SGB grants funding for pro-Palestinian speaker

‘ ‘ ‘ Campus groups argued about Student Government Board’s decision to approve funding to… ‘ ‘ ‘ Campus groups argued about Student Government Board’s decision to approve funding to bring a controversial speaker to Pitt to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ SGB granted Students for Justice in Palestine $1,351 Tuesday night to bring Ali Abunimah, co-founder of the pro-Palestinian publication The Electronic Intifada, to speak about the most recent violence between Palestinians and Israelis. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Discussion about the event began when Becca Lehner, a member of Panthers for Israel, addressed the board and audience in a 10-minute speech about the group’s thoughts on how the event and the speaker might encourage a revival of anti-Semitism at Pitt. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Lehner said the group felt the need to come to SGB to urge the board to reconsider funding for Abunimah, who spoke at Carnegie Mellon University’s campus four years ago and caused controversy. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We feel like he will not bring a message of peace to the campus,’ said Lehner. ‘And we feel that Abunimah personally affected students in a negative way. We urge the board to reconsider funding this.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Aliyah Furman, a Pitt student and former president of Panthers for Israel, agreed, saying she was concerned not that the speaker was pro-Palestinian, but that she worried he would promote anti-Jewish views. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Saying we don’t want him to come because he’s Palestinian is absolutely ludicrous,’ said Furman. ‘I’m so happy that [Students for Justice in Palestine] is holding events and promoting their views. It wasn’t always like this, but we’re worried about the anti-Semitism that might result because of this speaker.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘To me, it’s a funding issue,’ she added. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ But Jonas Moffat, president of Students for Justice in Palestine, said the board should fund the event because it was a matter of freedom of speech and the accusations against Abunimah were ‘completely not true.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Mr. Abunimah was outraged about being defamed here in Pittsburgh,’ he said. ‘He doesn’t promote any messages of hate, and we encourage anybody and everybody to come and hear what he has to say.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Students in the audience also addressed the issues with the event and the implications that could ensue as a result’ of the board’s ultimate decision. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ J.J. Abbott, executive board director of Pitt Program Council, said all student groups have a First Amendment right to express their views on campus and was happy that members of both groups were so passionate about their beliefs. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I think it’s a slippery slope when we become subjective on funding for different student groups,’ said Abbott. ‘We’ve had people like Ann Coulter and other controversial speakers on this campus, and I don’t think it’s up to the board to make funding decisions based on personal views.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ SGB President Kevin Morrison agreed. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘All groups have the right to have speakers come to the campus to promote dialogue,’ said Morrison. ‘The decision we made tonight is the decision of the board as a whole and does not reflect board members’ personal ideas on the matter.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The event, called ‘Palestine/Israel and the End of the Two-State Solution with Ali Abunimah,’ will be held in Room 120 of David Lawrence Hall on Feb. 28 at 7 p.m.’