructure, turning their people into shields.

There is no apartheid in Israel. Two million Arab Muslims live there. They vote. They serve in government. LGBTQ communities, Christians, Jews, and Muslims coexist in freedom—something not true in many other countries in the region, including Palestinian territories where violent persecution exists.

And there is no genocide. The Palestinian population has grown, not shrunk. This war has produced one of the lowest civilian-to-combatant casualty ratios in the history of urban warfare. Compare that to modern war death tolls—millions lost in global conflicts—yet Israel and Palestine combined have seen 100,000 deaths since 1948. Every life lost is tragic, but scale and intent matter when making accusations as serious as genocide.

The goal must be peace. Not another fragile ceasefire—but real, lasting peace. That will only come with truth, accountability, and leadership on all sides.

I stand on the side of truth and justice. I stand with indigenous sovereignty, with minorities who are erased or condemned, with children suffering under war, poverty, and terrorism—not in spite of being Jewish and Zionist, but because of it.

If you stand with me, know this: you are not alone.

To those still viewing this conflict through a one-sided lens, I invite you to widen your view. Why not pressure Egypt to open its border and help distribute aid? Why not question Gaza’s wealthy leadership, who hoard resources while their people suffer? Why hasn’t there been a single Palestinian-led infrastructure for fair and safe aid distribution?

The people of Gaza are not without agency. They deserve better leadership. Where is the Palestinian demand for that?

If you have solutions for how Israel can better deliver aid, let’s discuss them. Let’s build on what’s already been done—more than 100 million meals and counting.

But also ask: Why does Hamas hide tunnels under hospitals? Why do they fire from schoolyards? Why do kindergartners pose with rifles? Why are children taught martyrdom, not math? Why does the outrage only surface when it’s politically convenient and anti-Israel?

Real peace requires a culture shift—from both leadership and communities. Otherwise, it’s only a pause until the next war.

Speak up for children—everywhere. For the 100,000 Yemenis recently starved. For the Sudanese in famine. For African children slaughtered by Islamists. For victims of child trafficking. But be consistent. Don’t use selective outrage as a substitute for real advocacy.

And if your posts are being shadowbanned, ask yourself: is it because you’re sharing enemy war propaganda designed to manipulate emotion?

To those who have never stood with Jewish people—not even after October 7—your silence was noticed. We will remember who spoke up, and who looked away.

Samantha Josephine Pomeranz is a Jewish creative and advocate who shares the story of Jewish resilience through visual art, music, design, and the written word.