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American Morning
University Students Square Off Over Middle East Issues
Aired April 09, 2002 - 08:36 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is stirring up passions on college campuses in the U.S. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators at more than 30 schools today will try to convince universities to divest themselves of stock in corporations that do business with Israel, in a move reminiscent of the campaign against apartheid in South Africa almost a generation ago. Jewish students fear that the demonstrations signal a new wave of anti-Semitism.
CNN's Rusty Dornin reports on the battle lines being drawn at a campus with a long history of protest, the University of California at Berkeley.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ...Middle East here. There are Arab countries surrounding Israel...
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A preview of debates to come on this day, on campuses across the U.S. between Palestinian and Jewish students.
SNEHAL SHINGAVI, STUDENTS FOR JUSTICE IN PALESTINE: ...exactly like the ghettos that were created in Poland and Germany in the 1930's and 1940's...
OREN LAZAR, ISRAELI ACTION COMMITTEE: ...try and draw an equivalence between the Holocaust and what's going on there. The Holocaust was a systemic extermination of a specific people. The Israeli government is in the occupied territories to defend its citizens against terrorism and defend its...
SHINGAVI: All Palestinians...
(CROSSTALK)
LAZAR: I never said that -- you are using those words.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ...all Israelis (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the soldiers?
DORNIN: Both Palestinian and Jewish students plan separate demonstrations at campuses nationwide Tuesday on a date both sides say belongs to them.
LAZAR: Every year, the Jewish students on campus have a memorial for the Holocaust where we read names, light candles, and that type of thing, and for this student group to pick that day to hold this protest is just offensive.
DORNIN: Palestinian students say it's in memory of the deaths of Palestinian villagers in 1948.
SHINGAVI: April 9 always is the commemoration of the Deir Yassin massacre, and again, I'd like to point out that it's another sort of misconception that we picked this date to sort of compete with them.
DORNIN: On a campus that has seen more conflict than most, there are worries that things will get out of hand.
ROBERT BERDAHL, CHANCELLOR, UC BERKELEY: Let me make clear that we will not tolerate any action that threatens the well being of anyone.
DORNIN: Both sides say they want a nonviolent protest.
(on camera): This is traditionally an area where a lot of people come through, debate a lot of issues. Are you getting a lot of people wanting through wanting to argue about this?
DEVORA LISS, ISRAELI ACTION COMMITTEE: Yes, people come by. A lot of people want to learn, a lot of people want to learn, a lot of people want to come pick a fight. We're here to educate people.
DORNIN (voice-over): Palestinian students also plan a sit-in to protest UC investments in companies doing business with Israel.
SHINGAVI: Until Palestinians have the right to return to their homes and live in peace, that the University of California stop investing in these companies, just like it stopped investing in companies in the 80's that did business in South Africa.
DORNIN: UC Berkeley officials plan to have plenty of police on hand in case free speech sparks more than just that.
Rusty Dornin, CNN, Berkeley, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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