Israel Matzav

This is rich: Hillel, J Street University and Students for 'Justice' in 'Palestine' sponsor an event together

And you thought that Hillel would have nothing to do with Students for 'Justice' in 'Palestine' and other anti-Zionist groups, and that's why 'Open Hillel' was started. And you also thought that 'pro-Israel, pro-peace' J Street wouldn't partner with groups that promote BDS. Well, you were wrong. And what started on the east coast has now come to the west coast.

Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a club new to Occidental this year, collaborated with Hillel and J Street last Wednesday to co-host a candlelight vigil mourning the lives lost in the most recent Gaza-Israel conflict. Approximately 30 members of the Occidental community gathered in the middle of the Quad in remembrance of those killed, and also in a stand of solidarity.

The Gaza-Israel war has left many like-minded students shaken and questioning the cyclical, systematic nature of the violence, prompting the idea for the on-campus vigil.

“Yes, we need to remember lives of the people that were lost, but [the vigil] is also to draw in people and give them the sense that this has got to stop,” Beebe Sanders (senior) said.

Testimonials read aloud at the vigil gave the gathering a closer view of the horrors that have become Israelis’ and Palestinians’ reality. One such account was from the perspective of a father, who witnessed the bombing of his house while his children were inside.

“Our main goals were that people walk away with a sense of togetherness, with a sense that as Americans, as all people, we have some investment in this conflict,” J Street Co-Chair Ben Poor (senior) said. “I hope people felt that they had a chance to mourn and to reflect on the events of this summer as a campus community.”

The collaborative event served as an introduction to SJP, which was established by Sanders, seniors Janan Burni and Robert Rodriguez-Donoso and Yasmine Dabbah (sophomore). SJP is a national organization established in 2001 with more than 80 chapters, the purpose of which is to advocate for human rights and a peaceful resolution to the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“We wanted to start SJP because we felt there was a lack of voice for Palestine on issues such as human rights and advocating for an end to the occupation,” Sanders said.

You American Jews keep blindly donating money to Federation to support this, okay?  But at least call Hillel to register a protest!?!?!

Labels: American Jewish leadership, BDS, Hillel, J Street, J Street U, Jewish anti-Semitism, Jewish Federations of North America, pro-Israel pro-peace, Students for Justice in Palestine

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:13 PM