Hundreds of students, faculty and staff joined Bruins for Israel in Bruin Plaza for the celebration of 60 years of Israeli independence, and the event featured speakers, performers and booths honoring the country’s many qualities.
Many students stopped to watch the participants dancing with Israeli and American flags and singing in the middle of Bruin Plaza. Some also listened as the Israeli Consul General Jacob Dayan, Hillel at UCLA’s Executive Director Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller and two professors spoke about Israel and all it has accomplished in the last 60 years.
Booths in Bruin Plaza also highlighted four major cities in Israel: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa and Sderot, with pictures of the cities as well as information about a variety of topics including study abroad options, civil liberties within Israel and work on sustainability options.
One of the organizers for the event, Miranda Bogen, a second-year Middle Eastern and North African studies student, said she hoped students passing by would get a better idea of what Israel is like from the event.
“We wanted to give people a peek into life in Israel and show them how Israel is contributing to the international community,” Bogen said.
Jacqueline Rafii, a member of Bruins for Israel, also said she hoped students could walk away with a better understanding of the country.
“Everyone has their impressions from the media, but there is so much politics around it. We want to show what it is really like there,” Rafii said.
Members of Students for Justice in Palestine and the Muslim Student Association were also out at the event, silently protesting the celebration, treating the Israeli independence holiday instead as a day of mourning.
Students held signs reading “Happy Birthday Apartheid” and “Celebrating 60 years of oppression,” and on the border between the two groups, students and adults exchanged passionate, yet respectful, discussions about the current situation in the Middle East.
Naqib Shifa, president of the Muslim Student Association, held one end of a banner reading “End the Occupation” in one hand and a poster board with details about human rights issues in Gaza in the other, hoping to educating students about their side of the situation.
“I want people to get the proper education about how Israel gained their independence,” he said. “When they’re celebrating today, it’s a day of catastrophe for us, when the indigenous Palestinians were occupied. When they celebrate their independence, they forget how it was attained.”
Linda Khoury, a member of Students for Justice in Palestine, said she hoped students would be open to both sides.
“I do not want students to blindly accept the independence. What Israelis call “˜happy birthday’ marks the loss of others’ homeland ““ 60 years and counting,” Khoury said.
Bogen said she appreciated the manner in which the protesters conveyed their message.
“They are doing it in a respectful way, and we do that for their events that we don’t agree with,” she said. “This is the best way to do it, so both sides can express their opinion.”
Jasmin Niku, president of Bruins for Israel and a member of the Communications Board, the Daily Bruin’s publisher, said she hoped that, despite the protests, everyone could concentrate on honoring the achievements Israel has made.
“I understand that life is not easy for the Palestinians right now, but this is our day to celebrate, and I want to focus on that,” Niku said.
She said the day’s festivities were really to celebrate Israel’s ability to be a thriving democracy despite challenges.
“That a country smaller than New Jersey has not only survived but become one of the most amazing countries in the world, and in the face of all these challenges ““ they still have freedom of the press and other civil liberties ““ I really think it is a miracle,” she said.
Seidler-Feller also spoke of Israel’s growth in his speech.
“Instead of being the victims of history, they have transformed into shapers of their own destiny,” he said.
He also called on both sides to work together to ensure their well-being.
“Celebration necessitates reflection, and we still have a lot of work to do,” Seidler-Feller said. “We say loudly that justice means justice for all, and peace means two states: an Israeli state and a Palestinian state. Let us work side by side.”
The Jerusalem booth also had a table for Bruins for Israel’s “Hopes and Dreams” campaign where students could write their thoughts about what they want for Israel and their vision for Israel’s growth. The submissions will be put together into a book.
“Israel is still young and still has a lot to improve on, so we want people to express their thoughts on it,” Niku said.
Bogen also said she hoped the situation will improve for both sides.
“I hope in the future, at next year’s event, they won’t have to protest because the situation will have improved,” she said.