Advocate of human rights questions Isreali/Palestine Conflict

By Daing S. Nasir
Western Herald

In conjunction with the 25th annual celebration of Peace Week at Western Michigan University, the Peace Center invited renowned anthropologist and professor, Jeff Halper, author of “An Israeli in Palestine,” to give a speech.

Halper has been living in Israel since 1973 and is associated with The Israeli Committee Against House Demolition (ICAHD).

Maintaining his stand through out the lecture, Halper contended that the creation of an Isreali state was deemed to be paid for at a high price by its Palestinian citizens. The only way to approach the global concern to the segregation of the Israeli state towards its Palestinian citizens is through a win-win situation.
Critical to the two-state solution of the Israel/Palestine conflict, Halper insisted that the issue at hand goes beyond human rights, justice and conflict in his Midwestern ideals and in its true sense on what is fair and just for all.

“The occupation is absolutely undermining the ethics, morality and even the viability of Israel and has to be ended in a just way,” Halper said.

Halper approaches the Middle East conflict through an international logical standpoint that maintains power as a key issue in negotiations and shared responsibility.

The question then is, how are people to judge on such issues without being biased?

“In discussing this issue we should not be pro-Israeli or pro-Palestinian but be a pro of human rights. Our (ICAHD) motto is that we refuse to be enemies,” Hapler said.

“The occupied territories represent 22 percent of the country, that’s it. If Israel files for every territory it conquered in 1967 it will still be less than 78 percent of the country especially in light of the fact that the Palestinians represent half of the population of Israel,” Halper said.

The issues of exclusivity on land propriety rights were deemed by Halper to be an Israeli contention in segregating land proportions based upon governmental zoning. The purported act of zoning agricultural land in its separation has transpired to be more of a political agenda rather than anything.

This controversial issue outraged many protestors when the democratic country, as Harper said, “denies the fact that there is an occupation in Israel.”

Starting from 1948 the Israeli Civil Administration has destroyed 500 Palestinian villages and changed their names to Hebrew.

Halper said that, up to now, the world has witnessed and seen more than 200,000 Palestinian villages be destroyed.

He also added that, as controversial as it may seem, the reality is that 30 percent of the Israeli state citizens are not Jewish.

Israel, in its intentions to create a barrier for reasons of security and terrorism, restricted the Palestinians who live nearby, particularly in their ability to commute freely within the West Bank, from any access.
This “fence” as Halper stated, “imprisons Palestinians inside enclaves.”

Halper continued in his talk insisting that the turn of the occupation can only be done and settled through negotiation and not one of military means. Israel must be recognized as a permanent state by the US and not one that sees “Gaza as a cage.”

Halper concluded the event with a stomping note that the establishment of the “Hafrada” fence was indeed a direct translation, meaning separation in the Hebrew language.

This is similar to the apartheid segregation in reference to the Afrikaan in South Africa, hence it promotes segregation of the people in Israel.

The talk ended with a question-answer session from members of the audience with a much-heated debate on Israeli patriotism and Jewish persecution, including the view of many present that Israel had helped them and their families by saving their lives.

Nick Israel, an American of Israeli roots said, “my grandparents were told to leave Libya in a day and that there was no room for them [Jews] to be there, and so they ran to Israel to build a new life.”

Also present was a member of the executive board of Hillel, a Registered Students Organization at WMU, Amit Harris.

“I am saddened by this propaganda that Halper brings upon us because I was born in Israel and I strongly believe in the two-state resolutions,” Harris said.

Sasha Acker, co-director for the Peace Center at WMU, said some hope did come out of the talk.

“I am really glad that this issue is able be represented during Peace Week by such an amazing speaker. It has allowed us to reach out to the people of Kalamazoo on such important issues,” Acker said.

Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=1435

Posted by HeraldAdmin on Oct 19 2008. Filed under News, World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Cody Kimball
Web Manager: I'm a Communication Student at WMU, a SCUBA Diver, Boater, Ordained Minister, Notary Public, Web Designer, Film Maker, DJ, and of course a Journalist. Born and raised in Port Huron, MI and a graduate of SC4. http://www.codykimball.com