hankyoreh

Koreans, Palestinians living in Korea, and others rally for Palestine and against a ground invasion of Gaza by Israel in Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood on Oct. 15. (Kim Hye-yun/The Hankyoreh)

A debate is heating up in South Korea over which side bears greater responsibility in regard to the recent surprise attack by the Palestinian militant organization Hamas and the retaliatory strikes by Israel.

As Israeli ground forces prepare to enter Gaza, many observers are denouncing the long history of Israeli oppression against Palestinians. But others stress that there is no justification for the brutal terror tactics used by Hamas.

According to organizers, an estimated 500 people attended a rally in support of Palestine that took place in the Itaewon neighborhood of Seoul’s Yongsan District on Sunday afternoon under the direction of the youth and students’ group affiliated with Workers’ Solidarity, a progressive-leaning civic organization. The participants were mainly Muslim international residents in South Korea.

Saleh Nanti, a 26-year-old with family in Gaza, told the Hankyoreh, “One of my friends just died while I was on my way to this rally.”

Showing a chat with his friend on his smartphone screen, he explained, “I’ve tried to contact my friend there, but there has been no response.” Indeed, the only bubbles on the screen showed were for messages that he had sent.

He also said that his family members’ home has been partially destroyed by Israeli air strikes.

“You can imagine something like the colonial era, when Koreans were under Japanese control. Israel’s occupation of Palestine is the same kind of situation,” he continued.

Koreans, Palestinians living in Korea, and others rally for Palestine and against a ground invasion of Gaza by Israel in Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood on Oct. 15. (Kim Hye-yun/The Hankyoreh)

Tayma Qatamesh, a former Palestinian soccer player who helped organize the rally, called Palestinian resistance “the product of 75 years of Israeli occupation.”

“Israel is carrying out air raids without any prior warning as civilians are in bed sleeping. Where is the justice, where is the humanitarianism?” she asked, her voice raised.

The same day, a group of around 20 Koreans held a press conference across the way from the Israeli Embassy in Seoul’s Jongno District in support of the Palestinian resistance against Israel.

But amid reports of Hamas brutally killing Israeli children, not all Koreans have looked positively upon support for Palestine.

Debate continues on one college campus where a poster with a message of support for Palestine attributed to the Workers’ Solidarity Youth Group was posted. A 24-year-old student surnamed Jeong who attends the university where the poster was hung commented, “I don’t think that this is the time to hold support rallies or post these types of posters when Hamas carried out terrible war crimes and even streamed them on social media.”

Many posts on the topic have been made on dedicated online communities for universities around Korea, where debate has ensued.

“With the fact that Hamas went so far as to cruelly murder kids coming to light, I feel like Palestinians have lost their just cause over all they’ve been put through,” said Kim, a 32-year-old. “I question whether it’s appropriate to unilaterally take one side in a situation where atrocities are unfolding.”

By Shim Wu-sam, staff reporter

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