Local Tech Professors Weigh In on Fighting in Gaza

The death toll in the current conflict between Israel and Hamas has reached over 100. While the fighting may be taking place half way across the world, two Texas Tech professors say this fighting does have consequences here in the United States.

"Some of the people in places like Cedar Row spend most of their waking hours underground in bomb shelters. They live like moles," said Texas Tech Political Science Professor Lawrence Mayer.

Mayer is admittedly pro-Israel. He is Jewish and has many friends living in Israel. He says he is not surprised that Israel has started striking back against Palestinian militants.

"If someone were raining bombs from Canada to Minnesota or Wisconsin and so forth we would be upset too, but I mean you cant just sit there and indiscriminately rain bombs on a country and expect no response," said Mayer.

Mayer says he thinks there's a lot people don't understand about the conflict.

He said, "A lot of people don't realize how intransigent the Arabs are as they will accept nothing short of the extermination of Israel and its people."

"I was born in Palestine so my sentiments are with the Palestinians and I'll be totally honest with you. But its not really without justification because I think that a lot of the people that are suffering are living in dire conditions," said Honors College Professor Mohammad Maqusi.

Conditions so dire, Maqusi says Gaza could be considered a giant refugee camp.

"Many of the Gazans are living in dire poverty and I think this exacerbates the problem. It really sort of agitates the situation to the degree that almost, a person sees no hope of a way out," said Maqusi.

Both men agree that if this fighting continues, it will have global consequences.

"Of course if they extend the power of the more radical forces then it's going to be more difficult for the US and Israel and other western countries guard against the physical harm that they threaten to perpetrate on us," said Mayer.

Maqusi said, "One of the global ramifications of course is how it is going to affect the economy of the United States, even the US is not immune."