Guest talks Middle East struggle

‘ ‘ ‘ A prominent pro-Palestinian activist spoke to a crowd of Pitt students Tuesday, asserting… ‘ ‘ ‘ A prominent pro-Palestinian activist spoke to a crowd of Pitt students Tuesday, asserting that Palestine and Israel should be united in order to bring peace. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Ali Abunimah, who co-founded the online news Web site Electronic Intifada covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, discussed his one-state solution in David Lawrence Hall. He proposed making Israel and Palestine a single state and giving all citizens equal rights. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Abunimah discussed the human toll of the conflict in Gaza. He said the United States and other Western countries were complacently supporting Israeli violence. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘This is the result of the demonization and the dehumanization of Arabs and Muslims in general following Sept. 11, where we can be told we are under attack when we don’t even see the violence being done to Palestine,’ said Abunimah. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Abunimah said the Western world was apt to hold the Palestinians, whom he considers victims, accountable, while placing no blame on Israel for the situation. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ He offered an explanation of his position on how to resolve the conflict. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘An entirely different approach is needed,’ said Abunimah. ‘The first step is to accept the long-term ceasefire offered by Hamas and to abide by it.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The next step was to accept that a two-state solution is no longer possible, he said. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Despite the waves of protest in the weeks prior to Abunimah’s lecture, the voices of dissent were muted before, during and after the presentation. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I’m interested to see how many are prepared to step up here and argue for Israel,’ said Abunimah. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ John Friedman, a former Pitt student who attended the lecture, said that he lived in Israel. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I tried to talk to him, and he just wanted to be angry,’ said Friedman. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Friedman said he felt as though there should be justice in Israel, but not at the expense of the Israeli people. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Sarah Moawad, who is associated with the Students of Justice for Palestine, the organization that sponsored the lecture, said the organization invited’ Abunimah because he is well known. She said that the one-state solution is not a common suggestion for the conflict’s resolution. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘He’s a very popular speaker in the pro-Palestinian movement,’ she said. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Moawad said she felt as though her beliefs were strengthened by Abunimah’s speech. The event, though controversial, led to discussion about the issue on campus, she said. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We felt it was important to offer a different perspective,’ said’ Moawad. ‘On a university campus, you want to promote dialogue. It was not at all meant to be disrespectful or to provoke the student population.’