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As tensions surrounding the war in Gaza continue, author and activist Phyllis Bennis spoke on the intense militarization of Israel funded by United States tax dollars.

With a rising death toll in Gaza, at 62,000 bodies accounted for, Bennis used the term “madness” to describe the immense damage and casualties caused by Israel’s military.

“This is the time that the old world is dying and the new world is struggling to be born,” said Bennis, a fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies.“This is very much where we are right now. This is a time of monsters.”

The Syracuse Peace Council hosted Bennis for its Saturday night event titled “Resisting Genocide in Gaza, Militarism at Home.” Bennis, who had previously spoken at Syracuse University in 2017, discussed the influence America holds in continuing the war and taking active steps against Gaza.

The U.S. heavily funds Israel’s military, sending nearly $18 billion since Oct. 7. The U.S. government has also halted visitor visas for Palestinians fleeing Gaza for medical aid. Bennis, a Jewish activist, works closely with Middle Eastern foreign affairs and has published multiple books on the ethnic cleansing in Gaza. She said the use of U.S. tax dollars to fund Israel is “sick.”

Classified Israeli military intelligence and the Gaza Health Ministry suggest 83% of total deaths in Gaza have been civilian deaths, a statement that Israel denied.

“They are now acknowledging what the whole world has long known, that they are killing civilians. And it’s not an accident,” Bennis said. “This is not collateral damage. This is intentional, deliberate, paid for by the United States, armed by the United States, direct damage.”

Along with Bennis, guest speakers Bob Sanders and Naor Deleanu invited attendees to learn about their nonprofit, Ride Against War in Gaza. The two have been biking across the country since May 30 to raise money and awareness for Palestinians.

The ride began in San Francisco and will end in New Hampshire on Labor Day, Sanders said. RAW Gaza hopes to receive a dollar for every person killed since Oct. 7, when Hamas launched thousands of rockets, killing about 1,200 Israeli civilians and taking more than 250 hostage.

“I think that eventually there will be a reckoning, you know,” Deleanu said. “It’s not really good for U.S. standing to just be Israel’s veto in the UN and have an Israel exception to our Leahy law.”

The “Leahy Law” is a U.S. statute prohibiting foreign assistance when there is credible evidence that human rights are being violated.

During her talk, Bennis said 263 people in Gaza have died from hunger, including 112 children, and numbers continue to grow exponentially, she said.

Bennis said 90% of homes in Gaza have been destroyed, along with 80% of schools and mosques. Out of the 36 hospitals in Gaza, 20 are partially functioning, Bennis said, and all of the 12 universities in Gaza have also been bombed.

“It’s really important to humanize each other and, personally, I felt after Oct. 7, there were some things that were said about the victims that I felt were really disgusting and people were justifying the murder of hundreds of innocent civilians,” Deleanu said.

Bennis said the U.S. is not the only country complicit in this genocide. While Germany recently announced it would stop sending aid to Israel, the country previously provided 30% of Israel’s military support, with the majority of the remaining 70% coming from the U.S.

“Soon, we will be the only country left that is defending and participating in this genocide,” Bennis said.

Bennis said public opinion on the war can shift quickly if discourse change follows three parts. First, a change in public opinion, then a shift in the media’s coverage and portrayal, which will lead to a shift in policy debate, discourse and eventually the votes.

A YouGov poll shows 43% of people in the U.S. believe Israel is committing genocide, she said.

Gov. Kathy Hochul has called out the Israeli government for the humanitarian crisis inflicted upon Palestinians. Sen. Chuck Schumer has also spoken out about the crisis and urged the Israeli government to ceasefire.

Danny Yeo, an attendee and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, said community engagement through contacting congressional leaders, community building and donating directly to Palestinian children are all actions that can make a notable difference.

“It’s just really important to have people talking about this issue and also connecting it to the militarism that’s going on in the United States and just connecting it to the other terror that this empire has inflicted,” Yeo said.

Bennis also explained her frustration with Israel’s lack of cooperation with the International Court of Justice after it ruled Israel’s settlement policies violate international law. She said the behavior is due to U.S. policy. She said she believes the U.S. doesn’t accept General Assembly resolutions as enforceable international law.

Israel was given six tasks to ensure that Palestinians receive humanitarian aid. In the three weeks following the ICJ orders, the number of trucks entering Gaza has decreased by around a third due to Israel’s strict controls on humanitarian aid, commercial goods and fuel.

“There was a national mobilization called in Washington, DC, and there were somewhere close to 400,000 people in the streets. We have never seen anything like that,” Bennis said. “It wasn’t because of what we did. It was because of what people saw on their phone, 24/7, for week after week, we saw what genocide looks like, up close and personal, and people reacted.”

Published on August 24, 2025 at 11:16 pm
Contact Chloe: cfrinka@syr.edu