Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

46° Evanston, IL
Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

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Letter to the editor: J Street disappointed in Hoffman protest

As students concerned for Israel’s future as a secure, Jewish and democratic state, and also for the right of the Palestinian people to a sovereign state of their own, we were disappointed by the events that transpired on campus Thursday

We were disappointed that Gil Hoffman, a respected journalist and Medill alum, painted Palestinians with broad strokes and failed to acknowledge the devastating effects of Israel’s occupation on the Palestinian people or to acknowledge the occupation at all.

We were also disappointed by the handful of NU students who walked out ten minutes into Hoffman’s talk, in what was clearly a calculated and coordinated statement of protest.

While we wholeheartedly respect the right of our fellow students to protest, we are disappointed because they squandered what could have been a valuable opportunity for dialogue.

Dialogue requires two steps: listening and responding. By leaving Hoffman’s talk early, the protesters failed on both accounts.

Participants in the walkout told The Daily they felt that Hoffman wouldn’t have answered their tough questions. But if they had stayed, they would have discovered that Hoffman answered all the questions posed.

No speaker is going to please every audience member, particularly when the topic at hand is contentious and emotional. Our job as students is to question, challenge and provoke discussion, and it can only be done through engaging in dialogue: first listening and then responding.

J Street U, a national student movement working toward a two-state solution, believes the fates of a secure Israel and a viable Palestine are intertwined. We also believe that the dreams of both peoples to live in peace will never be realized unless we are able to both listen to each other and respond with respect. With that in mind, we will be hosting a dialogue event at the beginning of next quarter that provides a safe and respectful place for people to discuss the conflict. We hope this will reduce the polarization of the discourse on the Middle East, allowing people from opposing sides to engage in debate without becoming enemies. If we can do this on campus, then there may be hope for a just and peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Jonah Newman, Medill senior

Netta-Lee Lax, Medill sophomore

Philip Egger, Ph.D student in Mathematics

Co-chairs of J Street U Northwestern

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Letter to the editor: J Street disappointed in Hoffman protest