I felt sickened and disappointed to see that at a recent UO campus event, T-shirts were distributed with a swastika emblazoned on an Israeli flag and the term “Nazi” used to describe Zionists, who are people who simply believe that Israel has the right to exist. This kind of hateful expression diminishes the potential for responsible and thoughtful debate over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hate speech targeting Israel, Zionists and the Jewish community has no place on campus. Neither would hateful speech regarding Arabs, Muslims or any other group. Respectful dialogue, debate and even passionate disagreement is what’s needed instead. In my work for reconciliation, I have met with and listened to Palestinians in an effort to try to understand what it’s like to walk in their shoes. These encounters have changed my life and my politics.
I hope those responsible for the T-shirts will engage in serious self-reflection and try to do the same. I’d like them to ask themselves whether they are capable of having eyes of compassion for the Jews who live in the Middle East. Would they choose to refrain from hate speech if they met some Israelis and saw their faces, heard their stories and asked them even their toughest questions? I do hope so.
I understand that the UO Bias Response Team is looking into the matter, and that in the past they have used skilled facilitators to try to help students dialogue and learn from painful incidents. I wish them much success.
[email protected]