In an effort to unify students and speak out about oppression, the Muslim Student Association held “”From Oppression … to Liberation”” week April 22 through April 25.
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Joshua Reubner, the executive director of Jews for Peace in Palestine and Israel, gave a speech April 22 in Center Hall titled “”A Jewish Perspective on Peace In Palestine.””
“”I wanted to transcend racial nationality,”” said MSA President Ahmed Salem. “”I was really impressed that someone of Jewish descent or Jewish origin could speak out against Israel.””
MSA member Muslema Purmul said that it was time that students and faculty take a closer look at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Guardian
“”It was not until the MSA had the event … that I myself started studying [the events in Israel],”” Purmul said.
Reubner spoke to a nearly full lecture hall about his viewpoint on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“”What Israel has done … is to systematically destroy the infrastructure of Palestine and the Palestinian economy,”” Reubner said. “”The framework that [the] violence takes place in is Israel’s brutal military occupation.””
Graduate student Osman Salah said he originally went to the speech to hear a Jewish perspective on peace.
“”I don’t think [Reubner] represents the Jewish view,”” Salah said after the speech. “”He’s a minority.””
Union of Jewish Students President David Weisberg said that although Reubner represents one Jewish perspective, one person cannot represent all Jews.
“”There’s no one stance that the Union of Jewish Students takes on the Israel issue,”” he said.
Weisberg also mentioned flyers in the Price Center on April 15 that purported to quote from the Talmud, a book of Jewish law.
“”These quotes are complete fabrications,”” he said.
He said that the quotes on the flyers said that Jews will keep slaves when they take over the world and that it’s accepted for Jews to sexually abuse children.
“”This happens to the Jews, but next time it could be anti-Hispanic; who knows,”” Weisberg said.
Salem said he wanted no animosity between MSA and UJS and had never seen the flyers.
“”That’s not our style: to attack Jewish people,”” Salem said. “”We never once put out a flyer or campaign against them.””
Weisberg said that UJS had “”no idea”” where the flyers came from. The flyers, which had no stamp from Associated Students and thus were not legitimately posted, were taken down by UJS and other students, Weisberg said.
The UJS put a full-page advertisement in Monday’s issue of the Guardian, calling the flyers “”some of the most vile and filthy anti-Semitic material that has ever been distributed at UCSD.””
Weisberg said that a number of student groups, including the Cross Cultural Center and the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Office, supported the UJS advertisement.
“”We just felt like it was really important to make a statement,”” Weisberg said.
The end of the advertisement tells students to “”report anyone who is spreading hate on our campus to the university authorities.””
Weisberg said that although UCSD can’t stop people from “”spreading hate,”” the authorities should be aware of what is happening on campus.
“”[If] anyone feels like they’re marginalized in any way, they should take action on it,”” Weisberg said.
The UJS recently posted flyers in response to the anti-Jewish flyers.
Weisberg said that UJS might work together with other organizations to form a coalition against hate.
“”The thing is unity for everyone,”” Salem said about the week’s events. “”We can’t forget the oppressions that are going on.””
