Students work to end troubles in Palestine
In 1947 the United Nations voted for the partition of Palestine, which created the Jewish state of Israel. Since then, Palestinians have faced an unprecedented struggle consisting of wars, oppression and public scrutiny.
According to the U.S. Department of State, Palestinians are currently limited to the West Bank and Gaza Strip due to territorial disputes. As a result, there is constant border conflict between Israelis and Palestinians to this day.
In 2014, Israeli forces launched the Operation Protective Edge offensive on the Gaza Strip. The U.N. reports that the attacks killed 2,104 Palestinians including 1,462 civilians. Of those civilians, there were 495 children and 253 women.
Unfortunately, this brutality is not an isolated event and violence is still present in 2015. But there has been a call for change. According to the Associated Press, Jewish and Muslim civilians often protest together for peace–this is also true on campus within Students for Justice in Palestine.
Students for Justice in Palestine is an organization working to end the conflicts overseas. The students involved come from several different ethnic backgrounds but they all empathize deeply with the cause. There are currently 140 chapters in the U.S. which enables the organization to contribute by raising awareness of Palestine.
According to Albert Kishek, President of Students for Justice in Palestine, the organization would like to ensure that Palestinians are recognized as people.
“The world needs to open their eyes for them,” Kishek said.
Kishek was chosen to attend the National Leadership Conference for the Arab-American Institute. The conference, held in late October, invites Arab-American leaders, both young and old, to be a voice for their people.
Kishek explains that the AAI hoped to empower the young activists at this conference, but not everyone was on the same page.
“Unfortunately there was a major dissonance between the older crowd and the younger crowd,” Kishek said.
The seasoned leaders advocate to work within a political system that had been in place for years, while Millennials advocate for refusing the system altogether. This system is characterized by drafting policies thousands of miles away from where they will be implemented.
Kishek argues that this is the very system that continues to fail the Middle East and that it should not be subjected to politics – but his voice is not alone.
“[Millennials] feel that this is systematic western imperialism infringing on a region that does not deserve it,” Kishek said.
Kishek also pointed out that many Middle Eastern issues, such as Libya and Yemen, are overlooked at this conference because of political alliances. Commercial alliances also impede the AAI and human rights issues in Saudi Arabia from being discussed. According to export.gov, Saudi Arabia was the United States’ largest trading partner in 2012.
“We never talk about [Saudi Arabia] because we do business with them. America does business with them,” Kishek said.
Kishek later explained that, despite the efforts of the AAI, they have always been a marginalized society because of politics. However, the youth hopes to change this.
“The millennial way of understanding has nothing to do with the ‘Republican or Democratic’ question,” Kishek said.
In their efforts to develop a unifying force, Students for Justice in Palestine hope to be a voice of peace and solidarity with other people of marginalized causes. This includes drawing parallels between the plight of Palestinians and that of African Americans, the LGBTQ+ community and Native Americans.
On November 22 at 915 Railroad Avenue, Students for Justice in Palestine will host “(No Thanks) giving” which will represent saying “no” to the concept of colonialism in the past of the Americas and the present state of Palestine.
However, the event will “give thanks” to the community and the arts by featuring local artists, dancers, poets and musicians.
You can follow Students for Justice in Palestine for more information on the event and how to get involved.
Source: www.fsunews.com