Palestinian leader speaks at Irvine

Leading Palestinian activist Hanan Ashrawi addressed a filled-to-capacity Irvine Auditorium yesterday afternoon in a highly publicized talkon the current conflict involving Palestinians and Israelis in the Middle East. Ashrawi is the founder and secretary general of the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy. In addition, she served as the official spokeswoman of the Palestinian delegation to the Middle East peace process from 1991 to 1993. Ashrawi spoke for about an hour without interruption, despite rumors of a walkout by some students. The only overt tension occurred following the talk, during which time some students questioned the validity -- and accuracy -- of many of her points. Ashrawi spent much of her lecture stressing her belief that the Palestinians should fight for what she called a "fair peace." For that to occur, she said, Palestinian borders would have to be redefined and the occupation of Jerusalem would have to be considered. She also tried to confront the way in which Palestinians are often branded in the international community as terrorists. While Ashrawi focused much of her discussion on sharing her observations of Palestinian life under Israeli siege, she emphasized the historical aspects of the conflict. Nonetheless, the dispute is very much a present day problem and -- to many in the audience -- has reached a point of irreparable damage. "Even from the most extreme left in Israel, Palestine is throwing away a lot of blood," said native Israeli and music composition doctoral candidate Ari Berman, after the talk. An important change would be made in the Middle East conflict, Ashrawi maintained during her speech, if world leaders would consider the Palestinians' point of view. She argued that the Palestinians have been too frequently blamed for their role in violent conflicts. "[Palestinians] have been "constantly blamed, bashed, and punished for being the victim. Now they are standing up and are refusing to be submissive." With most of her adult life spent under Israeli occupation, Ashrawi said she feels passionate about the Palestinians' claims to land in the peace process, saying that Israel has used the process as a guise for occupation. Despite her sympathy for the recent uprising, Ashrawi said she was searching to promote peace. She expressed her interest in a peaceful resolution to the rash of violence that has ripped through the Middle East, forcing Israel to formally suspend the seven-year-old peace process with the Palestinians. "Being an occupier destroys the internal ethos and is difficult to cope with," Ashrawi said. "We [Palestinians] want a true guarantee for peace and to begin the process of reconciliation." But many of the students in attendance were turned off by her steadfast opinions and expressed frustration that she did not present a "more accurate" analysis of the conflict, particularly given that many undergraduates attended the event to gain more general knowledge about the topic. College freshman Shimon Brooks called it a "bad starting point for understanding this issue more thoroughly." But other students found her words were invigorating. "Beyond this event, we hope this is the first step in bringing the Arab and Jewish communities together on campus," said Tarek Jallad, president of the Penn Arab Student Society, which sponsored the event. Students' reactions to Ashrawi came out during the question-and-answer period. From questioning the integrity of the Palestinian leadership -- one student mockingly thanked Ashrawi for "deceptive tactics" -- to questioning the very possibility of peace, audience members engaged Ashrawi in an often heated back-and-forth discussion. Jallad, a native of Jordan and a College senior, said he was pleased that the controversial topic was discussed for the most part in a respectful way by both sides. "I was very happy with the way the crowd showed her a lot of respect," Jallad said. Jallad added that he hoped the talk would succeed in raising awareness and providing information on the issues.