Harvard Reacts to Killings in Middle East

As tensions in the Middle East escalated yesterday, members of Harvard-Radcliffe Hillel and the Society for Arab Students (SAS) said they were planning events to maintain positive relations between the two communities even though plans for a joint vigil earlier this week failed due to differing objectives.

Both Hillel and SAS held peace vigils this past week in response to rising tensions in the Middle East.

But the separate vigils showed that participants had different visions of the conflict.

Joey Shabot '01, former co-chair of Hillel's interethnic committee, approached SAS representatives last week about the possibility of a joint vigil to mourn casualties in recent conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians.

But the discussions fell apart over the issue of whom the rally would mourn.

Hillel proposed mourning all those killed in the recent conflicts. SAS representatives were uncomfortable with the idea of mourning Israeli soldiers.

"I cannot mourn for an Israeli defense soldier in the same vigil in which I mourn for a 12-year old child hiding behind his father's back, or a friend of mine who got killed, because they are civilians in their hometowns, while the soldiers were sent by the government to enforce the Israeli occupation in the West Bank," said SAS President Rayd K. Abu-Ayyash '01.

"The Hillel vigil wanted to include everyone including the soldiers, and there is the difference, we could not morally do that," he said.

But Hillel and SAS representatives said the separate vigils did not mean the communities were in conflict.

"The fact that there were two vigils indicates that we might have different stakes in what is currently going on in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, and are affected by it differently," said Abu-Ayyash. "But the overarching consensus exists that we both hope and pray for peace in the Middle East."

Shabot said he regretted that the two groups could not agree on a joint vigil.

"I felt I was really disappointed," he said. "It was a waste of an opportunity."

But he said he was hopeful that future events would bring SAS and Hillel members together.

Sarah D. Beller '03, co-chair of the Harvard Hillel interethnic committee, agreed.

"I think it's unfortunate that the two groups couldn't come together on a certain political stance, which is somewhat understandable since it's such a politically tumultuous time," she said. "If we had a vigil and the theme was peace, it would be kind of empty because everyone wants peace but everyone has a different conception of peace."

"It's been painful for me to realize that although we're all here together as Harvard students, mostly liberal young people, that still many of us are coming from fundamentally different places on the issue. But I think we can still come together and communicate with each other so we can understand each other's positions better."

The two groups hope to plan joint events in upcoming weeks to open discussion about the ongoing conflict. They plan to hold discussion groups where students can discuss their feelings toward the crisis, followed by social outings after the talks.

"I believe that a discussion group where people can exchange their views and emotions frankly is more productive to bring about understanding at Harvard and in the [issues involved with] the peace process in the Middle East," Abu-Ayyash said.

Associate Dean of the College David P. Illingworth '71 praised both groups for their efforts at dialogue.

"I was impressed with the quality of the vigils that the Jewish and the Arab student groups had," he said. "They are talking among themselves, not just Jews and Arabs, but lots of people from various backgrounds and people are having a very intelligent and reasonable response to all of this."

Bernard Steinberg, executive director of Harvard Hillel, also praised the dialogue.

"I think it's important to respond to a crisis by deep listening and paying close attention, and not being overly reactive. And that's what our community is trying to do, trying to pay attention," Steinberg said.

Harvard Hillel hosted a speaker last night on the crisis in Israel. It will also hold an emergency town hall meeting this morning from 9:30 to 11:30 to discuss support for Israel and the appropriate community response. Hillel's steering committee is also asking students to be particularly careful about security in the building.