Tulsa Israeli Emissary Reacts To Conflict Overseas

Nearly 7,000 miles away from Israel, people at the Jewish Federation of Tulsa are focused on the conflict overseas.

“My friends are in the frontlines, defending those communities in Israeli borders right now from future terror attacks. I can’t imagine, if I was in Israel, I’d have to go too," said Shahaf Feinkuchen.

Feinkuchen is from Israel and was just there a month ago. He and his wife moved to Tulsa as part of an exchange program.

He was excited to come to Tulsa, but now, it’s hard to be away from his family and home.

“I know people who have people from their family who died, friends who died, casualties, so many civilians hurt, entire communities hurt, and it's really overwhelming,” he said. 

Although the conflict between Gaza and Israel has been ongoing for years, Shahaf says this attack by Hamas stands out.

“Israel is going through something unprecedented…terror attack on its civilians and communities, and it’s really different than last times,” he said.

Israel’s military fired back on the Gaza Strip Monday, also killing civilians, according to the United Nations.

Juliette Touma helps Palestinian refugees as part of UN efforts.

“The situation in Gaza has gone from bad to worse. The number of, uh, people who have been forced to flee their homes, uh, has doubled in the past 24 hours," Touma said. 

Feinkuchen said there is a difference between military action and terrorist action.

“Terror, wherever it hits, is bad, and we should say that. And after we unite against terror, we can try and find a solution, but there is no solution with terror,” he said. 

The Jewish Federation of Tulsa will hold a vigil next Sunday, and more details will be released soon. 

On Oct. 7, 2023, the Islamic Resistance Movement, the terror group also known as Hamas, launched a surprise attack on Israel by means of land, air and sea. Hundreds of civilians have been killed as the Israel Defense Forces, or the IDF, attempt to dislodge Hamas combatants.

What is Hamas?

Hamas was founded in 1987, although its origins extend far beyond that. The group is distinct from the Palestine Liberation Organization, another wing of the legislative body that governs Palestine. In 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian legislative election, and has remained in power since.

Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States all consider Hamas to be a terrorist organization, while some countries, such as New Zealand and Paraguay, view only the groups's military wing as such.

Hamas is known to be highly antisemetic, both towards individual Jews and the greater state of Israel.

Where is Gaza?

Gaza, also known as the Gaza Strip, is a Palestinian enclave, meaning it is separated from the rest of the country, on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

Sunni Muslims make up the majority of the population of Gaza, although there is a small Christian minority.

Despite being a part of Palestine, Israel has control over much of the Gaza Strip, controlling the areas airspace, seaports and six of the strip's seven land access routes. This control has often deemed Gaza as an "open-air prison."

Has Conflict Erupted In Gaza Before?

In June, 1967, Israeli forces captured the Gaza Strip from Egyptian Forces towards the end of the Six-Day War. The war saw the invasion from, and later expulsion of, the combined forces of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait from Israeli territory.

On Dec. 27, 2008, following the breakdown of a temporary truce between Israel and Palestine, Israeli fighter jets bombed several locations in Gaza, marking the beginning of the Gaza War. The targets bombed ranged from police stations, schools, hospitals, UN warehouses, and mosques to various other structures. Israel claimed those buildings were being used to house weapons.

Israel said the bombings were a response to Hamas rocket attacks on southern Israel, and on Jan. 3, 2009, a ground invasion of the territory by the IDF began.

Between 1,100 and 1,400 Palestinians, and 13 Israelis were killed before the Gaza War came to an end on Jan. 18, 2009.