Leah Jay/Hillel at FIU
Last week an article was published in The Beacon that aimed to demonize Israel. It recaps a conversation that took place between two student leaders and the Students for Justice in Palestine.
It is followed by a narrative that provides extremely false information about Israel. The article claims that the students attacked the SJP students and focused only on peace. I, Leah, am one of the students that participated in that conversation. I am responding to this article because it portrays a conversation that I didn’t have.
From my perspective, a civil dialogue about this complex and emotionally charged issue took place; I am a humanist and I believe that all people have the right to self-determination. We exchanged different opinions about the conflict and agreed on others, then left shaking hands in hope to promote a productive and peaceful resolution.
I was deeply saddened to read Nadine’s article, as she was creating false narratives and was quick to be one-sided. I left the conversation with hopes of continuing civil dialogue, however, after reading this article, it seemed as if our progressive conversation was overseen as a feud.
Israel is not a perfect country, but it’s the only democracy in the Middle East and a country that I call home. The claim that there is segregation is simply untrue.
I lived in Israel for a year, and was surrounded by Jews, Arabs, Muslims, Christians, Kurds, and Bedouins every day, living side by side. I would shop at the same supermarkets, attended the same doctors and eat at the same restaurants as everyone else.
My experience in Israel allowed me to see first hand what Israeli society is really about – it is comprised of a colorful, diverse population of people from all around the world. After my year in Israel, I was asked to join the board of our newly established Jewish organization called Hillel at FIU.
We focus on creating events that allow our communities to come together and be as open as possible. Our events are curated to engage different organizations and cultural groups and to share and learn about our traditions and core values.
Hillel at FIU is hosting Rebecca Avera on campus on April 20th, at 6:30 p.m. Rebecca is an Ethiopian Jew who personifies the diversity that is Israeli culture. Her community story is a great example of a Jewish narrative that doesn’t represent stereotypes.
DISCLAIMER:
Letters to the Editor are not written by FIUSM Staff. They are submitted by readers of The Beacon. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.
Image courtesy of Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/neilsingapore/4169640198/in/photolist-7msuLf-5g32sR-5Qg8ku-55eUVX-cedBms-5yHbdg-7pRU9T-CNnMjc-ujvEai-53Aoj4-bRqEC-5JhYqK-CB1jsA-53Avav-tCGG5J-2Y9XRr-5DL5FR-sFY6g-awZfM5-swMw1-7Bkk8t-4Zmc7Y-eMZzsh-hGSimS-bMWUAK-mbip1-7q6SaN-CKoJeF-tti1Tm-sLkPAA-4LJuik-s8sxJf-9DAQXh-4eXcGM-58evim-8GVKrN-dUXKcj-5NdPH4-6HmHeL-9Hxjr-rkAzuF-GMY8g-4fjZZz-fL1xsG-dVZNp8-DzNdkX-7DWG3-4zzXCg-9xZFVS-57R3ue
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