Israeli-Palestinian debate reaches Oakland

There’s no physical barrier that separates the student groups involved with the… There’s no physical barrier that separates the student groups involved with the Israeli-Palestinian debate on campus, but this semester proved that there is clearly a divide.

Panthers for Israel, the Pittsburgh Israel Public Affairs Committee and Students for Justice in Palestine held a number of rallies and events across campus over the past few months. The groups also brought in speakers and participated in a three-day Middle East peace conference hosted by One Life One World One Peace — another Pitt activist group.

And although tensions at times ran high this semester, both camps are optimistic about continuing the discussion next semester.

“I’m happy that we’re having this discussion on campus, and the dialogue is beginning to emerge,” Pittsburgh Israel Public Affairs Committee president Samantha Vinokor said. “I’m really looking forward for this to continue.”

Next semester, Panthers for Israel and PIPAC have plans to bring in speakers like Sgt. Benjamin Anthony, who will discuss his experience with the Israel Defense Forces, as a part of a lecture circuit organized through Our Soldiers Speak, a group that addressed media perceptions of the Israeli Defense Force.

The two groups plan to hold Israeli educational events before the country’s Independence Day at the beginning of May.

SJP doesn’t have any plans set in stone yet because it plans events around organizations and events that tour. Officers said they would like to bring back “DAM,” or Da Arabian MCs — a Palestinian hip-hop group that performed last year at Carnegie Mellon.

SJP president Sarah Moawad, Panthers for Israel President Sam Mellits and Vinokor all said that they would be open to having a formal discussion in the future as long as an appropriate external third party could moderate and a format was created that everyone would be comfortable with.

Forbes Avenue has been a location of tension and high emotions. SJP organized a mock checkpoint — to resemble those manned by the Israeli army in the West Bank — as well as a “die-in” and rally this semester, all of which Panthers for Israel and PIPAC attended to pass out their own literature.

Moawad said that Students for Justice in Palestine does not have a political agenda and is not trying to change the minds of people nor provoke anyone. She said the group uses many different methods to engage with people on some level.

Some in the pro-Israeli groups had similar sentiments. Vinokor said, “I believe that before a campus can become politicized, it has to be educated.”

Panthers for Israel and PIPAC paired up to bring in speakers as well. Noam Bedein, the director of the Sderot Media Center, talked about the portrayal of Israel in the media and current issues in Israel. Bret Stephens, a foreign affairs columnist for the Wall Street Journal, discussed the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran to Israel, the U.S. and the entire Western world.

Mellits said he tries to provide some context when he’s passing information along to people.SJP also hosted “I Heart Hamas,” a one-woman play by Palestinian Jennifer Jajeh, and Israeli writer and filmmaker Joseph Dana, an active participant with Anarchists Against the Wall, gave a lecture about the barrier being built by Israel along the West Bank.

“Everyone is always going to have their opinions because there is such a wide spectrum of opinions on this issue specifically,” Moawad said. “I think no matter what you do or what you say or how you go about it, there are always going to be people who disagree with you. The nature of this issue is not just one-sided. It’s many-sided.”

As the Israeli and Palestinian debate continues, the groups have taken a more expansive approach than in past years.

Panthers for Israel split at the end of the last semester to create PIPAC. Panthers for Israel organizes cultural events while PIPAC handles the advocacy and the activism aspects.

SJP was created earlier in the last decade, but the organization simmered down as the students who created it graduated. Moawad decided in 2008 to reignite the group again in order to bring another viewpoint back to campus.

“I think in college it’s important to talk about controversial issues,” Moawad said. “We have to, because it’s a reality.”