As part of its week-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict awareness campaign, Students for Justice hosted a lecture regarding the recently increased efforts to lobby the United States and the University of California to divest money from Israel and companies within the state.
Guardian
Nagwa Ibrahim and Matt Horton, both former residents of Israeli-controlled Palestinian territory, delivered the lecture promoting their organization, UC Divestment. The group has lobbied the UC Board of Regents to divest its money out of companies in business with Israel and the nation’s army.
“”One of the things that has captured the minds of a lot of people is that analogy with what is happening in the Palestine state to the apartheid state in South Africa,”” Horton said, referring to a similar campaign carried out in the 1980s to protest the racist practices of the South African government.
Ibrahim also related these experiences to the apartheid that took place in South Africa. Specifically, she pointed to checkpoints, the unequal distribution of wealth and resources, and the practice of collective punishment that Ibrahim said exist in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Guardian
Ibrahim and Horton called for another divestment of American funds, like the one in South Africa to end what they called another apartheid regime in Israel. Ibrahim spoke specifically about the UC Regents investment in companies invested in Israel.
“”[The University of California] has $7 million invested in Israeli companies,”” Ibrahim said. “”This money comes out of the tuition and alumni grants.””
Ibrahim spoke about what people can do as students and as citizens of the United States to further the divestment effort, once again drawing upon a comparison to South Africa.
“”The South Africa apartheid regime could not have been successfully dismantled without a strong financial divestment from American companies and citizens.””
Some of the students who were in attendance came to learn more about the topic.
“”I’m interested in divestment,”” said John Muir College junior Sina Shayesteh. “”I wanted to get another point of view, and the solutions they offered were very good.””
Eleanor Roosevelt College junior Sarah Abukar also came to increase his knowledge.
“”I just wanted to come and support the cause, learn more about the plight of the Palestinians, find out what I can do,”” Abukar said.
Other attendees, such as Revelle College junior Sam Litvin, felt the lecture did not offer other aspects to the divestment debate.
“”I did feel that they weren’t open to all sides,”” Litvin said.
This forum was one of several in a series presented by Students for Justice.
Another speaker, professor Abdel Abdel-Nour from San Diego State University, spoke on Jan. 16 about the Israeli-Palestinian peace process efforts that have taken place over the past decade.
