SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Monday marks one year of war in Israel.
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacked Israel, and fighting broke out in Gaza. Thousands of lives have been lost and right now there is no end to the war in sight.
365 days later, the war has become a hot-button topic for people in the U.S.
“We learned again from Oct. 7, there is no such thing as a safe place,” said Omer Eshel. “There is a safe time, but not a safe place.”
Eshel lives right next to the Syrian border and has seen missiles fly over his home.
“90% of the population is displaced,” said Drury professor Dr. Jeff VanDenBerg. “60 plus percent of the infrastructure is destroyed. And those are people with lives who want to live lives. And we should always put those people first.”
VanDenBerg is the Director of Middle East Studies at Drury. He says Israel is closely bound to American interests.
“The region is an essential region, and it’s increasingly engulfed in conflict, which means interruption of trade and business and security risks,” VanDenBerg said.