Today in class, we had a discussion about the massacre at Deir Yassin during the War of Independence in Israel. In Deir Yassin, fighters from the Israeli military factions of Irgun and Lehi attacked the Arab village, killing 107 Arabs including women and children. The attack and its aftermath were extremely controversial for both sides alike. In the aftermath, however, what happened at Deir Yassin led to around 700,000 Arabs fleeing Israel and the eventual creation of a Jewish state. Our discussion in class centered on what our reactions would be to the events at Deir Yassin. If possible, would we have stopped the attack? Was it a necessary evil?

I personally believe that no, Deir Yassin was not a necessary attack to preserve the future of a Jewish state. Yes, the outcome led to hundreds of thousands of refugees leaving, but the killing of innocent women and children is still inexcusable. Of course, knowing that this attack played a major role in the realization of the State of Israel, it is difficult to say that I would have prevented the attack, but I do believe that I would have attempted to stop it. In the moment, the soldiers did not know the eventual outcome, only the immediate future after the killings of over a hundred Arabs. Either way, this is a very difficult and controversial subject, and any situation like this is tough to comprehend.