By Tritons for Israel
Executive Board
It is with a heavy heart that I begin this piece for publication. Recently Students for Justice in Palestine authored a resolution asking the Associated Student body to call upon the UC Regents to divest the investments of the pension and retirement funds from two American companies because they did business with the Israeli Defense Forces.
We heard at a special presentation how this year’s divestment resolution was “a brand-new resolution” and had nothing to do with last year’s resolution, when in truth 11 of the clauses are exact quotes from last year’s divestment resolution. We were told that this was not meant to target the State of Israel, but rather it was focused on the region as a whole.
Sadly this too was not true, as the State of Israel was the only sovereign country to be mentioned in the resolution, and it was “mentioned” over 17 times. We even heard about how the resolution was meant to foster dialogue, when the only dialogue created around the event was done so by the A.S. President-elect, and not by the proponents of the resolution.
Despite the blatant attack on the State of Israel, and consequently the Israel, and pro-Israel communities at UCSD, Tritons for Israel extended a hand in peace to the leadership of Students for Justice in Palestine in the hopes that some sort of dialogue and compromise could be reached. Two representatives from Tritons for Israel worked tirelessly, despite the Jewish holiday of Passover, to reach a middle ground and bridge the gap between our two respective communities.
On the brink of a historic opportunity, Students for Justice in Palestine retreated to their original talking points, and even failed to recognize the need for cultural cooperation, or the necessity for ensuring the security of both Palestinians and Israelis.
That, however, has become a
? TFI, from page 4
moot point. The question we must ask ourselves is, where do we go from here?
We may never come to an agreement about divestment, but should we allow that to prevent a greater dialogue from happening?
Call me an idealist, but I firmly believe that the things which divide us pale in comparison to those which can unite us. If a compromise cannot be reached surrounding divestment, I feel we should respect each other’s positions, agree to disagree, and search for the common ground we all share.
Has there not been enough suffering on both sides? Now is the time to end this fighting, both on campus at UCSD and in our respective homelands.
Tritons for Israel has always and will continue to stand for peace, dialogue, and justice. Divestment is not the way to a durable peace. Only by speaking to one another can we achieve a true understanding, and build the bridges necessary for a sustainable coexistence. Tritons for Israel hopes that we will someday have a willing partner in the struggle to achieve a sustainable end to the conflict, both in the Middle East and here on our campus.
