Students walking down Commonwealth Avenue on Tuesday may have been caught off guard by the appearance of a blood-splattered gray wall on which was written, “Gaza Similar to Warsaw Ghetto.” In response to Israel Peace Week, the Boston University Students for Justice in Palestine took to the streets to vocalize their support for Israel Apartheid Week in a dramatic fashion, unfortunately attracting attention to their outlandish methods of protest rather than their cause.
Likewise, while SJP proved itself to be an organization intent on garnering needless observation, advocates of Israel Peace Week at BU were almost polar opposites in their passivity. Although its creators identify the nationwide collegiate movement as “an initiative to spread awareness about Israel and her pursuit of peace,” Israeli supporters in the BU community largely concentrated on the country’s resources and “environmentally friendly” technologies, such as alternative energy sources, that should warrant America’s alliance. While this is admirable, it doesn’t fundamentally address the issue at hand: finding a way to achieve peace.
In regards to the BU aggregations, Israeli and Palestinian supporters are equally blind in that both sides appear concerned with their public images more than they do with convincing unbelievers why their country of choice is under undeserved attack. Regardless of whether they knew if their advocacy would make a direct, tangible impact, these proponents spread ideals seamlessly by leaving everything up to the ultimate “message.” At this point in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, each camp’s message is equally internationally convoluted.
If Israeli and Palestinian college organizations continue to maintain a vetted interest in the efficacy of public relations, miscommunication will only be prolonged. On the assumption that these students truly want to effect peaceful and just change, they would be wise to integrate and demonstrate an ability to empathize, even if only for a week on BU campus. At this point, intentions are unclear all around and the mounting antagonistic attitude in the Middle East seems to be permeating across the globe to the United States.