The painful effects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict ripple
out from the Middle East, impacting millions of people throughout
the world. Here at UCLA, the suffering of the Israeli and
Palestinian people is often viewed through the emotional lenses of
diverse family connections, political interests and religious
beliefs.
Considering the polarized and excruciating nature of the
conflict, it is understandable that students often have a hard time
seeing the conflict in academic terms ““ indeed, even the
pre-eminent scholars of Middle Eastern history often seem to be
pushing an agenda, at the expense of fair academic exploration.
Still, it is important that students concerned about the
conflict approach it constructively, remembering that being at a
university brings both unique opportunities and
responsibilities.
During Islamic Awareness Week last week, Bruins for Israel
displayed a video on Bruin Walk showing how some young Palestinian
children are violently taught to hate Israel. The display of this
video during Islamic Awareness Week upset many students ““
including Jews and Muslims ““ who felt it was insensitive to
during this special week for Muslim students.
Students who were upset were right ““ the display was not
constructive. (And the argument that the video concerned
Palestinians only, not the religion of Islam, fails to recognize
the close connection many Muslims feel to what is happening in the
Middle East.) But the video was not the first example of
insensitive advocacy related to the conflict. Last week, the Muslim
Student Association invited a provocative guest who suggested that
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon could be compared to Hitler.
How must that make students with relatives killed in Nazi death
camps feel?
For years, this sort of back-and-forth shock communication has
existed. Those who support Palestinians are said to support
terrorism. Those who support Israel are said to condone violent
oppression of the Palestinians.
Outsiders have their influence. Powerful lobbies realize the
United States plays an important role in deciding the
conflict’s course. In an effort to win hearts and minds,
numerous groups have sprung up over the years and promised a steady
supply of funding, experts and travel experiences to students who
will promote certain opinions about the conflict. Despite strong
pressure, students must not view UCLA as a public relations
battleground. UCLA should be a place where all students can learn
about the issue and discuss it free of the influence of fear or
coercion.
Students should be able to expect honest debate and discussion,
rather than just hearing a litany of the injustices being inflicted
upon one side or the other. For those trying to make arguments, a
measured approach is most effective ““ during shouting matches
and accusatory polemics, valid points are lost amid fiery
language.
Individual students who belong to groups affected by the
conflict should realize they do not have to define their
relationships with other students based on their views on the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Students come to UCLA with many of
the same goals and ambitions ““ to explore intellectual
pathways, to embrace new independence, to saturate their minds with
new ideas. These common goals should be a bond among all
students.
Student leaders ““ such as the officers of BFI, the Jewish
Student Union, and the Muslim Student Association ““ have a
responsibility to take the lead in promoting dialogue and good
relations between the members of their groups. Dialogue can take
many forms, and there is no doubt that positive interaction can
build trust and friendship. It might be unreasonable to expect
these groups to co-sponsor events regularly ““ but that does
not mean there should be no communication.
And despite some troubles, students at UCLA should be commended
for their overall civility. Unlike other campuses, UCLA has been
almost totally free from physical confrontations and has
experienced few incidents of hate speech ““ though the few
such incidents must not go forgotten.
It’s important for students to know that tense
relationships are not limited to groups concerned with the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This week, the Bruin Republicans
organization intends to begin “an all-out media blitz”
to show how MEChA is “racist.” (Their main evidence is
apparently documents from the 1960s).
This type of campaign is, again, not constructive ““
attacking another student group with a media blitz is exactly the
type of interaction that should not occur. If there are grievances
between groups, they should be handled by the appropriate
governance bodies, not spewed forth as part of an attack
effort.
UCLA should be a place where students learn from each other and
their teachers. It should not be a place where student groups
attack and disrespect each other, where professional organizations
infiltrate student messages, or where students feel targeted by
hateful comments. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of
individual students to shape the dialogue on this campus.
Though UCLA students will not themselves solve the Middle East
conflict, they can show each other the kind of respect and
consideration that could one day help diplomats on the world stage
solve a problem that right now seems unsolvable. At an intellectual
center, a safe distance ““Â geographically, if not
emotionally ““ from the terror and death, UCLA students should
challenge themselves to be more tolerant and cooperative on this
issue.