We currently find ourselves and the other members of our communities devoted to a cause. Whether these causes have noble origins (e.g. activism) or follow deplorable philosophies (e.g. Nazism), they both face the same temptation—blind devotion. Let me clear. I am not arguing that white supremacists and civil rights activists are equivalent in any way. They are not. This piece’s pursuit is for its readers to pay heed to the danger in devoting oneself wholeheartedly to a movement, no matter how righteous it may seem.
Dear reader, I ask that you think of the current struggle that divides our world, that is, the Israel-Palestine conflict. It must be stated that what the Israeli government has been subjecting Palestine to is considered a violation of the Genocide Convention by international legal experts (University Network For Human Rights, 2024). I will not go into the details as to how these experts came to this conclusion, but what is important to take away from here is the fact that Palestinians are suffering a genocide at the hands of the Israeli government.
However, this verdict is still considered controversial by many. One must understand that Israel, with its murky history, was created to help provide a national refuge to one of the most persecuted groups in all of history: Jewish people. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that there will be those who will justify any action that the Israeli government carries out against the Palestinians in retaliation. This is because these individuals view it as defending the Jewish state. While it is important that a place exists where Jewish folk do not have to be a persecuted minority, it is the bonds to a nation themselves that can lead to justifying a genocide.
In these times, Israel and Jewish people have, mistakenly, become synonymous. Many believe that to criticize Israel’s actions is to criticize Judaism. Perhaps it is more fitting to say that many believe it is anti-Semitic to criticize Israel. This does not only apply to Israel, though. We see such nationalist devotion most prominently in the United States, where some patriots consider those who criticize the country as un-American.
Many Americans have developed their personal identity alongside a sense of nationalist devotion. That is to say—many United States citizens (and residents) feel as though a core part of who they are is American. As argued earlier, such devotion to a nation will allow excusing atrocious acts. For instance, some Americans believe that President Donald Trump will return the United States to a past of glory and prosperity. Their devotion to this idealized version of the nation urges these Americans to defend fascist practices like erasing the country’s racist past (The White House, 2025), prohibiting queer folk from participating in civil duties (U.S. Department of Defense, 2025), and detaining those deemed not to belong on American soil (PBS News, 2025). I want you to take this message to heart: we can become so over identified with collective identities that we forget what we truly are—human.
Current American politics shows us how a person can become the physical representation for an ideal. We see how this encroaches into dangerous territory when that person’s words are more likely to be interpreted to be what is best for the ideal. Namely, President Trump has become the manifestation of American nationalism, thus it has become acceptable for him to suggest an (illegal) third presidential term (Trump Store, 2025). Such blind devotion to one person—because of what they may represent to a movement—can wrongfully legitimize human rights violations. This is especially the case when that person is presented as divine (Matza, 2025).
Concentrating on the Israel-Palestine conflict, one of the consequences has been the nearly 5000% increase of online anti-Semitism (Rose & Guhl & Comerford, 2023). I have personally encountered some of these anti-Semitic remarks under Jewish creators’ social media posts. Despite their content not involving Israel, some Jewish creators are being blamed for the ongoing genocide. Whether the people behind these comments are a part of the Pro-Palestinian cause is not officially known, but I have personally heard my college peers justify anti-Semitism when criticizing Israel. As a Muslim-American with Mexican-Iraqi heritage, I know what it is like to be blamed for a tragedy that was not my fault. Growing up, my American peers would criticize Arabs and Muslims for the events of 9/11, and having to defend myself against these xenophobic remarks was always emotionally taxing.
Allow me to reiterate, this discussion is not intended to justify or defend Israel’s actions. I do believe Palestinians are suffering genocide and are experiencing the most horrible human rights abuses of our time. Just as there has been a rise in anti-Semitism, there has also been a nearly 420% increase in online Islamophobia (Rose & Davey, 2023). We must realize that violating the human rights of some people will not bring justice to others who are also having their human rights violated.
In devoting ourselves to a cause, we lose ourselves to that cause. We can become so entranced by the thought that we are doing good, that we refuse, or perhaps are unable, to see the harm we have bred. One cannot deny that anti-Semitism has become more evident in these times, and yet, many believe that criticizing such anti-Semitism is synonymous to criticizing Pro-Palestine activism. Conversely, criticizing Israel is being seen as standing against Jewish people.
It is not problematic to believe in a cause, especially if that cause is oriented on helping others. However, we must all be sure that we do not associate who we are with the movements we uphold. Finding the faults in the ideals we support is healthy and should always be done because it shows us how flawed we are. Understanding the weaknesses in the movements we follow and the limitations that exist within ourselves can help us realize that no cause is worth the harm of another human being. There does not exist an ideal noble enough to justify the death and destruction of others. No principle, however honorable, has the capacity to absolve the sin of denying another’s humanity.
Reference List
Associated Press. (2025, January 29). Trump wants to hold up to 30000 detained migrants at Guantanamo Bay. Here’s what to know. PBS. Retrieved September 7, 2025, from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-wants-to-hold-up-to-30000-detained-migrants-at-guantanamo-bay-heres-what-to-know
Matza, M. (2025, May 4). Trump criticised after posting AI image of himself as Pope. BBC. Retrieved September 7, 2025, from https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdrg8zkz8d0o
Rose, H., & Davey, J. (2023, November 2). Use of words, phrases and hashtags associated with anti-Muslim mobilization surges amid Israel-Gaza conflict. ISD. Retrieved September 7, 2025, from https://www.isdglobal.org/digital_dispatches/use-of-words-phrases-and-hashtags-associated-with-anti-muslim-mobilisation-surges-amid-israel-gaza-conflict/
Rose, H., Guhl, J., & Comerford, M. (2023, October 31). Rise in antisemitism on both mainstream and fringe social media platforms following Hamas’ terrorist attack. ISD. https://www.isdglobal.org/digital_dispatches/rise-in-antisemitism-on-both-mainstream-and-fringe-social-media-platforms-following-hamas-terrorist-attack/
The Trump Organization. (2025). Trump 2028 Shirt. Trump Store. Retrieved September 7, 2025, from https://www.trumpstore.com/product/trump-2028-shirt/?attribute_pa_size=small&attribute_pa_color=red
U.S. Department of War. (2025, February 28). DOD: Gender Dysphoria Incompatible With Military, Service Members Must Serve in Accordance. Department of Defense. Retrieved September 7, 2025, from https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/4086111/dod-gender-dysphoria-incompatible-with-military-service-members-must-serve-in-a/
The White House. (2025, January 29). Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling – The White House. The White House. Retrieved September 7, 2025, from https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-radical-indoctrination-in-k-12-schooling/
Wilder, E. (2024, May 15). Genocide in Gaza: Analysis of International Law and its Application to Israel’s Military Actions since October 7, 2023 — University Network for Human Rights. University Network for Human Rights. Retrieved September 7, 2025, from https://www.humanrightsnetwork.org/publications/genocide-in-gaza
Author Bio
Zukaina Al-Mohamed is an undergraduate senior at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, majoring in Global Studies and minoring in Political Science. She manages the Human Writes Blog under the Human Rights Program at her school, and her research interests include international relations, modern fascist regimes, and human rights.
