Israel and Palestine-tied Houstonians react to Middle East war: 'It was incredibly painful'

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- As the violence and death toll grows in the Middle East, people living in Houston with ties to Israel and Palestine say they are watching the turmoil with absolute horror and heartbreak.

Dr. Abdel Razzaq Takriti is a professor at the University of Houston in Middle Eastern and Palestinian History and the director of the center for Arab Studies. In fact, he is a member of Houston's Palestinian American community, whose family were originally displaced as refugees. He shares what the past few days have been like for him.

"It was incredibly painful. I did not sleep last night or the night before," Takriti said.

Yosef Levenstein formerly served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). He currently lives in Houston and is the only person in his immediate family who is not currently living in Jerusalem.

"Yesterday, my parents sent a picture of my father, some of my nephews, and brother-in-law sitting in their bomb shelter. Every time I get a notification or feel a vibration on my phone, it creates a lot of anxiety," Levenstein said.

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But how their respective communities view the Hamas attack on Israel is completely different. Takriti said it came after thousands of Palestinians had been killed while living in what they call an "open-air prison." He talked about the power imbalance, as Israel has one of the most advanced militaries in the world while Palestine has no formal army and largely uses improvised equipment.

"Why don't we hear in the news about previous attacks? Between 2008 and now, there's been more than 6,400 Palestinians who have been killed. We don't hear that the entirety of Palestine is under Israeli control, and the people who have been subjected to enormous violence," Takriti said. "I am against all senseless killings in this world and I'm sorry for every life that's lost. But that's why a lot of Palestinians thought of this as almost a prison break as opposed to an attack."

Levenstein said this was an unprecedented attack that targeted innocent civilians instead of the Israeli military. He described hearing and seeing images of women and children who were murdered, mutilated, and decapitated.

"Those were anti-semitic massacres, although there were non-Jews too. This is not something that can be equated, justified, or rationalized in any way, shape, or form. This was murder and it was done in the most violent and gruesome way," Levenstein said. "The fact that you had a single day where the most Jews were killed since the Holocaust is really impactful to us and very saddening. I look at it as the 9/11 and Pearl Harbor of Israel."

READ MORE: What is Hamas? The militant group behind attack on Israel, kidnappings, has ruled Gaza for years

Both men worry about the well-being of their families, who are still in the Middle East every single day. But on top of that, they also worry about the hate and safety concerns facing their communities in Houston.

"In the past, when there had been flare-ups, there were also increased acts of anti-Semitism. With this happening, where you have what is essentially framing to be a war, it's a lot more tension. So within our communities across the country, Jewish institutions are increasing their security and work in coordination with federal and local law enforcement," Levenstein said.

"I am worried about some of the racism that Palestinian Arab students are experiencing. I was in a safe space meeting with some students. They were mentioning serious bullying on social media," Takriti said. "One of my friends received news that his home in Gaza is destroyed and several members of his family have been killed. We're dealing with that stress and now also with backlash."

What makes them most fearful is what these attacks will mean for the future for the people of Israel and Palestine.

"We're all deeply concerned, the level of the massacre that is being planned is harrowing," Takriti said.

"My belief is based on the history that we and Palestinians have experienced, it could take a few more generations before we see a real resolution and genuine lasting peace," Levenstein said.

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There's been a wide spectrum of responses across the world in response to the Hamas attack in Israel and the aftermath, showing just how complex this subject is. People who identify with Israel or Palestine are also not monolithic, so their perspectives and emotions will vary from person to person.

Both Takriti and Levenstein encourage people to do more research and make the effort to learn more about the complex history and background of Israel and Palestine. They say it's not a topic that can be fully encapsulated in a two-minute report on television. There are multiple layers and a long, ongoing history that dates back for quite some time.

"There is so much pain there. There is a reality to the colonialism experienced by Palestinians that is all too often ignored or distorted. That's why they don't understand what's going on when they watch the news," Takriti said.

"When people look at this at face value and try to say good versus evil, right versus wrong, it's just one glimpse. There's layers and layers of theology of history, politics, and religion that really apply to this complex conflict," Levenstein said.

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