StFX students host Palestinian Solidarity Week
March 25, 2010 1:11 PM
This week, the duo is hosting ‘Palestinian Solidarity Week,’ an event intended to raise awareness of Israel’s transgressions of international law through the imposition of what the organizers argue is an ‘apartheid state.’
Zayed and Fleming, two political science students, say that while Palestinian Solidarity Week is not officially affiliated with the annual Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW), their efforts are in line with the global series that has been condemning Israeli policy for six years running.
This year, IAW was held on more than 40 campuses worldwide during the first two weeks of March. In Canada, the weeklong event was awash in controversy, garnering criticism from federal and provincial politicians alike.
Federal Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff argued IAW is divisive, saying “It is an attempt to heighten the tensions in our communities around the tragic conflict in the Middle East.”
Meanwhile, the Ontario legislature passed a unanimous resolution (though only 30 of 107 members were sitting at the time) condemning the IAW events that took place at a number of universities within the province.
Progressive Conservative MPP Peter Shurman, who represents the constituency in which York University is located, was the one who presented the motion in the Ontario government.
He argued that ‘apartheid state’ is not an apt description of the situation.
“My attitude is you have to get rid of this word ‘apartheid’ because that’s not what Israel is,” Shurman says.
However, supporters of Palestine disagree. They argue that evidence of apartheid can be found both in Israel’s treatment of Palestinians living in the Israeli-occupied territories and in the construction of the ‘separation barrier’ between Israel and the West Bank.
The barrier, which is hundreds of miles long and up to eight metres high in some spots, is dubbed the ‘apartheid wall’ by those critical of Israeli policy.
The Israeli government argues the barrier is a necessary security measure to protect Israeli citizens from suicide bombings, but pro-Palestine activists such as Fleming view the wall as a literal manifestation of racial segregation.
“For me it comes down to a very simple idea of justice,” he says.
“If you didn’t know which side of the apartheid wall – or the security barrier – you would wind up on, would you choose the sort of state that’s in place right now? You wouldn’t.”
Zayed says the characterization of Israel as an apartheid state is appropriate.
“People who have experienced types of segregation before have come out very strongly against it,” he explains, noting that some prominent figures who endured apartheid in South Africa have openly demonstrated their support for Palestinians.
South African cleric and anti-apartheid activist Desmond Tutu is one example, Zayed says.
After a 2002 visit to Palestine, Tutu told the BBC, “It reminded me so much of what happened to us black people in South Africa."
“There is certainly legitimacy to the comparison. It amazes me that there’s controversy about the words, almost more than there is controversy about the actions that are actually taking place,” argues Fleming.
Zayed and Fleming recognize that Palestinian Solidarity Week may garner controversy at StFX.
“It hits religion, even though it shouldn’t. It hits culture, it hits identity crises – people don’t know where they belong in the world. Right away, you’re going to step on peoples’ toes because of the way they understand the issue,” Zayed admits.
However, Fleming says it’s now more important than ever to have a discussion about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“The reason I think it’s important this year is because of how much criticism, and how many attempts to silence criticisms of Israeli policies, have been creeping more and more to the forefront in Canada,” he says.
“The Harper record on trying to quash dissent on solidarity causes with pro-Palestinian organizations is wide-reaching, and it seems to just be building more and more. In the face of that, I think it’s really important for an academic institution to maintain a freedom of criticism,” he continues.
As of print, the pair has two documentary viewings planned, Occupation 101: Voice of the Silenced Majority and American Radical: The Trials of Normal Finkelstein. They also plan a guest lecture.
The students hope to keep discussion as civil as possible.
“More can be achieved in a civil discussion than by bashing sides,” Zayed insists.
Still, he knows it’ll be difficult to engage the student body when StFX’s population is so small.
“It’s hard to work on a small campus. But baby steps, you know?”
