As the world grasps for a moral framework to make sense of the recent events in Israel and Gaza, Remi Adekoya argues that the dichotomy between the Oppressor vs the Oppressed is deeply unhelpful.

As we observe the unfolding of a violent conflict in the Middle East that will reverberate for years to come, an ideological schism is appearing that may be no less consequential in the Western world. Support for the Hamas terror attacks on Israel expressed in some quarters of leftist academia and activism has upset many moderates on the Left, as has the silence of some others. So why do some on the Left believe terrorist attacks on civilians can be justifiable or morally ambiguous?

While today’s dominant progressive narrative is one of “intersectionality”, acknowledging how privilege and oppression factor in one’s race, gender, sexual orientation and a host of other factors, it would appear that when push comes to shove, some progressives divide the world into just two kinds of people: Oppressed and Oppressor, groups that are often ethno-racially defined.