On Monday, September 8, The New School group Students for Justice in Palestine–which had not met for the past two years–reconvened in the Social Justice Hub on the fifth floor of the University Center.  About 30 people attended the event, dubbed “Israel-Palestine? Let’s Talk About It.” The meeting had hummus and fruit punch and featured a Palestinian Flag draped over a nearby white board.

 

After initial introductions and a run-down of the agenda it became clear that this meeting was primarily intended a conversation and exchange of ideas. The discussion leader encouraged all in attendance to speak up with questions and comments.

 

“What exactly is Hamas?” said one New School student.

 

The answer that followed lasted 30 minutes, as Ben Silverman, a New School Alumnus, explained the political and social origins of what he described as “the Palestinian Islamist political party” known as Hamas.

 

Later, the conversation shifted to the role of Israel in the conflict.

 

“They fucked up all the water,” said one attendant, referring to the ongoing water crisis in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

 

“The Israeli government has the Gaza people on a diet,” said Nidhi Srinivas, a professor at the New School for Public Engagement who specializes in the management of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Srinivas is the faculty advisor to the Students for Justice in Palestine.

 

Srinivas was referring to an October, 2012 story in which the BBC reported that the Israeli  government had undertaken research on “the number of calories Palestinians in Gaza need to consume to avoid malnutrition.” According to the story, “the UN said if the research reflected a policy intended to cap food imports, it went against humanitarian principles.”

It added: “But the Israeli government said the study was only ever a draft and was never used to determine policy.”

“Noam Chomsky calls it ‘the world’s largest open-air prison,’” said another attendee about the status of the Gaza Strip, adding “Joan Rivers said they elected Hamas so they deserve to die.”

 

“Those Palestinians in the diaspora are saying, ‘we are waiting’,” as they are refugees outside of their country”, said Mohammad Hamad, a New School student of Palestinian origin, who said he visited Gaza two summers ago.

 

Hamad described his arrival in Gaza, finding that there was camaraderie in the refugee camps. He said that some in the camp offered him food even when all they had was “one bag of rice”.

 

“I have been an activist for many years and I have never been in a discussion so sterile,” said one attendant at the end of the meeting, where all were asked to say their name and a comment about what they experienced that afternoon during discussion.

 

“I would like to hear more from the other side,” said one person.

 

A  member of Students for Justice for Palestine agreed.  “I don’t like preaching to the choir,” she said.