Professors weigh in on Said controversy by Xiomara Lorenzo Assistant News Among the 400 attendees to Edward Said’s Feb. 19 lecture were faculty from various departments within the University, including the religion, history and English departments. Though widely respected for his academic work, Said has received heavy criticism for his activist role in the Palestinian struggle. “There was some concern beforehand of possible disruptions,” said Professor of Philosophy Brian Fay, and moderator of the lecture. “However, I was glad to see that none of our fears materialized.” Said stressed that he was not going to speak on all aspects concerning tensions between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. Rather he focused on the importance of understanding the history of present day Israel and more directly, the history of its inhabitants. “I will try to place the Palestinian narrative before you,” Said said. “I will put forth a particular view of current events and will leave room for discussion and questioning. It is imperative to understand the narrative if we are to arrive at a state that can roughly be described as peace.” “He is a mirror of Palestinian sentiment,” said Professor of History Bruce Masters. “He acknowledges that there is an Israeli side. Both sides need to recognize each other’s history.” According to Said, within Israel is an abundance of interpretations from Muslims and Jews regarding historical and religious ties to the land. “We live in a time not of the clash of civilizations, rather much more interestingly, the clash of interpretations of human history,” Said said. Americans often receive a skewed portrayal of Palestinians, Said said, from U.S. media coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as the U.S. government and pro-Israeli organizations. Vera Schwarcz, chair of the history department, said she believed there needs to be a more proactive approach in learning about both peoples’ histories. “There is tremendous ignorance of the historical background of the conflict,” Schwarcz said. “On average, Israeli deaths are covered more prominently, and typically with more personalizing detail, than the deaths of Palestinians,” said Mary Ann Clawson, professor of sociology. “As a result, I suspect that most Americans assume that many more Israelis have been killed than Palestinians, when in fact, as Professor Said noted, the loss of life to Palestinians has been many times over that of Israelis. This is not to deny the enormous grief and pain felt by either group, but simply to make the point that both our factual knowledge and emotional perceptions of this conflict are profoundly shaped by the character of media reporting.” According to Director of Jewish Studies Jeremy Zwelling, Americans often have an easier time relating to Israeli society and the Israeli government due to the U.S. government’s support of the Israeli government. “We [American people] have had a harder time understanding the Muslim world post-September 11th,” Zwelling said. Said emphasized that suffering endured by Palestinians is frequently overlooked and misrepresented. Said continued by saying that Palestinian suffering is steadily perceived as justified retaliation for the violence and terrorism it has caused to the Israelis. “What many people forget is that there has been a 35-year-old military occupation of Palestinian territory [by the Israeli army] which continues as we speak,” Said said, referring to the armed aggression within Palestinian regions such as the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In discussing Israeli occupation of Palestinian land, Said showed maps of Israel containing Israeli settlements within the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Said expressed his desire to see the end of Israeli occupation and the creation of a Palestinian state. His ultimate wish is for Palestinians and Israelis to work towards a relationship of mutual respect and independence. “Said made a good point by showing the geographic images of Palestinian land,” said Professor of English Alice Hadler. “I was amazed at the number of Israeli settlements. The visual effect was astonishing.” “The problem is within the occupation of these territories,” Zwelling said. “There is a need for a true Palestinian state and for flourishing Palestinian and Israeli democracy.” According to Said, many Israelis and Palestinians want to move away from the excessive military force that Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister of Israel and Palestinian leader, Yasir Arafat, have used to counter the conflict. According to the New York Times, 1000 reserve generals, officers and officials from Israeli security services have initiated a campaign to withdraw from Gaza and the West Bank. They also proposed the evacuation of some settlements and the establishment of a border. They advocate for a Palestinian state and peace negotiations. “I expected to find viewpoints that I would strongly disagree with,” Hadler said. “However, he provided information covering both sides. You rarely hear directly from people who approach the issue with the kind of background and knowledge that Mr. Said has.”

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