Setting the Dividing Line Straight

I am writing to correct the inaccuracies and blatant lies written in Mr. Halpern's article, "Israeli student group hopes for healthy dialogue on current conflict."

First of all, contrary to the claim made in Mr. Halpern's article, the mock wall displayed in the Dustbowl in 2009, which I helped build to represent Israel's illegal wall in Palestine, was approved by both the Student Programs Office (SPO) and Facilities; BCPD was aware of the wall, but it was not their responsibility to authorize it. In fact, an SPO dean even stopped by the Dustbowl while we were painting the wall to check on our progress (and probably make sure we weren't spilling too much paint). He complimented our work.

(As for the language used to describe the actual wall in Palestine, I say "Palestine" because, though international law requires it to be built on the border between Israel and the West Bank, the wall is built mainly on Palestinian land, annexing large portions of the West Bank into Israel. And I say "wall" because it is, in many places, a wall. To refer to it as merely a "security fence" denies the reality of oppression for thousands of Palestinians which we hoped to illustrate in building the mock wall.)

Secondly, Mr. Dubov's removal of the Students for Justice in Palestine signs, which contained facts about the persecution of Palestinians under the Israeli occupation, was a violation of university conduct, which he was told when he arrived at SPO with the removed signs-meaning he removed the signs before attempting to determine whether or not they had been approved, contrary to what was printed in this article. Moreover, SPO informed him that they in fact had approved the signs (as had Facilities), making the article's assertion that they did not yet another falsehood.

In other words, the only two people Mr. Halpern bothered to consult for his article outright lied.

Furthermore, we strongly reject use of the term "anti-Israeli" to categorize our organization/activities. Members of Students for Justice in Palestine count Israelis among their friends, family members, and allies in the struggle for peace for all peoples of the Holy Land. To depict otherwise is reductionist and offensive. We are not anti-Israeli, but anti-injustice. For that reason, we reject Mr. Dubov's quote that Israel holds "no malicious intent" toward Palestinians. The Israeli occupation of Palestine is in itself an act of malice, as all injustices inherently are. According to international human rights laws, Palestinians are oppressed under the Israeli occupation. Printing any claim to the contrary without providing corroborating research is shamefully irresponsible.

One thing this article managed to get right, however, was that our signs intended to play to students' emotions. The violations of Palestinians' human rights under Israeli occupation are numerous and reprehensible. As citizens of conscience--which I am sure, with its "men and women for others" mandate, Boston College aims to train us to be-we are supposed to be outraged by injustice, and then moved to act to defeat it.

Considering the breadth of misinformation printed in this article, it is only suitable that The Heights print a retraction immediately and allow Students for Justice in Palestine an equivalent platform from which to defend our mission (which we will use more truthfully). Accordingly, in the future, we highly recommend Heights staff do some fact-checking before publication. At the very least, had you sought confirmation from the sources mentioned in this article--e.g., members of the SJP executive board or SPO-we could have saved you the time, trouble, and embarrassment of printing a false story.

Also, I would be remiss if I did not include this: falafel is an Arab food appropriated by Israeli culture. Like much of the land of Palestine, it has been stolen.

Lindsey Hennawi,

Co-President of Students for Justice in Palestine

Executive Board of Students for Justice in Palestine