Families buried under concrete rubble for hours. Bodies burnt beyond recognition. Entire generations wiped out within seconds. Children with missing limbs, raising what is left of them to the sky in prayer as they ask God for strength. Mothers kissing their dead children farewell before being sent off to be buried in what’s left of a cemetery. 

This is the condition Israel has left Gaza in: With extremely limited access to clean water, food, medicine, and fuel, Gaza has become a graveyard, haunted by the ghosts of people who have lost everything but their faith. 

Today marks one year since the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel and the brutal military assault on Gaza. One year later, and the suffering, bloodshed and horror continues, taking the lives of more than 40,000 Palestinians with no end in sight. 

The situation only seems to be escalating, as Israel has launched military airstrikes on southern Lebanon, insisting on eliminating Hezbollah, a militant group based in Lebanon that strictly opposes Israel and Western influence in the Middle East. 

Israel says their targets are military commanders, but these attacks are claiming the lives of surrounding civilians, including children, bringing an atmosphere of fear of imminent regional war.

America’s stance on Israel’s approach could make all the difference. Over the past year, President Joe Biden’s administration has failed to make progress in stopping Israel’s violent bombing campaign on Gaza. 

Biden has attempted to broker multiple ceasefire deals, but he cannot hide the fact of 50,000 tons of military equipment he approved and sent to Israel since Oct. 7, used to relentlessly slaughter Palestinian civilians. Civilians he claims to care about. 

Biden has also spread inflammatory remarks based on unproven Israeli allegations, causing an uptick in Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian hate. Locally, the Plainfield murder of six-year-old Palestinian American boy Wadea Al-Fayoume has sparked outrage: His murderer blamed Al-Fayoume’s family for what is happening in Israel, an effect from absorbing demeaning and biased media coverage. 

With historically low poll ratings, Biden is no longer on the presidential ticket in the upcoming 2024 election. Instead, he is replaced by Vice President Kamala Harris in the race against former President Donald Trump. 

Voters who care deeply about the war on Gaza are faced with a tough decision: which candidate will stop aiding weapons to Israel, end the war, bring relief to the Palestinian people and control the situation in Lebanon?

Probably neither. For some, that could mean choosing not to vote at all. But the choice to stay silent might carry an even greater risk than people realize. 

In a high-stakes election such as this one, every vote counts. And if there is any hope of consideration for Palestinians’ right to live – the bare minimum – between the two candidates, it might just be Kamala Harris. 

Let’s not lie: in her time serving with Biden, Harris has been just as complicit in allowing Israel to ethnically cleanse Gaza. Since her nomination, Harris hasn’t held back in approving Israel’s right to defend itself as well as ensuring Israel has enough arms to do so, even as she claims to support Palestinians right to freedom and self-determination.

During the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Harris platformed an Israeli family to speak on their Israeli American son Hersh Goldberg-Polin being held hostage yet denied a request by an Uncommitted Movement group to allow for a Palestinian American to speak on stage. This move drew criticism, deservedly so. We support having the Israeli family speak about their son, but there needs to be a platform that values Palestinian voices just as much. 

Just outside, organizers protested against the Democratic party’s relentless support for Israel. Protestors on the convention floor had held up a banner saying “STOP ARMING ISRAEL.” Their section’s lights were quickly shut down by the DNC. 

It’s clear that Harris is far from what’s needed for the people of Gaza, Palestine, and Lebanon, but a far greater threat than Harris stirs. 

Donald Trump, who refers to himself as “the best friend Israel has ever had,” holds a track record of allowing Israel to do as it pleases without much restriction. His administration’s favoritism was clear when he assumed office.

He moved the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, slashed funding from United Nations agencies that support Palestinian refugees, and created a Middle East peace plan that largely catered to Israel’s long-standing demands. The list goes on. 

Trump’s past presidency is not only a red flag to voters who care about the war on Gaza, but his current opinions and possible policy decisions on what he would do if elected into office again are even more alarming. 

In a report by The Guardian, Trump says in an interview for Israel to “get it over with.” Since the war began, Trump has vowed to cut off all U.S. aid towards Palestinians if he were to be reelected, encouraging other nations to do the same. 

The report also reveals Trump promising to expand his previous travel ban on Muslim-majority nations to include refugees from Gaza. He plans to expel immigrants who support Hamas and wants to revoke visas for foreign students who are deemed “anti-American” or “antisemitic” by implementing a stricter vetting process to prevent entry for those who undermine Israel’s existence. 

The possibility of Trump’s return to office would eliminate any hope of ending the war in Gaza or providing immediate relief to the Palestinian people. His dismissive attitude toward Palestinian grievances would not only contribute to the suffering but intensify it. 

Here at Velocity, we believe making the best choice in an election is crucial for the thousands of Palestinians suffering in Gaza. While neither candidate may fully align with our expectations in handling the war, the reality is that we have to make a choice between the lesser of two evils.

Casting a vote for Harris will mean choosing not to allow Trump to enforce his mortifying policies. It means taking a stance against an oppressive regime that undermines democratic values. We must choose a path that embodies even the smallest chance of hope.

Voting for Kamala Harris is the first step in forging a better future. 

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featured image graphic by EMILY STEPHENS

The editorial board of Velocity consists of Editor-in-Chief Ryan Anderson, Managing Editor Niki Kowal, Creative Director Emily Stephens, Opinion Editor Juan Carbajal and Political Editor Yasmeen Nogura.

Velocity is written and edited by students of Moraine Valley Community College, and they are solely responsible for its editorial policy and content. Velocity does not represent the views of Moraine Valley Community College or its faculty, staff or administration.