Students flooded into the Noyes lecture hall, slouched in their seats, and appeared no more engaged than what you would expect from a typical class. However, the crowd that filled the seats on Monday, February 2nd was no ordinary classroom gathering. Orli Gil, Israel’s Consulate General to the Midwest, came to speak to strengthen ties between Israel and the United States.
Her speech began promptly at 7pm; though, the night began much earlier with protestors greeting those that came in support of Israel. Her purpose was to speak about the recent events in Israel, and their purpose was to seek answers for the injustice done against their people in Palestine. Within minutes, a clear boundary was drawn in the stands; not a doubt existed about which side people were on.
The only picture that I could find isn’t too clear, but the signs they held send the message.
Protesters Expressing Their Views before the Speech Courtesy of Sammy Marks
The signs read: “Stand Up Against Israel’s Terror,” “Stop the Rocket War on Arabs and Muslims,” “Stop Israel’s Slaughter in Gaza.”
Orli spoke of the beauty of Israel, in terms of the humanities, sciences, and incredible innovation. She spoke of the freedoms that the people of Israel have. Freedom of religion, speech, women’s rights, minority rights. She insisted, “This is the real Israel that I want you to see, no the one you see on T.V.”
Orli Gil, Isreal’s Consulate General to the Midwest Courtesy of Sammy Marks
As she spoke, it was obvious who the protesters in the lecture hall were. Looks of anger and frustration stuck out amidst the applause in the rest of the room. There were over 20 individuals that I could clearly identify as Palestinian students. This is based on their clothing as well as their comments during the Q & A portion of the night.
Most of the time that she spoke, Orli seemed to be justifying the attacks on Gaza. “For several years, 6500 missiles have been thrown from Gaza,” she then mentioned the impact on the youth in the area, “Children couldn’t go to school there.” I realize that both sides are appealing to the effects on children, but what about everyone else?
It’s great that the Consulate General came to speak, but it’s hard for students here to really understand what it’s like to live in the region. Can we actually fathom what it’s like to live with missiles going off everyday? Orli tried to explain by adding, “People couldn’t conduct their lives without entering into a death roulette.”
During the Q & A section of the night, protesters made their mark. Most of the people that were given a chance to speak made harsh comments and aggravated claims about what Israel is doing. They weren’t there to ask questions, they came to be heard. Arguably, everyone deserves a space to speak.
Rather than shouting out such claims about the injustices that Israel has allegedly committed, I think they should have asked questions that would have given attendees some perspective. The people that were brave enough to stand up and speak were mostly dismissed by the crowd. Every attempt was made to respectfully move on to the next speaker.
I looked around the room after the event was over, and I was angry. My anger stemmed from a new-found hatred towards persons I didn’t even know. The comments they made were personal because I am Israeli. All the attendees were engaging in a mutually tense situation.
Just a few days prior to the speech, there was a rally held on the quad by Students for Justice in Palestine. I left the rally with the very same feelings of anger. That day on the quad, many of these same protesters and others from their organizations were shouting out chants that seemed more like propaganda to me.
The looks that they gave showed their distaste for me, though they knew nothing about me but my religion. I showed up at the rally by mistake, and my friend pulled out an Israeli flag. Throughout the entire rally, only a handful of us (as in Jewish students) stood by the flag in utter silence. Nothing that we would have shouted could have competed with their megaphone.
The chants that I remember clearly are as follows:
“Money for Education, not for Occupation”
“Israel, Israel, you can’t hide, we charge you a genocide”
“Free, Free, Palestine, from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”
Throughout the rally, the protesters ended up turning towards our grouping of 5 and addressed their chants at us. This made me angry because I felt like I was being accused for the actions of the political leaders of a nation that I hold close to my heart.
It should be noted that after the speaker, I was able to converse with several of the protesters. From talking to them, I was able to gain some perspective and my stance is far more conflicted than I care to explain. Though I am, without a doubt, pro-Israel, I find myself struggling with the political actions of the country. It’s hard to know what is true in today’s media coverage, or rather whether or not we are getting the FULL truth.
