Letters to the Editor do not reflect the editorial opinion of The Daily Free Press. They are solely the opinion of the author.
We, students, alumni and, community members at Boston University, condemn Boston University Students for Israel (BUSI) and Hillel’s event “Vigil for Victims of Terrorism” and call on Boston University administration to take strong measures to address the misleading and inciting rhetoric that these groups are using.
The event held on October 16th was an example of the one-sided, manipulative propaganda present on our campus. The event was co-hosted by outside organizations such as Israel Campus Roundtable, Zionists Of America, StandWithUs, The Hasbara Fellowships, The David Project, the National Hillel organization, and the Jewish Agency for Israel. The presence of these organizations is both alienating to Palestinians on campus and divisive to the greater BU community.
Within the past two weeks alone, 50 deaths have occurred, 7 of which were Israeli and 43 of these tragedies were Palestinians. In addition, more than 1,200 Palestinians have been injured due to live rounds being shot at protesters including women and children. More than 800 Palestinians have been arrested and can face indefinite detention and torture based on the common practice of the Israeli police and military. While we agree all lives should be mourned, the ultra-nationalistic event rejected to mourn the Palestinian lives by urging on their Facebook event, “come and support Israel this Friday.”
The deliberate use of the word “terrorism” to refer to the Palestinians is an attempt to dehumanize them. This serves to divide our campus by triggering families and students at BU, who are deeply connected to Palestine and the experiences of living under the ongoing occupation. We are calling for a condemnation of this inexcusable political agenda that cannot coincide with the mission of inclusivity and cultural diversity at BU. We urge BU students, professors, and administration to foster an inclusive environment and prevent outside organizations from propagating toxic rhetoric that destructs the common ground this community is built on.
Statement by Boston University Students for Justice in Palestine
Media Contact: Jose Godoy, godoysjp@gmail.com