Israeli U of I students reflect on October 7 anniversary, weigh in on current conflict in Middle East
People cross a bridge with the date 7.10, marking the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, in Ramat Gan, Israel, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. AP Photo/Oded Balilty
Today marks one year since Hamas invaded Israel, setting off a new cycle of violence in a conflict that’s been happening for decades — if not centuries. 1,200 Israelis killed and hundreds more abducted and taken into Gaza on October 7, 2023. In the year since, the Israeli government has responded by bombing what it says are Hamas targets in Gaza, but the offensive has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians including many civilians.
Recently, the war has spread with Israel fighting the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has also left more than 2,000 dead including both combatants and civilians. Furthermore, all of this is increasingly drawing Iran out from behind its proxy organizations, and into direct conflict with Israel.
On the 21st Show, we plan to bring you a series of conversations with Illinoisans who’ve been touched by these events — including Israelis and Palestinians — and now also those of Iranian and Lebanese descent. Today, we begin with checking in with two Israeli students we first heard from last December with their thoughts on the current situation as well as their sentiments about the first anniversary of October 7.
Today's show also included a rebroadcast of the following "best of" segment, first aired July 10, 2024: "Illinois expands lead testing for children."
GUESTS
Yarden Ashur
Psychology Graduate Student, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Stav Ashur
Computer Science Student, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign