Post Modern: Student and faculty connections to Israel and Palestine make troubles seem not so far away
Caitlin Ryan knows there’s not a simple way to explore an outrageously complex and deeply emotive conflict, such as the Israel-Gaza conflict that pervaded the summer months.
“I don’t think you’ll find many conflicts in the world that are as entrenched with emotion as this one,” said Ryan, Ohio University visiting assistant professor of international relations in the Department of Political Science.
Conflicts abroad can seem worlds away, but with students coming to campus from around the world and with students studying abroad at any given time, these conflicts can hit much closer to home.
The Student Experience
Rasha Sansur, a Palestine master’s student from Jerusalem studying communication and development studies, once worked on the Al Sununu music project, which aims at uniting Palestinian children in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, by teaching them music.
Sansur was based in the West Bank, and one of her colleagues was based in Gaza, where she still resides. Sansur said she was unable to meet her colleague in person — though they applied for permits — due to restrictions that inhibit the movement between people in the West Bank and Gaza.
When they applied for permits, they were told that their request wasn’t “humanitarian” or “professional in its nature, (so) it doesn't fall under the current policy of the State of Israel," so they resorted to communication via satellite and held a satellite concert for the children to perform together.
After the conflict began this summer, it took Sansur almost three weeks to contact her former colleague due to power outages in Gaza.
“She lost all of her things, her kids were injured, her home was destroyed and she is now in a shelter,” she said. “It’s just hard to comfort people. You don’t know what to say.”
At these times, prayer is important, Sansur said.
“I pray for them,” she said. “Sometimes you don’t have control of a situation, and in these cases, there isn’t much else you can do.”
Robert Burke, a senior studying international studies: war and peace, studied abroad in Tel Aviv with the OU study abroad program and was in Israel from June 5 until July 22.
During his time in Tel Aviv, he experienced the Code Red sirens and had to use the bomb shelters and safe locations at the university multiple times throughout the summer, but said he felt safe and prepared with the guidance of Rabbi Danielle Leshaw, executive director of Hillel at OU, and professor Kevin Haworth, the Israel study abroad program director. Burke also said that the Tel-Aviv University staff provided support and made sure everyone knew what to do when the sirens went off.
“They let us know what was going on and didn’t try to hide stuff,” he said. “We knew it was a very tense time in Israel (due to following various news sources) and took it as a learning opportunity.”
Haworth taught a class at the university, and there was ample opportunity to discuss current events, Burke added.
University Protocol
Prior to sending students abroad, the OU Office of Education Abroad completes emergency review and response documents and works with International SOS, a security company, to determine the safety of the travel location based on their risk analysis, said Lori Lammert, associate director of the Office of Education Abroad.
The committee that determines if a location is safe also includes representatives from across the university, including the provost.
“We look really closely at logistics and how travel is being managed,” she said. “(A) country may be high risk, but a city or region is what you need to look at to determine if that’s a safe place, and our office is always monitoring security around the world (through the Department of State).”
OU also has a strong partnership with Tel Aviv University, and the office relies on their expertise, Lammert said.
“They are a very prestigious university and are hosting dozens of students from various universities, and they have a great infrastructure in place,” she said. “We felt very comfortable moving forward, and we constantly checked in to see if we needed to revise the itinerary in any way.”
Affiliate programs and partner universities typically have their own risk protocol in place, so that would kick in before OU’s, and then OU’s would provide support, Lammert said.
Diana Wahl, a junior studying marketing, had an internship in Tel Aviv through Onward Israel and the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, and she said the program was in constant communication with the Israeli government and the Israel Defense Forces should any problems arise.
In 2011, students had to leave Japan after the fourth strongest earthquake since 1900 struck and resulted in a tsunami that left an estimated $300 billion in damages, but that was the only time Lammert said she could recall OU students needing to be evacuated from a study abroad program.
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Summer Events
The Israeli offensive officially began on July 8 after Hamas, the elected government in Gaza and one-half of the Palestinian Authority, initiated the first rocket fire on July 7. Prior to the the rocket fire, Israel launched air strikes after the abduction and murder of three Israeli teenagers in June. According to the political leader of Hamas, members of Hamas did carry out the murder, but it was not the political leadership, instead, it was a breakaway faction.
Though multiple ceasefire agreements were proposed throughout the summer, they were short-lived. After 50 days of fighting, the summer conflict ended with a long-term, Egyptian-sponsored ceasefire agreement Aug. 26.
There are many underlying drivers to why conflicts like this persist, and at the end of the day, this conflict came down to political perceptions about what’s possible on either side, said Benjamin Banta, visiting professor of political science and war and peace studies.
“There is a wide gulf between how both sides perceive the world and each other,” he said. “The way you get out of this situation is to try to figure out ways to change the structure, so they don’t see it as the lesser of two evils to, on Israel’s side, to conduct a war that kills civilians, and on Hamas’ side, to continue lobbing rockets and provoking Israel with military attacks.”
“These flare ups of violent warfare is symptom of a much longer history and a political context defined primarily in terms of an occupying power occupying another’s land,” said Loren Lybarger, associate professor of classics and world religions, on leave until 2015.
This is a complex conflict that needs a unique solution, Ryan said.
“The road to peace will be a long road,” she said. “In terms of maintaining this ceasefire, it’s crucial that the conversation between Hamas and Fatah (one half of the Palestinian Authority) continues. Hamas needs to gain control of their militant factions, and the siege has to end. The ceasefire has no chance if the Gaza can’t get back on its feet.”
Student Organizations
Student Senate President Megan Marzec isn’t the only OU student to take a stand on the conflict. Bobcats for Israel is a pro-Israel group on campus dedicated to leading discussions and teaching students on campus about the conflict.
“We believe in Israel’s right to exist,” said Becky Sebo, president of Bobcats for Israel, the OU fellow for the Israel on Campus Coalition and a senior studying dance. “Whatever stance we have on a solution is not based on the group. Some people want one-state, some want two-state and some may want a three-state solution, but as long as you believe in Israel’s right to exist, we welcome dialogue.”
Though there are no meetings organized yet, the group has scheduled some events for the school year.
“We’re excited for the year to begin and welcome students to the organization and events,” Sebo said. “We have a diverse population from diverse countries, and we want to reach out and be peaceful with each other. People have opinions and not all have the same views...so open dialogue would be very beneficial (to) a pro-peace dialogue.”
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