{"id":160225,"date":"2023-10-25T10:46:39","date_gmt":"2023-10-25T08:46:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=160225"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:01","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:01","slug":"frustration-and-helplessness-over-the-war-between-israel-and-hamas-people-have-moved-past-the-point-of-looking-for-comfort","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2023\/10\/25\/frustration-and-helplessness-over-the-war-between-israel-and-hamas-people-have-moved-past-the-point-of-looking-for-comfort\/","title":{"rendered":"Frustration and helplessness over the war between Israel and Hamas. ‘People have moved past the point of looking for comfort’"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Thursday afternoon in the Living Room, students and staff met to talk about the war between Israel and Hamas. The afternoon was organised to provide support to those affected. \u201cI feel sad, frustrated and helpless.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

Students met in the Living Room on Thursday.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEsther Dijkstra<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Around twenty students and staff met in the Living Room on Thursday afternoon to talk about the events in Israel and Palestine. The majority of them were students who feel a connection with Palestine. Other students were there to support their friends. They talked in groups about the developments in the war, such as the blast at Al-Ahli hospital in which hundreds of people lost their lives. During the course of the afternoon, it became clear that many of those affected felt frustrated and helpless.<\/p>\n

Relatives in Gaza<\/h2>\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t
\n\t\t\u2018I can\u2019t keep away from my phone, because my sister is still in Gaza with her husband and newborn baby\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

This was certainly true of first-year medical student Mohammed Shamallakh, who is Palestinian. \u201cI didn\u2019t come here to get away from what\u2019s happening; I\u2019m not here to find comfort.\u201d His family comes from Gaza, and he says that, over the past ten days, he\u2019s lost sixteen relatives. \u201cI feel sad, frustrated and helpless. I came here to convert my frustration into action and to tell the story of my people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since the war broke out, Mohammed has been unable to concentrate; he says that he constantly checks his phone. \u201cI can\u2019t keep away from my phone, because my sister is still in Gaza with her husband and newborn baby. They\u2019ve already fled three times.\u201d He calls her regularly to check that she is still alive and to keep her up to date with developments, which she does not know about because there is no Internet. She asks about the supply of electricity and water, for example, and whether there is a ceasefire yet.<\/p>\n

Understanding<\/h2>

Mohammed is concerned that the war is difficult for many students, particularly for other Muslims. \u201cIt\u2019s something that affects all Muslims \u2013 all Muslims are just as frustrated as the people in Gaza.\u201d He hopes that the university will provide support, so that students who are experiencing problems as a result of the war do not fall behind in their studies.<\/p>\n

As it happens, he has slightly more flexibility when it comes to his studies, because, following the shooting at the EMC, exams are currently being replaced by written assignments. Mohammed does not need emotional support. \u201cI don\u2019t want to see a psychologist. I don\u2019t need someone who asks me whether I\u2019m frustrated.\u201d What he wants from the university is an understanding of the Palestine cause: \u201cSeek out the Palestinians, make them feel that they are understood.\u201d<\/p>\n

Listening ear<\/h2>

The walk-in event was primarily intended to provide emotional support to people who are struggling with the situation. So, as well as the Living Room hosts, there were also student psychologists from the university. \u201cPeople have moved past the point of looking for comfort\u201d, says Perry de Boer, a student host in the Living Room. \u201cThe people who are here today don\u2019t want to talk about their feelings, or they say that they feel terrible and then immediately start talking about action, about what they can do to help. They feel that they are not doing enough to help.\u201d<\/p>\n

The host says that, on this occasion, compared with other walk-in meetings, they support students in a different way. \u201cMany people are emotional, but they don\u2019t talk about themselves.\u201d During this meeting, the main job of the hosts is to provide a listening ear. \u201cNormally speaking, we can console and support people in the event of a crisis, as we did during the walk-in session after the shooting at Erasmus MC. But in this case, we can\u2019t talk to people about how they can feel better, because they don\u2019t want to feel better, they want to do something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Read more<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t