During the event “Marriage Equality and LGBTQIA* Issues in Israel with Etai Pinkas,” I proudly introduced Pinkas in my capacity as the president of Nice Jewish Queers, the group for Jewish LGBTQIA* students and allies at Washington University.  I use the word “proudly” because as a Jew, a queer woman and someone who is both pro-Israel and pro-Palestine, I was truly excited and honored to welcome him to our campus.  

A speech by an Israeli LGBTQIA* activist was interrupted when members of Students for Justice in Palestine staged a walkout on Monday night.

This Monday, on Nov. 14, Etai Pinkas made his way to our campus to give a talk titled “Marriage Equality and LGBTQ* Issues in Israel.” As an advocate for same-sex marriage in israel, Pinkas’ job was not to simply speak on same-sex marriage, but also to contribute to a larger narrative that contextualizes israel as a “liberal democracy” and a “safe oasis” amongst the surrounding Arab states.

We at WashU Students for Justice in Palestine would like to draw the student body’s attention to an annual event that is scheduled to take place this Sunday, Feb. 14.

Ezra Schwartz was just a boy. He was a boy who started food fights at camp and organized cabin mischief. A boy who sought to make others happy and brighten the lives of those around him. He was just a boy—an 18-year-old boy shot dead in his car by Palestinian terrorists on his way home from bringing food to Israeli soldiers.

The past month has seen increased violence in Israel and has resulted in the deaths of dozens of civilians—both Israeli and Palestinian. This violence has stirred the emotions of many students and Student Union groups, including WU Students for Israel (WSI) and WashU Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). Both groups have organized events in the past week for their respective beliefs, yet both have been asking for the same thing: peace.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: In an effort to show solidarity to the Palestinian people and respond to the recent actions of the Pro-Israel group Wash U Students for Israel (WSI), Students for Justice in Palestine, one of the newer student groups on campus, held a rally outside of Danforth University Center last Thursday.

The ongoing violence faced by Israelis and Palestinians has brought strong student voices on the Washington University campus forward, with Facebook posts, rallies and more.

Standing on the Green Line that divides Israel proper from the West Bank was not how I imagined the most impactful moment of my 12th-grade Israel trip. Yet, upon arriving and spending time in the world’s only Jewish state, I found myself more drawn to the modern political and social context surrounding Israel than its equally important foundations.

Two Israeli soldiers spoke in Seigle Hall on Sunday about their lives as Israelis and the Arab-Israeli conflicts as a part of the StandWithUs tour, hosted by Washington University’s Students for Israel.