"The Israeli Defense Force is the most ethical army in the world," "From where in there do you guys fire the rockets?" and "Thanks for hating democracy." Those were three comments from people who visited the Palestine Awareness Week tent that was on the main quad from March 29 to April 2.
I would like to make it clear early on that I do not represent the thoughts of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) as a whole, that these are my personal reflections of the week. As a senior at AU, one of the things I have come to respect the most about this university is the ability of students to look at an issue that is extremely complicated and to engage in dialogue about that issue.
Students on this campus range from extremely conservative to extremely liberal and everywhere in between, yet they are able to express their views on campus without being condemned. That is an extremely respectable quality in a university community, and it manages to be squandered somewhat in the inability of some students to see the complicated nature of wanting justice for Palestinians.
My motivation for joining SJP lies in my strong commitment to human rights for all people, including Palestinians and Israelis. I saw in SJP an opportunity to work toward justice for the Palestinians, which is something that has been consistently denied for many years. I do not believe that my support for Palestinian human rights precludes me from supporting the right of Israel to exist, nor does it mean that I support the firing of rockets into Israeli territory - which is a violation of international law - or that I hate democracy. I will admit to my strong belief that a number of - though not all - the problems facing Palestinians are due to Israel's actions, including Israel's violations of international law; this is a view which is held by many people worldwide, it is not a radical view in any way, and does not condone the actions of some members of Hamas and other organizations that also violate international law in an effort to fight for their cause.
The ability of a person to take advantage of the rights granted to them by virtue of simply living should not be limited by the nationality with which they identify; a Palestinian should have just as many rights as an Israeli, just as an Iraqi and an American should have equal rights, or a Canadian and a New Zealander. That is why I chose to join SJP, because Palestinians, like everyone else deserve justice.
Those people who chose to express their opposition to the tent and to SJP's overall support for justice in Palestine in such ways as asking from where in the tent we fired the rockets or being generally abrasive insulted their own intelligence in doing so.
Like many issues facing the world today, the issue of Israel-Palestine is not a simple, clear-cut problem, with people on one side or the other of the issue; it is extremely complex, and incorporates a plethora of viewpoints, my own included. AU offers a wonderful opportunity for students to engage in thoughtful, intelligent and educated dialogue about issues of value to them. To do so offers a unique challenge: use your intelligence, education and passion in a constructive manner, to look beyond a two-sided understanding of an issue, do not use it to verbally abuse your fellow students.
Amy Doherty Senior, School of International Service
