As Gaza Solidarity Encampments at universities have spread across the country, major media outlets have directed their attention to covering free speech rights, encampments as a valid form of protest and the history of student movements. While the violence towards and silencing of students deserve coverage, this narrative de-centers those at the heart of the conflict — Palestinians and Israelis. Politicians have used the encampments as a springboard to demonize the progressive movement, and to advance their agenda against their opposing party. Our western outlets love to center America, and although America is heavily involved, the victims and the perpetrators remain thousands of miles from Middlebury’s campus. The New York Times, The Guardian and my home newspaper, The Philadelphia Inquirer, have focused both daily coverage and op-eds on student and faculty activism at elite higher-education institutions.
In this op-ed I want to divert attention back to what matters — the safety of Palestinians and the Jewish people — from my perspective as an Ashkenazi American Jew. When we only focus on the validity and strategy of college protests, we lose sight of broader discussions on Zionism, Palestinian sovereignty and peace. I hope that this article can lay out some of my thoughts and provoke discussions on the more pressing issues at hand.
I would not say that I was raised in an ultra-Zionist family, but as is standard my synagogue featured an Israeli and an American flag together just beside our bimah. The Jewish community in the U.S. is largely Zionist, if we define Zionism as the belief that a Jewish state ought to exist. My grandma remembers when the state of Israel was established. She was 14 at the time and excited. She told me that the sentiment amongst the Jewish community in Philadelphia was that “at last there was a place for us to go.” Her parents had fled pogroms in the Russian Empire, and like many American Jews, hadn’t felt comfortable in their new homeland. My grandma felt that with the creation of Israel, safety was finally guaranteed for a people who have faced persecution wherever they’ve lived. I haven’t faced antisemitism to any degree close to my grandmother — partially because my presentation obscures my Judaism. Nonetheless, I can’t deny the desire and need of subjugated people to ask for their own autonomy. This applies to Palestinians as well. Both groups deserve a state (whether it is a combined nation or two separate states) where they have their safety guaranteed.
I believe strongly that Jewish safety between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea does not require Palestinian dehumanization. In fact, the opposite is true. When violence is imposed, violence will arise. Since the Nakba that went hand in hand with Israel’s creation, the Israeli government has supported Israeli settlements in the West Bank, imposed a blockade on Gaza and tried Palestinians from the West Bank in a military court that holds them in custody throughout all proceedings. On Oct. 7th, Hamas militants entered southern Israel, and carried out a massacre of 1,200 Israelis in Kibbutzim and at a music festival. In response, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) entered Gaza and carried out a decimating slaughter. The IDF has killed nearly 35,000 Gazans, and destroyed every single Gazan university.
This seemingly endless cycle of violence will not be solved by sensationalizing destruction and disobedience at colleges and universities throughout the United States. I care far less about a canceled commencement than I do about warfare on the ground right now. The proxy-war between protesters and counter protesters in the US that we hear so much about blurs a mission towards peace. I think it’s more useful to listen to those on the ground, since only with information and through empathy can we achieve peace. Media attention focused on infighting at American institutions has and will continue to delay important coverage and conversations regarding Israel and Palestine.
These are excerpts from interviews conducted by Democracy Now, Amy Goodman’s news radio show. It can be heard on Middlebury Radio, 91.1 WRMC weekdays from 8-9am.
Refaat Alareer was killed by an Israeli airstrike in early December. This is his friend, Jehad Abusalim, remembering Refaat: “Refaat Alareer was a towering figure in Palestinian society, especially in Gaza. He transcended the role of a mere educator and a teacher. He was a mentor, a beacon of wisdom and guidance, a loving father and husband, and a compassionate son. Refaat’s presence enriched the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of students. His influence extended far beyond the confines of the classroom. Refaat wasn’t just a teacher. He was a friend, a confidant. He was someone who loved to support his students and who believed strongly in the potential of each student, offering them personal advice and guidance. Refaat will be missed.”
Hayim Katsman was killed on Oct. 7 at the Holit Kibbutz, in southern Israel. This is his brother Noy, speaking about his brother: “my brother was — so, he did many things. He was also a car mechanic. He was a DJ. He was a brilliant academic. He also was a gardener. He was in charge also of the fruit trees and also of the gardens. Lately, he became in charge of the gardens in Holit. And all of the things he did, he was for peace. He was a DJ, so he was a DJ of — he played almost entirely Arabic music from the Middle East, about Palestine and Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt. He was a gardener, and he volunteered in Rahat in the garden. And Rahat is a Bedouin city in the south of Israel, near Be’er Sheva. And he also was — he was a volunteer in Masafer Yatta, where Palestinians are suffering from displacement and terror from settlers and soldiers. So he would go there and help them, protect them and use his knowledge as a car mechanic to fix the 4-by-4 car of the volunteers”.
As the media focuses on American students, these first hand accounts describe the wonderful lives lost to IDF and Hamas terror. Just following the staggering death toll makes processing near impossible, at least for me. I think we need to hear from people individually to understand what's happening. We need to read what Palestinians have written and what Jewish people have written so that we can move forward towards peace.
This article is not meant to diminish or put down the encampments and their results. While it is imperative that the national chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and encampments around the country examine and remove the antisemitism that creeps into the pro-Palestinian movement, as a Jewish student I feel that Middlebury has worked hard to create a safe space for Jews — Zionist or not. I’m proud to attend a school where our encampment has hosted excellent educational opportunities and where the student leaders condemned the destruction of an Israeli flag off the first floor of Forest Hall. I’m grateful that most of the Middlebury community has attempted to hold onto nuance in an issue so complicated, while recognizing the life and death at stake. I hope that we are able to demand change in a peaceful manner, and hold space for dialogue in a climate where tense discussions can turn threatening.
I commend the encampment for staying focused on the issue at hand. The encampment brought major wins: the college’s administration has now called for a ceasefire, promised to become more financially transparent and stated that they will “explore avenues” to bring in displaced students. I hope to refocus the media narrative towards the people murdered in the region, not undermine the work of the activists. Let’s continue to demand peace in the region, listen to who the conflict affects most and remember that Jewish and Palestinian safety are not exclusive —they are in fact closely entwined. Violence will continue to perpetuate violence. The imperative from the United States government ought to be on Palestinian and Jewish safety. Universities should focus on what they can do individually in terms of divestment from war manufacturing and housing students instead of quelling students' right to express themselves. Let's re-center our focus on Israel and Palestine and not on “disruption” at our elite institutions.
