Profs delve into Mideast politics

Against the backdrop of the surge of violence in Israel, a panel of Penn faculty discussed Middle East politics with a group of about 100 students in Houston Hall last night. "Understanding the Arab-Israeli Conflict," sponsored by PennForum, was moderated by College junior Ari Alexander and featured Political Science Professors Alvin Rubinstein, Ian Lustick and Robert Vitalis and Religious Studies visiting lecturer William Grassie. The forum was designed to educate students on differing perspectives of the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict as well as to provide a history of its origins. Rubenstein briefly discussed the history of the conflict, beginning with the end of World War I and continuing through the Camp David accords and the recent murder of two Israeli reserve officers by a Palestinian mob. Then Grassie discussed the conflict's religious dimensions, focusing on the potential role of religion in resolving the conflict. More religion, not less, he said, is needed to forward a message of peace and respect that would mitigate the violence in the Middle East. Vitalis also presented an optimistic view, citing other countries -- such as Algeria -- that went through similar processes of decolonization. And Lustick provided an analysis of the current situation by equating it to a sports injury: "When you're in that sense of being stunned you have no ability to analyze, but within a little while you realize you're alright," he said. The outbreak of violence has ushered in a peace process that is "like surgery with a sledgehammer -- it's very messy." After all panel members had presented their material, the floor was opened up to questions and comments from audience members. What followed was a mix of strong opinions from both sides of the conflict as well as more moderate views toward a possible resolution. Although the forum had been planned for several months, the recent incidents involving the Israeli reserve officers and the bombing of the USS Cole were clearly on the minds of many of those present. Several audience members spoke strongly about their objections to Palestinian acts of violence and hatred prompted by textbooks and other media. Others expressed dismay with the perceived partiality of the United States. Ziad Ali, a fourth-year Dental Student, member of Penn Arab Students Society and a Palestinian who lived in Saudi Arabia for 10 years, spoke about the need to recognize both sides of the conflict. "We [the Palestinians] have an understanding, an acceptance of the Israeli-Jewish perspective," he said. "We have been there too." Following the forum, some said they were disappointed with the lack of diversity on the panel. "There were more pro-Arab views that weren't balanced to create a diverse panel," said College freshman Andrew Joseph, who along with Engineering freshman Jeff Cohen, expressed an interest in creating a Jewish-Arab dialogue to discuss issues introduced at last night's forum. "It's an idea that I've had since the violence started last month," Cohen said. "It came to fruition after the PASS vigil. We need a joint denunciation of violence.