The struggle continues
January 24, 2025
Juan Chang
This is most certainly a reason to celebrate. For the first time in 15 months, Palestinians have begun to return to the rubble that used to be their homes. But the struggle is far from over:
- The ceasefire is fragile—Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to resume the war after the first stage of the ceasefire.
- The Israeli government has left behind so much devastation in Gaza that it will take decades to rebuild. Two-thirds of Gaza’s structures are flattened or destroyed—only 50% of hospitals are partially functioning, and 91% of cultural sites and 92% of homes are destroyed or damaged.
- The Israeli invasion has left Gaza’s infrastructure in such a terrible state that many Palestinians will continue to suffer the effects of the war even after the ceasefire. The bombing may have stopped for now, but the specter of famine, disease and cold remains.
- No one in the Israeli government has yet been held accountable by the international community for war crimes including genocide committed over the past 15 months.
- The Israeli state continues to allow illegal settlements in the West Bank. In the year leading up to October 2024, at least 1,423 incidents of settler violence were recorded.
- The Israeli government continues to practice apartheid in all of the territory under its control, including against the Palestinian minority within Israel.
- The Israeli government continues to violate the ceasefire with Hezbollah, and to attack the Lebanese people.
The state of Israel has expanded its illegal occupation of Syrian territory and continues to launch unprovoked bombing raids deep into Syria, including on civilian centers such as the capital city Damascus. - The Israeli government still holds thousands of Palestinian political prisoners.
- The state of Israel continues to restrict the Palestinian people’s freedom of movement.
- The Israeli and United States governments continue to prevent the United Nations from recognizing Palestine as a state.
- The Israeli government refuses to allow over five million Palestinian refugees to return to their stolen land.
Most importantly, the ceasefire has only paused a genocide that in any case preceded October 7. The killing has shifted to other fronts. This week, the Israeli Defense Forces deployed helicopters, drones and armored bulldozers on the Jenin refugee camp in what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a “large and significant military operation.” Israel killed at least ten Palestinians and displaced at least 2,000 families—all while the world celebrated a ceasefire. And the U.S. government, and we, American citizens, continue to make all of this possible:
- The U.S. is still sending weapons to Israel.
- The Trump administration just removed sanctions on Israeli settlers who have been attacking Palestinian villages.
- The U.S. government has threatened to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court officials who issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
- The new U.S. Ambassador to the UN just declared that Israel has a “biblical right” to seize the West Bank.
- The new U.S. Ambassador to Israel once said: “There is no such thing as a Palestinian.”
There will be no justice in Palestine as long as the United States supports Israel. But how can we bring about such massive change?
History has revealed the power of student movements in sparking monumental shifts—including international solidarity movements, which contributed to ending both the U.S. war in Vietnam and South African Apartheid. Bowdoin’s community played a role in bringing about change in the past.
We have an opportunity at this moment to compel our institution to stand on the right side of history, against a genocidal project—and in doing so, to stand on the right side of history ourselves.
Olivia Kenney ’25, Abhi Peddada ’27, and Caleb Packard ’26 are members of Bowdoin Students for Justice in Palestine.
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Hell yeah! Thanks for all that you do Bowdoin SJP.