opinion@dailylobo.com
During the Democratic National Convention, there was great controversy over whether to include a section asserting Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel in the party platform. To some it may have seemed strange that such a small piece of rhetoric could cause such a ruckus. However, if one understands the history behind the relations between the Unites States and Israel, and the history of the Israeli state, this may not seem so trivial. Indeed, this history is one that is highly contested and very relevant to today.
In Albuquerque, another controversy has sprung up about this history and the current situation that has come from it. The Friends of Sabeel conference, coming up on Sept. 28 and 29, has been met with some resistance from a number of voices in the Jewish community. The conference has been said to be “deeply offensive to the mainstream Jewish community,” a comment made by the director of the Jewish Federation of New Mexico, Sam Sokolove.
Indeed, some have felt strongly enough to try to persuade the sponsors of the conference to pull out, including the Cathedral Church of St. John, where the conference was going to be held.
I am a Jewish student myself, and while I feel that anti-Semitism should never be tolerated, it seems that this not an instance of it. Sabeel is a Palestinian-Christian organization that states as its purpose finding a resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict through nonviolent action. The conference’s website say’s its vision is of a “just and durable peace,” and that it seeks to “empower the Palestinian community as a whole.” The schedule of events also includes a number of Jewish and Israeli speakers, such as Mark Braverman, a Jewish-American author; Les Field, an anthropology professor at UNM; Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, one of the founders of Albuquerque’s Nahalat Shalom; and Miko Peled, an Israeli dissident and son of a former Israeli general. The lineup also includes a number of voices from the Christian and Islamic communities. Indeed, such an array of speakers and perspectives hardly looks to be one sided or anti-Semitic.
I feel that people must educate themselves about the history and current situation in the region of Israel-Palestine and must be open to opinions and ideas that they may not agree with. It is only through dialogue with other viewpoints and ideas that progress can emerge. In this way, I disagree with the actions that have been taken against this conference. We must differentiate between anti-Semitism or hate speech and critiques of Israel’s policies and actions. For again, while anti-Semitism should have no safe haven, critical looks at Israel’s policies as a state can be constructive and lead to solutions.
