Stanford students protest Israeli actions

Tempers flared at Cal Poly on Thursday as two opposing groups of students rallied to express positions on the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.The rally initially announced by Students for Justice and Peace in the Middle East was attended by a large contingent from the Cal Poly Israel Alliance organization. That led to the two sides — each with about 40 protesters — immersed in intense arguments.

Both sides advocated for peace in the Middle East and denounced civilian deaths. Yet many also blamed the recent violence on the Israeli government as well as Hamas, the militant organization currently controlling the Gaza Strip. “The military actions taken by the Israelis aren’t justified when many of the victims are children and civilians,” said Annie Shin, a Cal Poly biology major. “They’re punishing the wrong people and this is only the beginning of a drawn-out war in the Middle East.” Students for Justice and Peace in the Middle East hosted the rally to decry civilian deaths. More than 750 Palestinians, including more than 300 civilians, have died.

But many Jewish students on campus claimed the conflict was sparked by the rocket fire of Gaza militants that have killed 10 Israelis, including three civilians, and injured dozens more since the war began Dec. 27. “Israel is simply defending itself against Hamas until it stops rocket fire,” said Benjamin Nejathaim, a Cal Poly architecture student. “… We oppose the terrorist tactics that Hamas is using.”

Some among the group denounced what they say is the use of “human shields” by Hamas, which is when combat targets are surrounded by civilian presence. Several members of the Code Pink organization, a local group of primarily women, joined those advocating for peace and criticized the amount of U.S. aid going to Israel — which they say includes advanced weapons and money used in warfare against the Palestinians. They joined the group of people who held up signs that read “Stop U.S. Aid to Israel,” “Let Gaza Live,” and “Cease Fire Now” and joined chants of “Israel, Israel, U.S.A., how many kids did you kill today?” But their signs and voices were countered with Israeli flags and signs that read “Israel We Stand With You,” “3200 Rockets Fired 2008,” and “Stop Using Gaza as a Launching Pad.”

During the vocal rally, the president of the Cal Poly Israel Alliance, Jacob Kory, and university history professor Manzar Foroohar engaged in a screaming match over the conflict.

SanLuisObispo.com