Israel Matzav

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Pro-'Palestinian' students whine to the media at UCSD

At last year's 'Palestine week' at the University of California San Diego, a Muslim student admitted in a public forum that she wanted to see all the Jews in Israel wiped out. This year, there are counter-demonstrations against the 'Palestinian' hatefest by pro-Israel groups. And the pro-'Palestinians' are whining to the media (Hat Tip: Sunlight).

The students’ complaints segued from the firing of Baiz-Torres to the administration’s handling of the annual Justice for Palestine Week on campus and then veered back and forth between the two issues.

Eyad Nasla, a member of the Muslim Student Association, which sponsors the event, said the university should have responded to pro-Israel faculty members who took out an ad in a campus newspaper calling the event a “hate-fest” and suggesting the student groups that support it favor the destruction of Israel.

Nasla said it was inappropriate for faculty members to be “attacking student groups on campus.”

He also said pro-Palestinian students have been subject to “hate emails” and “racist remarks” and confrontations in front of their display on Library Walk.

“We would have appreciated more support from this administration,” he said.

Penny Rue, vice chancellor of student affairs, and other administrators said they had deployed a number of university employees, including uniformed police officers, to ensure there would not be problems around the event.

Rue told Nasla that administrators are on “a tightrope” balancing free speech concerns among student groups on contentious issues like the Middle East.

No one representing Tritons for Israel, which staged a counter display on Library Walk this week, spoke at the meeting.

Lior Abramson, president of the pro-Israel student group, was manning its display near the room where the committee was meeting.

She said that in the past, Jewish and pro-Israel students have felt threatened during Justice for Palestine Week.

The decision this year to mount a counter-display help combat those feelings, she said.

“When you see something like this, you feel a lot more welcome, students working to make our community feel safe.”

It's high time that more pro-Israel campus activists took similar actions.

Labels: Palestine week, University of California at San Diego

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

'Palestine week' at UCSD

Do you remember this woman? If not go here. That week - 'Palestine week' - is happening again at the University of California at San Diego (Hat Tip: Sunlight).

Justice in Palestine Week routinely heightens tensions on campus. But this year, Jewish faculty and students have resolved to do more to counter what they see as the false and hateful premise of the weeklong event — which begins Monday — put on by the UCSD Muslim Student Association.

“What we have seen over the years is a growing level of distortion and venom in the portrayal of the situation in Israel,” said Dr. David Feifel, a professor in the psychiatry department.

Organizers insist the event is not hateful and is simply meant to educate UCSD students and the public about the Israeli government’s mistreatment of Palestinians.

“It’s time for accountability,” said Sarmad Bokhari, 21, president of the Muslim Student Association. “We’re concerned that the U.S. government has unconditional support for the policies of the government of Israel, which increasingly by international standards is seen as an apartheid state similar to South Africa in the ’80s.”

Feifel is one of 28 faculty members who signed a letter, published last month as a full-page ad in the campus newspaper The Guardian, calling the event a “hate-fest” and suggesting the student groups behind it support the destruction of Israel.

Feifel said anti-Israel faculty at UCSD have long been outspoken.

“Pro-Israel faculty have mostly been on the sidelines,” he said. “But last year, the situation just became intolerable. There was a sense that we need to organize and put forth a voice.

“We have been hearing from students about how marginalized and fearful they are during these events, and year-round at UCSD. For us, hearing this from students was the most motivating thing.”

Read the whole thing. It sounds like some other campuses in the California system. Maybe the 'Palestinian' side can invite Tony Kushner to speak. He's really good at suppressing dissent.

But why is this happening so late in the year? Don't these kids have exams in May?

Labels: Palestine week, Tony Kushner, University of California at San Diego