I recently received an email from a friend and student organization president at the University of Illinois, my alma mater. This email was sent to the presidents of EVERY registered student organization on a campus of over 35,000.
Dear RSO Presidents,
As leaders of the Campus Community, it is your responsibility to help succeed the University's Mission Statement. Next week, (April 17th-21st) will be the Palestine Awareness Week, a weeklong of events including speakers, galleries, musical performances, and food. We ask you to simply inform your members of this event. It is the first such event for our campus in several years, and though you may not think this issue affects you directly, it actually does. Billions of U.S. tax payer dollars are given to Israel per year, and in fact the United States gives more money to Israel than when compared to the entire continent of Africa! This money is not going into sources of which would normally be approved by a moral person, it provides funding to destroy innocent Palestinian homes and the internationally condemned and illegal apartheid 25 foot high wall. A wall that surrounds an entire nation, putting Palestine inside a prison. Help stop this injustice, educate yourself and your members by attending our events. Thank you for your time, and help us FREE PALESTINE
Students For Justice in Palestine is co-sponsoring this event along with the ASA
uiuc.edu/ro/uiucasa
Here's the schedule of events
Israel, Palestine, and the New Apartheid Regime
Held at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, April 17-21
Monday, April 17, 7 p.m. (223 Greg Hall)
-Resisting the New Apartheid: Divestment and Solidarity
-Fayyad Sbaihat (lead organizer of the Palestine Solidarity Movement and its Divestment Campaign) and Martha Reese (on the Committee for a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine and Congressional District Coordinator of U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation)
-Photo Exhibit: "Beyond the Headlines" by Matthew Cassel ~ 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (Illini Room C)
Tuesday, April 18, 7 p.m. (223 Greg Hall)
-From Ethnic Cleansing to Equal Rights: On Conflict Resolution
-Jamal Nassar (Chair and Professor in the Department of Political Science at Illinois State University)
-Photo Exhibit: "Beyond the Headlines" by Matthew Cassel ~ 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (Illini Room C)
Wednesday, April 19, 7 p.m. (223 Greg Hall)
-Peace, Propaganda, and the Promised Land
-Film Screening and Panel Discussion on How the Mass Media Portrays the Conflict Panel: Kenneth Cuno (Professor in of Middle Eastern history and Director of the Program in South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies)
Ray Hanania (Arab American Journalist, Comedian)
Thursday, April 20, 6:30 p.m. (192 Lincoln Hall)
-Israel and South Africa: The Apartheid Connection
-Francis Boyle (UIUC Law Professor and scholar in international law and human rights)
Friday, April 21, 7 p.m. (McKinley Foundation)
-Cultural Night: Dabke Performance and Musical Performance
-Dancing, Music, Food, and more...and it's all FREE
This was my response:
To Whom It May Concern:
Your email, sent to the presidents of presumably every RSO on campus, was brought to my attention by one such campus leader. First of all, I would like to know where exactly does the Mission Statement of this University call for RSO presidents to support a completely biased, one sided attack on the independent, democratic State of Israel? This event, a thinly veiled attack on a staunch ally of our country, is at best a misguided and misinformed attempt to garner support for what is a just cause,
and at worse, a blatant piece of anti-Israeli propaganda. You cite numerous statistics, such as the United States' aide to Israel and the so called "illegal apartheid 25 foot high wall surrounding an entire nation" without providing ANY context or reasoning behind these facts.
For example, you fail to mention the large amount of aide that the United States and ISRAEL provide to the Palestinian people, or the indisputable fact that this so called 25 foot high apartheid wall (which, might I add, is not so much a wall at all, but is predominately no more than a barbed wire fence) has cut down on Israeli deaths due to Palestinian suicide bombers exponentially since
being erected. But I'm assuming that the words "suicide bomber" will not be making any sort of appearance in this one-sided smear campaign. I'm guessing that it's also safe to assume that the name "Hamas" will also not come up too often in discussion either. It's much easier to
criticize this country for not offering enough support to the Palestinian government when that government is run by a recognized terrorist organization that, much like the fanatical regime in Iran, calls for the complete annihilation of the sovereign State of Israel and refuses to abide by any PEACE agreements entered into by the
former government. I find it absolutely amazing that you would have the gall to send this email to the heads of all RSOs on campus, knowing full well that many are not only Jewish organizations, but have among their ranks numerous students who's friends and loved ones have fallen victim to Palestinian terrorist attacks. And the fact that you tell these people that it is their RESPONSIBILITY as members of the University of Illinois community to support this event is absolutely appalling.
I find it sad that nowhere in your schedule of events do I find anything that even hints of an open, honest dialogue, a discussion for a two state solution, or any mention of a lasting peace. Instead I see numerous mentions of apartheid and ethnic cleansing and an event
that looks to incite more hatred, violence, and divisiveness. I will now refer you to the Mission Statement of this fine University, which,
it seems, you did not have time to read:
As a land-grant institution, its three campuses address critical issues of the state and the nation. It will fulfill its mission by:
...Strengthening mutually beneficial relationships and building new
ones with communities, governmental entities...
Please read that section again and pay special attention to
"strengthening mutually beneficial relationship and building new ones" and honestly ask yourselves if this event is really in line with the goals of this University as you say it is, or is nothing more than a one-sided, transparent attempt to promote more hatred and conflict
instead of a lasting peace. I thank you for your time and urge you to contact me either by phone or via email, if you would like to continue this dialogue.
Sincerely yours,
Matt
CBA 2005
Why bother with dialogue or discussion when hate speech is so much more fun. I am an ardent supporter of Israel, but at the same time, a proponent of a lasting two state solution. The fact that the University allowed this group to send this email to the leaders of EVERY registered student organization completely shocked me...and that they're alloting University classroom space for such an event.
In case anyone is interested, you can find the entire text of the mission statement here