UF students share thoughts, experiences on Israeli-Palestinian conflict

University of Florida students gathered at Turlington Hall Thursday evening for a teach-in hosted by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) to speak on the ongoing war in Israel and the region's history of oppression.

The educational discussion led by the human rights advocacy group, which was formed to address modern society’s failure to produce a solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict and to promote public awareness of issues overseas, follows a vigil for victims in Israel and Gaza held earlier in the week that went awry and injured dozens of students, sending some to the hospital.

Israel this week formally declared war on the terrorist group Hamas and they bombarded Israel and Gaza, killing at least 1,300 innocent men, women and children. Among those killed are more than a dozen Americans and hundreds of people attending a music festival. Hundreds more of Israeli citizens have been taken hostage.

“The killing of any life is always undignified and heartbreaking,” said an anonymous speaker over Zoom during the meeting.

Since the war started, President Joe Biden has condemned the Hamas attacks "evil" for the group's slaughtering of innocent people. Nearby regions have also erupted in mass protests in opposition to the attacks. Israel has since ordered an evacuation of northern Gaza by dropping thousands of flyers through air as a way to communicate with people since electricity has been cut off.

Thursday’s event also featured dozens of attendees and other student groups, such as Islam on Campus (IOC) and Arab Students’ Association (ASA) to share their thoughts on the Palestine-Israel conflict and to condemn the attacks. Campus police were also on the scene, which has already signaled they would have a heightened presence around campus as the war continues.

None of the speakers identified themselves and attempted to restrict and limit media access to the public event after inviting various news organizations to cover it. The hosts, on several occasions, throughout the event confronted different media members about their efforts to document the meeting. An organizer contacted after the event later apologized and said some had received death threats prior to the meeting starting.

UF President Ben Sasse penned a letter to Jewish students this week warning the community of possible anti-Israeli protests, but ensuring their safety.

"We will protect our Jewish students from violence," he wrote. "If anti-Israel protests come, we will absolutely be ready to act if anyone dares to escalate beyond peaceful protest. Speech is protected – violence and vandalism are not."

More: UF President Ben Sasse condemns Hamas attacks, ensures student safety after stampede vigil

Message shared

Speakers during the lecture shared that mainstream media misrepresents Palestinians and seems to favor Israel, only covering Palestinians if there is a mention of terrorists, or barbaric or violent acts. One also claimed that news organizations have reported that all Palestinians are associated with the terrorist group Hamas.

They cited current events overseas as the deadliest Palestinian attack. They said that Israel started using white phosphorous, an illegal chemical substance, on Gazans − a statement that has not yet been confirmed.

They compared the Algerian liberation from France, the Haitian Revolution, the United States’ treatment of indigenous people, the South African apartheid and the intervention and de-civilization in Latin America to the Israeli apartheid, stating they are historically similar.

More: UF President Ben Sasse condemns Hamas attacks, ensures student safety after stampede vigil

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine dates back to the nineteenth century, according to the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR). The creation of the State of Israel in 1948 marked the beginning of the first Arab-Israeli War which ended in 1949. While Israel won, the territory was divided into the State of Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, displacing around 750,000 Palestinians.

Tensions have only continued, and increased within the last 20 years, especially since the Hamas gained control of the Gaza Strip. The current issues mark the most significant conflict between Israel and Palestine in decades.

Not supporting Israeli government

Speakers informed the crowd about oppression, stating that Israel rules over Palestinian life, limiting its sovereignty at every step. They also cited Israel’s system of oppression as composed of fragmentation, domination, segregation and deprivation, adding that Israel has control over much of Palestine’s resources, especially during times of crisis.

They shared concerns about dehumanizing language that is often used to justify violence and oppression towards Palestinians and said Israel supporters are “apologists”.

They believe the U.S. has the ability to change Israel's ways due to its funding of the region. Without the U.S., Israel could not function as it has been, members said.

At the end of the event, a QR code was presented to send a letter to Gainesville city commissioners, to urge them to “divest from Israeli apartheid”.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: University of Florida Students for Justice in Palestine outreach