Israel Alliance's actions served to open dialogue

Editor,

In response to Katryn E. Fraher's letter in Tuesday's Daily Lobo, I would like to clarify the events detailed. Fraher claims that the UNM Israel Alliance defaced a presentation put up by the Salam Coalition in Smith Plaza on April 26. The SC constructed a representation of the wall being constructed by Israel consisting of a network of fences with vehicle-barrier trenches. This barrier is located partly along the 1949 Armistice Line between the West Bank and Israel.

I am a UNMIA member who was present at this event. This same day, the UNMIA was operating a booth at the International Festival. An elderly couple approached our booth and asked if we had seen the wall in Smith Plaza. None of us knew this event was taking place, so several of our members went to view it out of curiosity. Once in its environs, we decided to put up the same fliers we were handing out at the International Festival around the area near the wall.

We were hardly antagonistic and were treated very respectfully by members of the SC. What resulted was a dialogue between two groups, which was the stated purpose of the wall display. A majority of fliers we placed in the area were posted around the anthropology building - spaces free for student organizations to post information. Additionally, we were never explicitly forbidden by the SC to place our fliers on the wall; we simply construed this as an act of free speech. However, if SC members had asked us not to put up fliers, we would have politely refrained from doing so. Our intentions were not defacement, and I apologize if they were interpreted this way. Fraher's letter makes it appear that we acted in a premeditated, malicious manner.

However, these events constituted a very casual, consensual interaction that was in no way meant to sabotage another group's presentation. The general aim of the wall display was to promote dialogue and awareness of global issues at UNM. Thus, we felt it was appropriate to voice the context of why the wall exists. The wall display certainly achieved its objectives and made a statement; our actions had a negligible effect on this outcome.

Finally, I maintain that the statement "the nation of Israel lives" in Hebrew does not challenge the prospect of a peaceful settlement between Israel and a future Palestinian state that could live side by side.

Bonnie Minkus

UNM student