At the beginning of last week, the Muslim Student Association erected a wall along Library Walk to mimic the Israeli occupation of Palestine. The staging of the wall coincided with the A.S. Council’s debate over a proposed resolution calling for the University of California to divest from companies that lend military aid to Israel.

The MSA also brought a number of speakers to campus — including author Norman Finkelstein, UC Berkeley lecturer Hatem Bazian and UCSD alumna and former Black Panther Angela Davis. The tension between pro-Israel students and Palestine sympathizers peaked during a Young Americans for Freedom-commissioned speech on May 10 by pro-Israel commentator David Horowitz.

Scrawled on the wall were depictions of the hostile environment in the Gaza Strip, including a dialogue on unsanitary water conditions and a painting of a woman who had been shot. A “Run for Palestine” treadmill was set up beside the wall — just behind a faux Israeli checkpoint — in hopes of raising money for Palestinian refugees. Of the 400-mile barrier, 250 miles were run by participants, generating $250 to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.