When I arrived at Brown in fall 2024, the chant echoing across campus was clear: “Free, Free, Palestine.” It was familiar. That same message was spreading across universities nationwide. The conflict between Israel and Palestine was dividing friends, sparking tensions, and fueling rising acts of hostility.

But this isn’t a piece about taking sides. It’s about something deeper — how my generation engages with global issues in the age of sound bites, social media, and outrage-driven narratives. Israel just happens to be the lens through which I learned that lesson.

Now I’m heading into my sophomore year and emotions are still running high. For many college students, the only version of Israel they know is one of conflict, protest, and division. It’s all I knew too initially.

Things first

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