Jewish and Arab Student Groups Stage Rallies

As tensions remained high in the Middle East yesterday, Harvard Students for Israel (HSI) and the Harvard Society of Arab Students (SAS) held simultaneous public events in Tercentenary Theater.

About 140 supporters of SAS, dressed entirely in black, silently lined up on the Widener Library steps, holding up signs with the names of "all persons killed in the recent violence."

Their intention, they said, was "to remember all victims of the violence in a dignified and balanced way."

Moments later, HSI's "Rally in Solidarity with the State of Israel" began on the steps of Memorial Church with about 250 supporters. The rally mourned "all loss of life in the Middle East," while also issuing a strong show of support for the Israeli state.

"Israel's right to defend itself cannot be questioned," said featured speaker Rep. Barney Frank '61-'62 (D-Mass.). "The fundamental cause of the violence appears to be the rejectionists in the Arab world trying to...challenge Israel's right to exist as an independent state."

Featured speaker Martin Peretz, a lecturer in Social Studies, took a similar stance.

"One should not doubt that the Palestinian dream, the Palestinian intention, is to drive the Israelis out of Israel," Peretz said.

SAS students said their vigil represented an alternative to what they called HSI's partisan message, which they said ignores "the Israeli government's responsibility for having taken the overwhelming majority" of the 135 people killed in the conflicts of the past month.

"We believe that the message that HSI was trying to get across was very one-sided because they highlighted the deplorable deaths of the two Israeli soldiers but did not recognize the fact that the overwhelming majority of those killed have been Palestinian civilians," said Darryl C. Li '01, an organizer of the SAS vigil. "We felt that it was imperative to present an alternative to their message."

A third group of Jewish Cantabrigians tried to distance themselves from HSI by standing with SAS supporters.

The group was forced to move about 30 yards away from the SAS vigil by Harvard University Police Department Chief Francis D. "Bud" Riley and other police officers.

"We would like to make it clear that the people over there who support the occupation and support the violence against Palestine don't stand for all Jews and don't stand for us," said local resident Elly Bulkin.

Riley said that only HSI, SAS and Amnesty International had received prior permission to demonstrate.

"They don't have permission. They're outsiders, they're not Harvard students," Riley said.

Vigil organizer Simon L. Sternin '01 said that SAS did not want their message to be misinterpreted by another group.

"The reason we asked them to move was we wanted to ensure that everyone who was associated with our group was saying the same message and was on the same page," Sternin said.

Despite the sharp contrast between the two groups' stances, Associate Dean of the College David P. Illingworth '71 said he was pleased with the civility of the two gatherings.

"I have been very impressed that people have stayed away from each other and have allowed each other to speak," Illingworth said.

Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 said he was proud of "the dignified and respectful way" both groups carried off their respective events.

"Each group had the opportunity to rally support for its cause without any confrontation, insult or disruption of the other," Lewis wrote in an e-mail message. "It is important for students to make their views known and for Harvard to stand behind students' rights to have and to express deeply held views, even or perhaps especially when they arise from apparently intractable differences on a global level."

HSI Vice President Myles S. Brody '01, the emcee of the HSI rally, said that although the two groups disagree, he looks forward to working with SAS in the future.

"I certainly respect them for being here and remaining silent," Brody said. "They are our friends, and we look forward" to working with them in the future.

A private roundtable discussion among representatives from Hillel, SAS and the Harvard Islamic Society will take place on Thursday.

--Staff writer Edward B. Colby can be reached at ebcolby@fas.harvard.edu.