Michael Safyan handed out pamphlets at the Combatants for Peace forum challenging some of the historical assertions made by panelists
While the Combatants for Peace discussion Monday night was received well by many, one student protested.
Following the presentation, Sophomore Michael Safyan handed out a pamphlet entitled “Big Lies: Demolishing the Myths of the Propaganda War Against Israel.”
Safyan told CampusJ that he was upset that the event put responsibility for the cycle of violence on both sides of the conflict, declaring that the event was “revising the past by impugning my ancestors,” which he said “is not an acceptable grounds for a sustainable peace.”
Safyan’s pamphlets, “Big Lies” from the right-wing Center for the Study of Popular Culture, were not sanctioned by any campus organization, and while he was allowed to hand them out, he was asked to stand outside Ursa’s when he did so.
While leaders of event sponsor Students for a Peaceful Palestinian Israeli Future didn’t agree with Safyan’s message, they emphasized the importance of including all viewpoints.
“People get excited about this topic, but what’s important is that people are just people and we need to respect everyone,” explained SPPIF Co-President Ben Sales in an interview.
Co-President Aviva Joffe expanded on Sales’s message, telling CampusJ that “all attitudes should be shared and discussed, even those which disagree with us; the important thing is to sit and talk about it.”
Some of those who interacted with Safyan expressed skepticism at Safyan’s viewpoint.
“Everyone knows someone who has been killed, everyone has been affected,” said Robert Fares, a freshman. Fares said that both sides had made mistakes in the conflict and that neither said is blameless.
Panelist Shimon Katz opined that part of the benefit of the SPPIF event was that it brought out multiple view points. “You guys are at the stage where you are trying to learn and create your own independent thought,” he said, adding “It’s important to show a different side of things.”