TEMPE – Hamas, listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department, launched an attack on Israel last Saturday. More than 1,200 people had been killed as of Wednesday, and Israel declared war on Hamas on Sunday, according to media reports.
Hamas rules over 2 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Founded in 1987, Hamas has sought the elimination of Israel, which was established in 1948 as a safe haven for Jews fleeing persecution.
Amid news of death and violence in this latest Israeli-Hamas war, Arizona State University’s diverse community expressed both grief and support for Israelis and Palestinians. ASU’s first event was held Wednesday night on the Tempe campus, where students and others gathered to mourn lost loved ones and show solidarity with Israel. At 11 a.m. Thursday, a group demonstrating support for the Palestinians marched through the Tempe campus.
rally in support of israel
Arizona State University student Shai Lee Ben-Iser answered the phone every day this week and was informed of a new death.
On Monday, she received official news about her cousin’s death in Israel. The bodies of two of her friends were discovered on Tuesday. On Wednesday, she also learned that her friend had died in combat.
Hundreds of ASU students had a similar experience Wednesday night, gathering on the Student Services lawn to grieve their losses in Israel and celebrate their Jewish heritage.
“I feel like tears are coming out of my eyes. But they always come and go,” Ben Ezer said. “The pain we feel is shared. It doesn’t matter if we know someone specifically or if we share this pain for humanity.”
On Wednesday, students gathered to hear speakers from ASU students and staff, pray and sing in unity. At the start of the event, many people held Israeli flags in one hand. At the end, candles were lit and the event turned into a wake.
ASU Chabad Director Rabbi Shmuel Tichtel opened the event. When he picked up the microphone, hundreds of scattered students and staff gathered around him. The majority were Jewish, but some identified themselves as allies.
“Today I weep for the worst and most difficult day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” Tichtel said.
Tichtel’s speech emphasized the importance of Jews standing proud no matter what.
“It’s good for the Jewish people and good for history for us to be proud of ourselves,” Tichtel said. “If you have a Star of David, wear it proudly. If you don’t have a mezuzah on your door, put a mezuzah on your door.”
Many attendees wore Stars of David around their necks. Some carried Israeli flags, others wore them. Everyone came together to pray and sing traditional Jewish songs, including the Israeli national anthem “Hatikvah.”
ASU student Hana Dolgin helped organize the event and was very proud of the outcome.
She and other members of Chabad at ASU reached out to other campus Jewish organizations, including Hillel, Alpha Epsilon Pi and Alpha Epsilon Phi, to help host and promote the event.
“We didn’t expect so many people to come out,” Dolgin said. “I’m really happy to see this. It really shows unity.”
Despite the rise in anti-Semitism in the United States this week, she says she will always show pride in her Jewish culture.
“I’m a proud Jew. I wear a Star of David and a sweatshirt. I’m not scared,” Dolgin said. “If someone wants to practice anti-Semitism, whatever. You’re not going to tear me down. I’m not going to let it affect me at all.”
The event will conclude with a candlelight vigil and a group photo, which organizers plan to send to friends and loved ones in Israel to show solidarity and support.
Rally in support of Palestinians
Hours later, about 200 students, faculty and activists gathered for a rally in support of the Palestinians outside the Memorial Union building on ASU’s Tempe campus, billed as a “day of resistance.”
The rally was held Thursday by Students for Palestine Justice at Arizona State University, which called on the university to sever ties with Israel and circulated a petition for participants to sign.
“ASU’s student body is really coming together for this moment,” said Finn Howe, ASU’s SJP president. “ASU would like to ask for support for Palestinian students.”
Participants in the event carried Palestinian flags and handmade signs and chanted “Free, Free Palestine” and “From the River” as they walked from the Memorial Union through Palm Walk to the Palo Verde East Residence Hall. I marched to the front lawn. Go to the sea and Palestine will be liberated. ”
In the presence of counter-demonstrators carrying Israeli flags, Howe and other speakers emphasized that support for Palestine and support for the Jewish community need not be mutually exclusive.
“We strongly oppose anti-Semitism. And it is important to distinguish between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism,” Howe said in his speech.
Sujay Vega, an associate professor at ASU and a teaching advisor at SJP, said this is one of the most important distinctions and one of the most misunderstood aspects of support for Palestine, especially after the conflict erupted last weekend. He said that it is. She stressed that while we can support the Palestinians, we cannot support Hamas’s violent actions.
“We are all suffering,” she said. “So the question is how do we come together in conversation to address violence, not how do we divide ourselves into camps?”
Vega said students are afraid to speak out. “People are being anonymized. People are being intimidated and your life is literally being threatened because you say, ‘I support Palestine.'”
Ace Barakat identified himself as Palestinian. He wore a shirt resembling the Palestinian flag and marched at rallies holding the flag as well, raising his voice.
“I want to support the people. We’ve been through a messed up situation for 70 years,” he said. “We need to bring awareness to the situation and make sure everyone is on board and knows what’s going on.”
-Cronkite News reporter Jacob Snellgrove contributed to this article.