We should not and cannot stand for genocide, which is why we acted in on Sudan. And in terms of Iran, we acted out of compassion for the threat it poses to the entire Middle East and not just for Israel.

This conflict in Israel, Palestine, Judea and Canaan has been going on for over 5000 years. The brightest minds of pretty much every generation of written human history have tried to solve it. And lo and behold, no one has come up with a sustainable solution. Does A.S. Council really think that college students — albeit extremely bright and capable ones — from San Diego have the capacity to determine this struggle?

In truth, that is what this resolution is about — taking sides in an epically long battle that really has no winner. To declare a winner in this battle would be to refute the beliefs and faith of another religion entirely.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am Jewish, I was in AEPi, and I attended my fair share of Jewish events during my time on campus. And yes, I love Israel, and it would kill me to see an A.S. Council that I was once a part of disenfranchise the tremendous Jewish population of our school.

But more than that, if A.S. Council votes at all on this resolution, it would kill me to think that they believe they possess the power to decide which faith is better, which religion is more right and which students are worth more.

The votes of A.S. Council have consequences, and most times they have the moral imperative to act like we did when we chose to divest from Sudan and Iran, and like previous generations did in their support for boycotts of South Africa under Apartheid and the Vietnam War. But their moral and ethical imperative here is to not pass judgment or worse, destroy the faith of their fellow students.

And in order to do that, A.S. Council must table this resolution for now and for good.

— Daniel Palay
Earl Warren College, Class of 2008
Former A.S. Senate Chair