For months, Minnesotans driving north towards Downtown Minneapolis have seen the massive “Stop the Genocide” banner just next to the 35W Freeway—it’s difficult to miss. The phrase “Stop the Genocide” entered the vernacular of international politics in 2023 and has since become a rallying cry that has sparked global controversy.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas—a militant Palestinian group—entered Israel from the Gaza Strip and murdered an estimated 1,200 Israelis and took over 200 hostages. in response, Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu waged war. Since October 7, the Palestinian death toll has reached an estimated 60,000-70,000—nearly 70% of the dead being women and children, according to the BBC.
There have been local, national, and global protests, from the Lake Street Bridge to college campuses, accusing Israel of genocide. Even within Israel, according to the Pew Research Center, 58% of Israelis have an unfavorable view of Prime Minister Netanyahu.
The conflict that reached international prevalence in 2023 dates back to before Israel’s independence in 1948. Many Jews were flocking to the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River due to rising Antisemitism in Europe, and—following the Holocaust—Israel was soon established as the first Jewish state.
“The Jewish people have a historic 3,000 year old claim to this particular piece of land in the Middle East, going back to God’s promise to Abraham,” said Minnehaha AP Human Geography teacher Nathan Johnson, “They were expelled from that land over the course of time, and to return to that land after years of persecution and genocide during the Holocaust is a completely understable desire.”
However, the Jewish people were not the only ones living on the land that became Israel, hence the conflict that followed.
“On the other hand, after the Jews were expelled from the Holy Land in the Roman Empire 2,000 years ago, the Arab people lived there for centuries and centuries,” Johnson said.
As soon as Israel declared independence in 1948, when the British control of the region ended, neighboring Arab nations declared war. After the Arab-Israeli war in 1948, a large percentage of the Arab (Palestinian) population that was living in Israel became displaced, many landing in Gaza or the West Bank. Since, the Israel-Palestine dynamic has been characterized by years of conflict-ridden history.
“This is the most morally complicated conflict on the planet, where each side has a very compelling moral claim for their position,” Johnson said.
The United States and Israel have been economic and military allies since the 1960s, which places the U.S. in a strategic quagmire. The Israel predicament that was on Joe Biden’s desk fell onto Donald Trump’s when he was inaugurated in 2025. Trump’s eagerness to jump into the mess led to what—to this point—is one of the largest-scale products of his presidency: a peace deal.
On October 9, 2025, Donald Trump announced that his 20-point Peace Plan had been agreed to by both Israel and Hamas—a deal that required a ceasefire and the release of the Hamas-held hostages.
The hope is that the Peace Deal will lead to some level of civility within the Middle East, but as of now, and given the history of the two parties, “peace” is wishful thinking.
“I am not tremendously optimistic,” Johnson said, “If I felt like the deal had a real chance to change things, I would be all over the details.”
While the future of the Israel-Palestine conflict remains up in the air, America’s role in the relationship will be dictated by political sentiment within its own borders, which seems to be changing.
“The only thing that seems certain to me is that the American relationship with Israel will become more polarized,” said Johnson, “It was generally the case in the past that there was a bipartisan consensus on supporting Israel. There are certainly a lot of Americans who want to offer tremendous support to Israel, but just like our parties are drifting apart on a lot of key issues, that seems to be happening on the Israel issue as well.”
Similar to the Middle East, the U.S. would benefit from more accord. The political landscape is harsh—Americans have their pitchforks out, and frustrations over the conflict in the Middle East only adds fuel to the fire. Even at Minnehaha Academy, conversation about Israel-Palestine is frequent.
“I think that because [the conflict] is so intertwined with the U.S., it is inherently going to be talked about here,” Minnehaha sophomore Ross Uttley said.
Like the rest of the world, sentiment among the Minnehaha community is divided. According to Uttley, Minnehaha students are following the national trend that was confirmed by the Pew Research Center; younger Americans are more likely to sympathize with Palestine.
“I think there are people who support Israel more, but in general, more people are leaning towards Palestine,” said Uttley.
The future of politics will be dictated by Minnehaha-aged kids; the current sentiment of the youth has major implications on the future of America’s relationship with Israel.
For students at Minnehaha and the many drivers who pass the “Stop the Genocide” banner along the 35W, this conflict has permeated daily life. Will the peace deal bring an end to the conflict, or will it remain a part of daily life for years to come?