It is a common notion that campus activists often express more extreme viewpoints than those people they claim to represent, and I believe this to be true of the anti-Israel activists on the York campus.
I would like to point out that those who initiated the rally at York University on February 12, as well as a number of our leaders in the York Federation of Students (YFS) are, based on their actions, anti-Israel, not pro-Palestinian. Although many purport that Palestinian existence is itself necessarily characterized as being anti-Israel, activists on campus who believe in the Palestinian movement should be acting differently to convince us that they actually care about the Palestinian people, and don't just dream of a world without Israel.
Rallies consist of people cursing everything about Israel, and pointing out everything that they think Israel did wrong in Gaza. These anti-Israel activists go to lengths to try to proclaim that Israel is an "Apartheid state" when few Arabs in Israel themselves actually believe this as they have equal access to every facility, park, restaurant, bus, etc. that anyone else in the state has, which is evident upon arrival in Israel. Hamas has been killing pro-Fatah Palestinians in Gaza, as has been reported by CNN, the BBC, and Amnesty International in recent studies, and the fact that this has gone unmentioned at rallies and the anti-Israel discourse also demonstrates that these activists are clearly not pro-Palestinian.
If they were pro-Palestinian, they would quite simply be seeking peace. It is obvious that the Palestinians have borne the brunt of this conflict and it is sincerely an unfortunate fact that the Palestinians have not yet achieved statehood. Calling for a peaceful solution is the only way to be pro-Palestinian, as calls for "Globalize the Intifada", a common sign in Vari Hall, only further damages the lives of the Palestinian people themselves.
In the Territories, we can clearly see that Hamas in Gaza, pushing for war, hatred, and violence, has been an extremely harmful element to Palestinian society, and their tactics both during conflict, and during cease-fires have seen increased Palestinian bloodshed. Contrastingly, Fatah, with its hand extended to Israel, attempting to forge a peaceful solution, has clearly not witnessed the same amount of bloodshed in the West Bank.
A recent poll conducted before the recent war in Gaza by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found that 40% of the residents of Gaza want to emigrate, compared to 25% in the West Bank. This shows that actual Palestinian opinion has demonstrated that the leaders seeking war are not the people they want representing them.
Pro-Israel supporters understand that there are flaws on both sides, and it is rare to speak to a pro-Israel activist who believes that Israel has acted flawlessly. Obviously there have been mistakes made throughout the conflict because no one is perfect. However, speaking to anti-Israel activists, there is no one to blame on the Palestinians side because every single flaw of Palestinian society stems from Israeli actions. Speaking to any of the lead anti-Israel activists on campus, the Palestinian leadership has done nothing wrong.
If there is anything that the events of the last week have demonstrated, it is that there is a serious need for a paradigm shift on campus with regard to the conflict. A positive discourse is required so that both sides, Israel and the Palestinian, are represented, and most importantly, that the facts on the ground be taken into account.
Most Palestinians understand that Israel is there to stay, and few ever question whether Israel has the right to exist. Polls conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research do not ask people whether they believe Israel should have the right to exist. They ask practical questions about how peace talks should be held with different Israeli political parties, how people feel about opening the border between Gaza and Egypt, and whether Hamas should be open to talks with Israel. Questioning Israel's right to exist is irrelevant and impractical. Israel exists, now how should the future look?
Those in the territories have seen enough bloodshed and war; their supporters on campus seemingly have not. Instead of seeking peaceful ways forward, they perpetuate hatred by fueling animosity on campus: issuing one sided press releases condemning Israel, such as the statement drafted by the YFS during the conflict in Gaza that made no mention of Hamas rockets landing in Israel; blaming Zionists for issues on campus they disagree with, such as the Drop YFS campaign which has signatures from a wide variety of students, not only Jewish; attacking and threatening the Hillel office on February 11; and by making this not about what can be done for peace, but how to maintain a state of war.
In my experience with the conflict at York, never once have I seen the anti-Israel movement attempt to reach across the table searching for peace. Never once have I attended a rally in which the usual anti-Israel voices call for a step forward in the region and on campus. Contrastingly, the pro-Israel voice has maintained a message of peace and has rarely spoken out negatively against the Palestinians. We do understand the hardship of the Palestinian people, and we absolutely sympathize with them. We believe that their leadership does not always have their best interests in mind, but we know that if the message of peace and understanding is consistent and continuous, then progress will be made.
This hatred on campus must stop, and I urge all those who believe in progress to take steps to ensure that this campus does not only see hate, but sees a time when cooperation and coexistence is possible, in line with the dreams of those on the ground in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza.
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