Palestinian and Jewish Student Groups Host “Palestine 101” Event
NYU Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace co-hosted the event, welcoming prospective members.
More than 50 NYU students and community members crammed into chairs and across the floor of a classroom in the Global Center for Academic and Spiritual Life last night to listen to a “Palestine 101: Not That Complicated!” presentation. Two members of NYU Students for Justice in Palestine, Sarah Jarpe and John Jamil Kallas, spoke about modern issues affecting Palestinians and the role their organization plays on campus.
The presenters spent time explaining the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the ways in which Palestinian people show solidarity with persecuted groups across the globe, and broke down the meaning of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.
BDS is a Palestinian-led movement with three main goals, according to Jarpe and Kallas. The first is to combat more than 50 laws put in place by the Israeli government that affect Palestinians, the second involves working towards the demolition of the Israeli-built wall surrounding Gaza, and the third focuses on creating a way for forcibly displaced Palestinians to return home.
International justice movements were also highlighted throughout the session. The organizers displayed a presentation slide covered in various Palestinian protest posters, including demonstrations of historical solidarity with Cuba and Vietnam, as well as modern support of the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States.
Discussion and questions were welcomed after the presentation ended. Several announcements were also made about upcoming anti-imperialist events in New York City.
Jarpe felt optimistic about turn out for the first session. “I looked out and saw a lot of people down with the cause,” she said. “People I’m looking forward to organizing with.”
Her co-presenter, Kallas, shared similar views. He is also looking forward to showing people that Palestine is not a taboo subject to avoid, but rather one to actively discuss. The NYU SJP organization acts to “promote justice, human rights, liberation, and self-determination for the Palestinian people,” according to its mission statement.
As attendees cleared out, Kallas echoed that statement. “I look forward to freeing Palestine,” he said.
Students for Justice in Palestine host weekly meetings open to all prospective members on Mondays at 8 p.m.
