West Orange Op-Ed: 'Hate Has No Home Here, But Does Humanity?'

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The following op-ed comes courtesy of West Orange for Humanity. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

Like many towns throughout New Jersey, the residents of West Orange have united for years under the slogan “Hate Has No Home Here.” But since the horrific attacks in Israel on October 7 and the subsequent death, displacement, and destruction that has continued for 84 days in Gaza, many residents have been left wondering whether humanity has a home here.

Following October 7, local elected officials raised the Israeli flag and issued a public statement to show unequivocal and unconditional support for the state of Israel. We understand and appreciate the instinct to show solidarity with Israelis in the face of these atrocities and mourn the horrendous loss of life that day.

Many of us in this town are also grieving the more than 20,000 Palestinians in Gaza – nearly half of whom are children – who have been murdered since October 7. And yet, our township’s elected leaders have so far been silent on these deaths, failing to even use the word “Palestinians” in their public statements.

We have found ourselves feeling unseen, unsafe, and effectively silenced. Some of us – including many who are Jewish – are even called anti-Semitic when we express horror at the indiscriminate bombing of civilians in Gaza, or criticize the state of Israel in any way. Many of us who are Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim have been subjected to the same distrust, discrimination, alienation, and anti-Muslim racism that reared its ugly head in post-9/11 America.

With the virulent backlash against West Orange high school students who organized a peaceful walkout in October, and unchecked hateful rhetoric from neighbors on social media platforms and in town meetings, Palestinians and allies in West Orange have been repeatedly dehumanized with racist tropes. Absurd demands from neighbors to prove that they are not “terrorist sympathizers” has sent a clear message that their humanity is considered conditional.

After weeks of outreach and multiple meetings with elected officials, we were encouraged to organize a Palestinian flag raising and cultural celebration. The Mayor approved the event, issued a permit, reviewed the announcement and publicized it, only to cancel it at the 11th hour. This was due to ludicrous accusations equating raising a Palestinian flag with support for Hamas and advancing the preposterous notion that the phrase included on the event announcement, “Palestinian joy is resistance,” was hateful terminology that could incite violence.

Meanwhile, the town continues to “stand with Israel” even as the Israeli military campaign in Gaza has been recognized as one of the deadliest in recent history and “the rate of death during Israel’s assault has few precedents in this century.” Israel has displaced approximately 1.9 million Palestinians – 85% of the population in Gaza, a quarter of the population is starving, and Israel is denying vital services such as electricity, clean water, food, and medical care, after the Israeli Defense Force’s destruction of almost all hospitals in Gaza.

In our view, one of the most meaningful things that our town can do at this moment is to adopt a comprehensive and inclusive resolution – as many towns across the U.S. have done in recent weeks – calling for a permanent and sustained ceasefire. This resolution can also denounce the rise in anti-Arab and anti-Muslim racism, Islamophobia, and anti-Semitism locally.

The overwhelming majority of U.N. member states called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire as have U.N. agencies, international human rights and humanitarian organizations, and dozens of Israeli Jewish and Arab rights groups. The majority of Americans support an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Israel and occupied Palestine, and millions of people worldwide, across the U.S., and throughout New Jersey have joined in peaceful protests since October 7 to amplify this call.

We will not stay silent in the face of Israel’s continuing genocidal military campaign. Time is of the essence: Every day, an average of 300 Palestinians are killed. A ceasefire resolution that positions West Orange on the side of peace and humanity must be adopted now. It would be a powerful statement from our elected officials to national leaders and a strong signal of support for Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, and Jewish community members in our diverse town.

West Orange for Humanity is a diverse group of justice-centered residents who came together in October 2023 in response to the silencing of pro-Palestinian voices and the indifference to Palestinian suffering in our town.

Don’t forget to visit the Patch West Orange Facebook page. Send local news tips and correction requests to [email protected]. Learn more about advertising on Patch here.