The Brave Eleven and Peaceful Resistance

Eleven students who study at University of California, Irvine interrupted the Israeli ambassador Michael Oren while he was giving a speech about Israel’s policy at the university. The result was that they were immediately taken out of the hall, charged with disrupting the peace, and might face suspension or expulsion from the university.

The United States and Europe witnessed many demonstrations and protest since the last war on Gaza. Most of the incidents occurred when Israeli officials were invited to make a speech about Israel’s policy and justification for its hostility against Palestinians. Most of the demonstrations were faced with excessive force by the authorities and the protestors were punished for expressing their opinion.

These eleven students like many others felt that they want to express their feelings about the killing of the children and the continuous occupation of the Palestinian territories which happens to be the last in the world. Their expression was refused and their presence was not welcomed. They were called terrorists and they were obliged not to say what they wanted the world to hear. Not only that they were prevented from freedom of expression but also they might face suspension from their university because they were charged with disrupting the peace.

This did not happen only at UCI but in many other places where minorities are not welcomed, any sign of Islam is considered terrorism, and those who defend the Palestinian case are considered disrupting and violent. I wonder why Israel was not brought up in discussion of peace and hostility. Israel continues to violate the International Law every day by continuing its occupation in the Palestinian territories and the Arab lands, imprisons thousands of Palestinians, uses apartheid policy in East Jerusalem, and minds any kind of political settlement by continuing to refuse any Palestinian demand regarding the settlements, the occupied lands, Jerusalem, and the prisoners.

Not only that the makers of the International law refuse to bring to justice those who violate it, but also refuse to hear those who only want to demonstrate against the violators. Freedom of expression turned into a subject which is flexible. In other words it lost any kind of freedom in it and became a right which only certain people can enjoy.

These eleven students and every other student and human who wants to express his/her opinion should enjoy this right not because of the side which they defend but in order to assure that everyone’s voice is heard and freedom exists.

I do believe that peaceful resistance which doesn’t take place only in the West Bank and Nilin, but in the whole world is the only way which will make the world understand that justice must be made and that occupation must end. The obstacles which this kind of resistance finds in its way will only make it stronger and make more people know about facts which some try to hide for a long time. These facts became clear today…these facts assure that there is a people called Palestinian, and there is a land which this people has the right to live in and that occupation must end.
http://www.middleastpost.com/1657/brave-eleven-peaceful-resistance/#more-1657