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STUDENTS’ STORIES | Jeremy Quartner ’17 Experienced Israel-Gaza Conflict Firsthand During Tel-Aviv Summer Internship

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By PAULINA GLASS

While some Cornellians may have stayed in Ithaca taking classes over the summer, Jeremy Quartner ’17 experienced the Israeli side of the recent Israel-Gaza conflict firsthand during his internship in Tel Aviv, Israel. Quartner worked at I Know First — a financial services company that makes algorithmic market predictions to advise investors — where he, as well as five other students from around the world, worked in Tel Aviv during Israel’s summer conflict with Hamas, a Palestinian Islamic organization in the Gaza Strip. The conflict, which began in May and ended with a open-ended ceasefire on Aug. 26, resulted in over 2,000 deaths for inhabitants of the Gaza Strip and about 70 deaths for Israelis, 66 of which were soldiers, according to BBC News. Though Hamas fired thousands of missiles into Israel during the conflict — including one or two targeted at Tel Aviv each day, according to Quartner — Israel’s American-funded Iron Dome defense system destroyed most missiles before they could hit the ground.

BHOWMICK | Israel-Palestine: This Is not What You Think This Is

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By ADITI BHOWMICK

Every semester, at least 20 percent of my academic concentration as a government major revolves around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Will it then be outrageous to assume that the Middle East is at the forefront of the “our world is crumbling to pieces” debate? It is surprising to me because in the 1930s, collective political consciousness refused to believe the Holocaust was a tangible reality — it was dismissed as a war crime instead of a barbaric genocide. Today, political observers are obsessed with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and views it as an aftermath of heinous crimes that took place in Europe in the years of Anti-Semitism. However, does the conflict necessarily have to be viewed through the lens of what happened during the years which led to World War II?

Students for Justice in Palestine Protest Israeli Actions in Gaza

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By AIMEE CHO

A group of about 30 demonstrators — led by Cornell Students for Justice in Palestine — took to Ho Plaza Friday afternoon to protest Israeli actions in Gaza and issue a call to action for the University. “Israel control[s] Gaza’s borders, airspace, waterways, population registry, currency and electrical and water supplies,” said Abu Yusif Habib ’15 in a speech criticizing Israel’s occupation of Gaza since 1967. Emad Masroor ’17, who is also a designer for The Sun, holds a sign at Students for Justice in Palestine’s protest on Ho Plaza Friday. (Riley Yuan / Sun Staff Photographer)

Student Assembly Tables Resolution to Divest From Pro-Israeli Companies

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By SOFIA HU and ALISHA FOSTER

After a 15-8-1 vote, the Student Assembly tabled Resolution 72 — which urged Cornell to to divest from companies that “profit from the Israeli military occupation of Palestinian territories — at Willard Straight Hall Thursday. Upon the S.A.’s decision to table the resolution, many students applauded while others left the crowded room, shouting expletives. “We’re walking out. This is bullshit,” a student said. Another student who left the room shouted, “You wanna celebrate 65 years of genocide?”

Other audience members, however, clapped for over a minute in support of the S.A.’s decision.

Resolution Criticizes Cornell for Israeli Ties

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By NOAH RANKIN

Students for Justice in Palestine will present a resolution to the Student Assembly Thursday calling for the University to divest from companies that “profit from the Israeli military occupation of the Palestinian territories,” according to an SJP statement. Citing human rights abuses and violations of international law by the state of Israel on Palestinian territories, SJP argues that part of the University’s endowment is currently invested in a way that does not carry with the University’s mission to better the lives of its students, residents of the state and others around the world and to carry out all financial transactions “with integrity.”

According to the resolution, Tata Motors, Sodastream, Ingersoll-Rand, Raytheon, G4S and Hewlett Packard are companies that theUniversity either contracts with or holds portfolio and direct investments in that “participate actively” in the Israeli millitirization of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. “The resolution is extremely controversial and upsetting to many members of the Cornell community which the S.A. represents.” —Rachel Medin ’14 and Claire Blumenthal ’14

For this reason, the resolution states that Cornell is in violation of international law and a “complicit” third party in human rights abuses. The resolution posits that Israel’s actions include those that have violated United Nations agreements stipulating against “transfer[ing] parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies” and that “all measures undertaken by Israel to exploit the human and natural resources of the occupied Arab are illegal.”

“Israel has repeatedly flouted international law and U.S. requests that it refrain from building settlements,” members of SJP said in a statement. “To this end, Palestinian civil society called in 2005 for an international movement for boycott, divestment and sanctions as a nonviolent method to pressure Israel to end its occupation.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Boycotting Israel Hurts Palestinians

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To the Editor:

Re: “GUEST ROOM: Why Cornell Shouldn’t Have Invited Ehud Olmert,” Opinion, April 8. In a recent column, Emad Masroor ’17 used the canceled appearance of Ehud Olmert to give misleading accounts of Israel’s wars and criticize Cornell for its connections to Israeli institutions. Even more disappointing is Masroor’s outright rejection of any dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian leaders or activists and his denial of the existence of a second narrative. Sadly, rather than advocating for the mutual recognition, Masroor allies himself with a boycott movement that tries hopelessly to make Israel disappear and hurts Palestinians along the way. His charges of mass expulsion and apartheid were already addressed in previous response, but a few points are worth repeating.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Will Address Students in April

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By AIMEE CHO

Ehud Olmert, former Prime Minister of Israel, will address students on April 8 about how Israel “maintains a thriving democracy amongst its Middle East neighbors and improve[s] the world with new technologies,” according to Rachel Medin ’14, co-president of the Cornell Israel Political Affairs Committee. According to Hal Ossman, executive director of Cornell Hillel, Olmert’s appearance is co-sponsored by Caravan for Democracy, an initiative of Jewish National Fund and Media Watch International that brings different speakers from Israel to discuss “the issues affecting Israel, how it is covered in the media and its unique role as the only democracy in the Middle East.”

Olmert served in the Israeli military and the Knesset, which is the legislative branch of Israel’s government, before becoming prime minister from 2006 to 2009, according to the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. He was also the mayor of Jerusalem from 1993 to 2003 and served as Israel’s Minister of Finance in 2007, the website said. Alana Askari ’17 said she is looking forward to Olmert’s visit so she can learn more about the political situation in Israel. “I think it is amazing that the Hillel has such a large presence on this campus to bring in such an important figure in the Jewish Community,” Askari said.

Professor: Academic Boycott of Israel Would ‘Hurt’ Students

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By CHRISTOPHER STANTON

Prof. William Jacobson, law, said during a lecture Tuesday that he opposed the recent American Studies Association movement to boycott Israeli academic institutions — the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions campaign — in both its tactics and motivations. “Bad things start small,” Jacobson said in his opening statement. “And academic boycotts are a bad thing.”

The event — titled “The Case for Israel and Academic Freedom” and sponsored by the Cornell Israel Public Affairs Committee — followed months of debate in the academic world regarding Israel’s alleged “apartheid state” imposed upon Palestine, according to Jacobson. He said over 250 representatives from American universities — including Cornell President David Skorton — have expressed opposition to the boycott tactic. “Even if you’re against Israel, you should want to increase academic interaction,” Jacobson said.

GUEST ROOM: On Israel, Hypocrisy and Double Standards

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By JULIUS KAIREY

The lengths to which boycott supporters will go to defame the State of Israel are indefensible. The narrative they put forward is always relatively simple: In a series of wars after World War II, Israel systematically threw Palestinians off of their land. Israel then took several steps to divide the country between Jews and Palestinians through apartheid policies. Palestinians, largely innocent in the grand scheme of the conflict, have been helpless victims of Israeli brutality. The problem with this narrative: It isn’t true.

Israel Culture Week to Feature Comedian, Movie

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By EMMA IANNI

This week, Cornell Hillel will host a variety of events – including stand-up comedy by Benji Lovitt and a talk by the Israel Consul Deputy General – to give Cornellians an opportunity to learn about Israel during the third annual Israel Culture Week. Alicia Glick ’17, Israel awareness chair for Hillel, said the events’ organizers wanted to provide individuals with a wide range of events, in order for everyone to be able to appreciate or feel inspired by Israel Culture Week. “If someone loves comedy and is involved with improv on campus, we have an event for them. If someone loves community service and giving back to their community, there is also something for them. We want to show students how different people can connect to Israel in different ways,” Glick said.