The week of February 26, 2012 marked the 8th annual Israeli Apartheid Week for pro-Palestinian activists. The global series of events is organized in an attempt to illuminate apartheid policies of the Israeli government. These include the segregation of highways, seizure of land from Palestinians, and the construction of walls around Israel to promote ethnic cleansing.
UC Berkeley’s Students for Justice in Palestine showed their support for IAW by facilitating their own events on campus. On Tuesday, February 28, members of SJP set up a mock demonstration on Sproul Plaza to simulate conflict at checkpoints in occupied Palestinian territory. Dressed in military-inspired gear, participating students forced volunteers to the ground in a display of submission. In addition to the roleplay of Israeli soldiers and Palestinian civilians, students also carried signs and distributed flyers with statements about the conflict in Palestine.
The demonstration was not without opposition, however, as pro-Israel students and organized anti-IAW envoys also gathered on the scene. In an act of counterprotest, they held up their own signs in support of the state of Israel and denounced the assertions of SJP as false. The dissension, naturally, served to fuel the drama of the proceedings and draw further passerby attention. While the verbal exchange between the pro-Palestinians and their opponents grew heated, conflict largely remained within the realm of verbal interaction.
In addition to the noon demonstration, the Students for Justice in Palestine also organized speaker events on two consecutive evenings. Max Blumenthal, a journalist for such publications as The New York Times, arrived at Boalt Hall on Tuesday night to speak on the dependence of American politicians, including Barack Obama, on fiscal support from wealthy Zionist donors. Such collusion, according to Blumenthal, only serves to further exacerbate the policies inflicted by the Israeli government, as well as call into question America’s cooperation with a nation of such blatant and persistent violations of human rights.
Wednesday’s panel of speakers again noted the increasing distrust of Israeli policy, this time putting the struggle of Palestinians in the context of recent revolutions worldwide, including those dubbed under the title of “Arab Spring.” Featured speakers included a Cal student and activist of Syrian descent; Momen El Hosseini, an Egyptian activist involved in the Tahrir Square demonstrations; and Ziad Abbas, a Palestinian refugee and associate director of the Middle East Children’s Alliance.
Related Links:
1. Information on Apartheid Week
2. Video of Demonstration on Sproul
3. Overview of Checkpoints
4. Amnesty International
5. Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions
6. Blog – Journalist Max Blumenthal
7. The Pro-Israel Perspective – AIPAC: Why Israel Matters
Photo Credits: Jinan Bastaki