On Nov. 15, a demonstration was held on Turlington Plaza titled “UF Stands With Israel.”
Does UF really stand with Israel?
Does UF stand for ethnic cleansing, colonialism, apartheid, occupation and the killing of innocent civilians via the state terrorism of the Israel Defense Forces/Israel?
UF Hillel, Zionist Gators and others may stand for Israel, but I would appreciate if they didn’t speak for the entire university.
Those who were on Turlington claimed they were pro-peace, but many of those same people refuse to acknowledge that Gaza is an open-air prison where the Israeli government dictates calorie intake in order to ensure the citizens have only enough to get by.
Those same people don’t see a problem with the settlements in the West Bank, which are widely interpreted (from the Fourth Geneva Convention) as illegal.
Living in a society that is overwhelmingly Zionist can easily become discouraging, and at times, it can make me wonder if I’m insane.
But, the fact is, this issue is not difficult to interpret.
It’s clear what’s right and what’s wrong, and to keep that conviction is essential to moving toward justice. When I’m at home reading articles or watching live streams, looking at images of mutilated bodies in Gaza and Palestinian babies killed, emotions run high.
It is shocking to me that something like this can be allowed to go on. Then, to come to campus and see massive amounts of students rallying in support of Israel is just a slap in the face.
It’s bad enough to know something like this is happening, but to feel completely surrounded by people who encourage it is sickening.
At the end of the day, though, I know I am right.
I know where I stand. I know there are hundreds of thousands of people who stand with me. Being distant from the struggle can be isolating, but to know that there are people out there putting their lives on the line to make sure Israel’s war crimes do not go unnoticed is inspiring.
There are mass protests in almost every country, every state and almost every city in America. Even at UF, there are students who know what is just and demand the rest of the world recognizes it, too.
The Gator Nation can’t be seen as a community that condones collective punishment, apartheid or murder. Gaza must know it is not alone in this battle and the rest of the world does stand behind it.
We do not stand in isolation, we stand together, and we will continue to fight against the propaganda and the racism.
“Apartheid is a crime against humanity. Israel has deprived millions of Palestinians of their liberty and property. It has perpetuated a system of gross racial discrimination and inequality. It has systematically incarcerated and tortured thousands of Palestinians, contrary to the rules of international law.”- Nelson Mandela
Eric Brown and Farah Khan are lead organizers with Students for a Democratic Society at UF. You can contact them via opinions@alligator.org.
