New Place, Same Politics

As a college student in the United States, it is expected that when discussing the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, you are to be Pro-Palestinian. Professors blatantly interject their Palestinian sympathies into lectures, and students ardently proclaim their support and love for the Palestinian Cause. "Free Palestine" is everywhere, and people stop you on your way to class to sign a petition in support of Palestinian Statehood or to condemn those evil Israeli racists for their horrible acts of terror against an innocent and non-threatening people. The Palestinian cause has huge sex-appeal on the American college campus, and it attracts masses of followers because "Everyone else is doing it". On the flip side, the pro-Israel camp is virtually non-existent, and those few of us who openly support Israel receive weird looks from people and mutters of "Oh you're one of thoooose people," before they quickly hurry away, as if we have a disease that is highly contagious. Last year, I hung an Israeli flag above my bed to show my support for the Jewish State. A classmate of mine immediately sent a Palestinian flag to my roommate to hang above his bed "so it would be fair". He automatically assumed my roommate's politics adhered to his own and he blatantly interjected his personal beliefs into our private living space. In one of my classes last year dealing with the Middle East, I sat through a discussion where my classmates almost universally proclaimed that Israel should never have existed and should not exist now. They were not arguing for a two state solution; they were arguing for the complete destruction of the state of Israel. This is the reality at universities and colleges across the United States, and this reality has followed me here to Israel. The vast majority of my fellow international students are American Jews. There is a group of gentiles here as well, but we are the minority. At the end of the day, whether Jew or Gentile, the reality is that we are American college students, and we are products of the pro-Palestine environment on American college campuses. Because of this, even here in Israel, I would venture to argue that the majority of my classmates are more disposed towards the Palestinian point of view. There is nothing wrong with this, as our culture and our school systems have endlessly taught us this point of view while treating the other side with scorn and derision. Let me be absolutely clear: I do not think that the Palestinian cause is evil, or wrong, or unworthy of discussion. I do not believe that all supporters of a Palestinian State are automatically anti-Israel. What I am saying is that I come from a country where one side is dis-proportionally represented and advocated for. The pro-Israel side is often times thrown under the bus and not even allowed a fair hearing. While here for this past month, I have had excellent discussions with incredibly intelligent people who happen to be pro-Palestine and believe that a two state solution is possible. I have heard ideas advanced that I have never considered before, and my own beliefs have grown and matured. I have met people who are brave enough to say that they do not know enough about the conflict to make a judgement, and that they are here first and foremost to learn. I have given my viewpoint of the matter, and have been listened to politely by my fellow students. I am surrounded by very intelligent critical thinkers, who can present their politics in a polite fashion and then listen to the other side. What disgusts me are the people who say that they are pro-Palestine but don't know why; the people who mindlessly chant the slogans without stopping to consider what they actually mean; the people who automatically dismiss Israel as evil without giving it a fair hearing. This lack of intelligence is what we must fight against, whether we are pro-Israel, pro-Palestine, or pro-two state. I look forward to the discussions I will be having over the next semester, to observing the actual situation in the Holy Land, and to educating my countrymen when I return home.