Environmental Science major and Israel native Sonny Bleicher discusses the war in Gaza with Advertising/Public Relations Major Lauren Hittinger in the Lobby of the Wallace Library.
Qian Y. Lau Li

According to an article from the Socialist Worker Newspaper, a weekly newspaper which has been in circulation since 1977, “Israel’s war on Gaza has stirred anger throughout the world, including the US, where the political establishment is unanimously in support of Israel.” On January 15, there were two events on campus with split opinions concerning Israel in relation to Israel’s recent military campaign in Gaza.

One event was a formal presentation in the Idea Factory, where Brian Lenzo, an RIT graduate, presented the side in support of Palestine, stating, “The point of this talk is to raise to the side which isn’t being talked about in the media. Predominately, you get the Israeli and American government’s perspective. From the people of Gaza, and from the side of the Palestinians, you hear nothing. In many cases, I’ve tried to present a great deal of history which is not spoken about, and give in greater detail the context of the Palestinian struggle and how it is affecting people in the United States. We need to stand on the side of the people who are fighting oppression.”

In response to the organization of this talk, Sonny Bleicher, a fourth year Environmental Science student, staged a protest inside the entrance to Wallace Library. There were many students who had signs posted on their chest with slogans such as “Stop launching rockets from Gaza” and “Each rocket from Gaza punishes everyone.” According to Bleicher, “The Idea Factory is meant to discuss issues, but not from one perspective. The language which was used in advertising for this event was extremely offensive by the fact that they were basically attacking Israel. This is a big issue, especially concerning the Jewish population here on campus. Saying that Israel must withdraw means they allow Hamas to continue their oppression of the Palestinian people.” A petition will also be sent to RIT President Dr. William Destler, which was signed by interested students who both participated and passed through.

There was a discussion following the presentation by Lenzo. Students cried out stating their stances on the issue. “There are human rights at stake. Women and children are being killed,” said one student. Another said, “This violence has historic causes behind them on both sides.” Even students whose family members’ lives were at stake in both Israel and Palestine attended. “It’s personal when your family has been attacked by rockets fired from Hamas,” said one student. “I, too, have family in Palestine,” stated another, “and I can’t stop worrying about their safety.” There were also some who argued that the nature of the event was biased, stating, “The message here and posters in the room are one-sided. How can you invite an open forum when you yourself are presenting one side?”

Whatever one’s position is, the responses to the actions of Israel were well-debated on both fronts. This discussion, and the resulting response to it, have been said to have caused “emotional responses from many RIT students.