Use the fields below to perform an advanced search of The Independent Florida Alligator's archives. This will return articles, images, and multimedia relevant to your query.
510 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
In the early 2000s, the refrain “We will not negotiate with terrorists” proved popular among conservatives. With the nation still reeling from the pain of the Sept. 11 attacks — and our military then deeply embedded in Iraq and Afghanistan — this oft-repeated mantra served no purpose other than to undermine the multitude of criticisms lobbied against President George W. Bush’s “War on Terror.”
The effects of war are undoubtedly tragic. Loss of life, regardless of any affiliating identity, is always devastating. Mothers weep for their sons; sons weep for their mothers. Fathers fear for their daughters; daughters fear for their fathers. We all cry the same tears. We all bleed the same blood. My flesh is his flesh, and his mine. I feel profound empathy for the pain people feel, for the grief the Israeli-Palestinian conflict causes on a daily basis, to both Israelis and Palestinians.
This week, we were ankle deep in pollen, blinded by unkind sunlight while we trudged our way to class through sweat and swamp-ass. Luckily, we’ll be getting some time off to compensate for having to endure the god-awful months ahead. In the meantime, here’s a slow-descent-into-finals-and-sweat edition of …
We all reach a point when we are so stressed we think our world is spiraling out of control. It’s a terrifying feeling that is something akin to skydiving and not having your parachute open. Fear and anxiety can ruin a day, week, month, year or even a lifetime. More often than not, we pull through and move forward. However, what happens when the anxiety is affecting sizable portions of the world?
The Mexican standoff between Iran, the U.S. and Israel over the nuclear talks due to end this month have already caused a bunch of ruckus in their respective countries. The talks had wide-reaching effects, including Tuesday’s elections in Israel and the legacies of our sitting president and the legislators who’ve made it their life’s work to oppose him. The deal comes at a time when the Middle East is once again the center of world chaos and general upheaval.
A former Gator who climbed her way up the political ladder returned to Gainesville on Friday to address the local Jewish community.
Harvey Budd is good with numbers.
When J Street U at UF was asked to endorse the vigil in memory of three Muslim students murdered at UNC Chapel Hill, our Executive Board unanimously gave its support. As an organization which supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — one Israeli, one Palestinian — we were shocked to find ourselves accused of supporting the “systematic murder of Muslims in Palestine and the Middle East” and as an organization that “actively perpetuates Islamophobia,” as Students for Justice in Palestine’s op-ed accused last week. Those hurtful statements reflect a deep misunderstanding of the principles for which J Street U stands. The piece also made a number of blanket statements that fail to distinguish the nuances between different Jewish and pro-Israel organizations, which have different strategies and missions. Our organization, J Street U, is the student organizing arm of J Street. We strongly support the well-being and self-determination of the Palestinian people, as well as Israel’s future as a Jewish, democratic state.
Yehuda M., a 27-year-old Ethiopian-born IDF soldier, speaks to a crowd about his experience serving for Israel as a part of the pro-Israel StandWithUs speaking series at the Reitz Welcoming Center on Thursday. Students for Justice in Palestine organized a walk-out later in the speech.
The Israel-Gaza conflict is physically far away, but it’s widely acknowledged.
The fatal shooting of Deah Shaddy Barakat, his wife Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha and her sister Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha has sparked outrage. While mainstream media is still portraying the incident as a killing over a “parking dispute,” we know that this was a hate crime against the Muslim community. In turn, many communities are condemning Islamophobia. But what does their condemnation actually mean? A vigil at UF that happened Friday evening was endorsed by many different student organizations, including the Jewish Student Union and J Street UF, two organizations that actively perpetuate Islamophobia through their acceptance and funding of Israeli apartheid. What needs to be understood is that one cannot claim to stand in solidarity with the Muslim community while simultaneously supporting Zionism and Israeli state-sponsored terrorism against the Muslim world.
Rebecca Birkholz wishes she had her mother’s maiden name of O’Keefe to further her connection to her Irish roots.
Students walking through campus were met with wide grins from political party representatives holding large white notepads.
If there’s one thing this world has no shortage of, it’s opinions on the State of Israel. There are vocal proponents and vocal oppositions. The spectrum of opinions on Israel’s existence ranges from “shouldn’t exist at all” to “unconditionally” and yet, as with most political things, the middle of the spectrum is largely ignored. Although it may be the least-recognized group of advocates, that’s not to say it doesn’t exist. This is why the need for J Street U on UF’s campus is so pressing. The Middle East is, and always has been, a hotspot for political and religious tension. Ignoring this tension in favor of one group or another is illogical and unproductive. J Street U aims to change this.
Last week Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel, announced that he will be addressing a joint meeting of Congress in early March to discuss actions to be taken against Iran’s nuclear program should the diplomatic approach prove fruitless. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, invited the prime minister to make these proposals to Congress with little excitement from the White House. Josh Earnest, the Obama administration’s press secretary, said that Obama will not be meeting with Netanyahu when he visits in March because they want to steer clear of him during Netanyahu’s election campaign. Earnest went on to explain that they want to avoid “the appearance of any kind of interference with a democratic election.”
Naor Amir’s response (“Response to previous letter urging UF to cut ties with anti-Palestinian groups”) to Amanda Nelson’s op-ed (“Call to UF: Cut ties with anti-Palestine community”) was persuasive and thought-provoking. We believed it warranted a response, as it contained many of the arguments that have been used to justify Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. These arguments included, “Israel is the only free country in the Middle East,” “Terrorism is bad” and “What about other Middle Eastern conflicts?”
On the very day that political cartoonists in France were murdered by Islamic radicals simply for exercising their right to freedom of speech, Students for Justice in Palestine member Amanda Nelson wrote an opinion piece urging the boycott of the only free country, according to Freedom House’s rankings, in the Middle East: Israel. Aside from her absolute lack of empirical evidence for any of the allegations she hurls at Israel, she provides no proof whatsoever that boycotting companies such as Elbit Systems or Caterpillar will have any sort of tangible, positive effect on even one Palestinian-Arab.
If you ask Louise Yariv how long she and her husband have been donating items to families in need, she’ll chuckle and won’t give you a straight answer.
Holidays are treasured in part because they are times, sanctioned by God or the government, for us to reunite with distant and not-so-distant relatives. Unfortunately, this aspect can also make them nerve-racking and awful. You don’t get to pick and choose who your family members are, and the same applies to your family members’ political leanings.
The Sun Center in downtown Gainesville will be the new home for Sababa, a Jewish-Israeli cafe.
Solutions by The State News
