COMMUNITY DURING THIS VERY FRAUD MOMENT, FIGHT THE CANCER OF ANTI-SEMITISM AND REDOUBLE OUR EFFORTS TO BRING COMMUNITIES TOGETHER.>> THANK YOU FOR THAT. FOR MORE ON THE RISE AND TENSION ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES AS PROTESTS CONTINUE, WE WANT TO SPEAK TO STUDENTS WHO CAN SHARE THEIR TAKE ON WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THEIR CAMPUS. WE ARE JOINED BY TWO STUDENTS FROM COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY. FIRST UP, NADIA, A PHD STUDENT WHO IS A PRO-PALESTINIAN DENNIS RADER AND PARKER IS A FRESHMAN, ALSO JEWISH. NADIA, I WANT TO START WITH YOU, TALK TO ME ABOUT WHY YOU SUPPORT THE PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTEST ON CAMPUS RIGHT NOW IN COLUMBIA. >> SURE, LIKE MANY PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD, I HAVE BEEN VERY SADDENED BY THE APPALLING VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN GAZA, AND BY THE DEATH TOLL, AND THE MOBILIZATION OF STUDENTS IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE. AND THEY ARE CALLED FOR JUSTICE, THEY ARE CALLED FOR PEACE AND FOR AN END TO CEASE- FIRE, AND FOR THE RESPECTIVE HUMAN RIGHTS, FOR THE RESPECTIVE INTERNATIONAL LAW HAS BEEN A SOURCE OF COMFORT AND A SOURCE OF HOPE FOR ME AND MANY OTHERS ON CAMPUS. >> ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE WAY IT HAS PLAYED OUT OR HAS IT GOTTEN OUT OF CONTROL? >> I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THE PROTESTERS HERE ARE STRIVING TO DRAW ATTENTION TO WHAT IS HAPPENING AND TO CALL FOR THE RESPECTIVE HUMAN RIGHTS. I THINK I'M HONORED TO FEEL THAT MOBILIZATION ON CAMPUS, BUT CERTAINLY I WANT TO RELATE ALSO THE ANGST TO THE STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED FOR SPEAKING FOR THE CEASE-FIRE AND THE END OF VIOLENCE. >> PARKER, YOU ARE AT HOME RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE NOT ON CAMPUS BECAUSE YOU TEMPORARILY HAVE LEFT COLUMBIA. I KNOW YOU WERE ON CAMPUS LAST WEEK WHEN YOU WERE VERBALLY ATTACKED FOR BEING JEWISH, CAN YOU SHARE MORE ABOUT THAT EXPERIENCE AND WHAT IT HAS BEEN LIKE IN JEWISH ON COLUMBIA'S CAMPUS? >> ABSOLUTELY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY. LAST WEEK, WEDNESDAY, OBVIOUSLY OUR PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY TESTIFIED IN FRONT OF CONGRESS REGARDING ANTI-SEMITISM AND THIS DREW A LOT OF STRAIN FROM THE JEWISH COMMUNITY AS WE FELT SHE WASN'T SAYING ENOUGH TO CONGRESS AND SHE WASN'T FULLY TELLING THE FULL PICTURE OF WHAT IS GOING ON. SO THE CAMPUS WAS HAVING AN EVENT TO BRING TOGETHER THE JEWISH COMMUNITY TO SHOW SUPPORT. SO I WAS PLANNING ON GOING TO THAT, I WAS WALKING TO THE HOUSE, KEEP IN MIND THERE WAS ONLY A FEW TERMS WE CAN LEAVE CAMPUS, I WAS WALKING THROUGH THE PROTEST AND I WAS TOLD TO KEEP ON TESTIFYING YOU F-ING JEW. KEEP IN MIND, I WASN'T AT ANY OF THE PROTEST THAT DAY. YET I WAS STILL YELLED OUT AT, AND AFTERWARDS I TOOK MY YARMULKE AND PUT IT IN MY POCKET AND CONTINUED WALKING OVER TO THE HOUSE. THE DAY AFTER, WITH EVERYTHING GOING ON IN CAMPUS, I CONTINUED CALLS FOR -- AS I WAS HELPING THE JEWISH STUDENTS MOVE OUT AND HELPING CARRY THEIR THINGS OUT TO THE ROAD, WE WERE YELLED AT AND TOLD WE ARE SO HAPPY YOU ARE OFF-CAMPUS, AND ON FRIDAY, I WAS ALREADY PLANNING ON DEPARTING CAMPUS FOR A WORK EVENT THAT I HAD ALREADY SCHEDULED BUT AS I WAS LEADING CAMPUS ON THE OTHER GATE ON 16th AND AMSTERDAM, THIS INDIVIDUAL PROTESTERS TOLD ME KEEP ON WALKING, IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO LEAVE. SO, THEY HAVE TOLD ME THESE THINGS, I DON'T FEEL SAFE TO WALK AMONGST CAMPUS BECAUSE THE ONLY IDENTIFIER THAT I AM JEWISH IS MY YARMULKE AND MY NECKLACE, THAT HAS THE STAR OF DAVID. I'M NOT WALKING AROUND WITH ANYTHING ELSE TAKING A POLITICAL STAND, IT IS SIMPLY A SYMBOL THAT SEEMS TO BE THE ISSUE.>> AND I APPRECIATE YOUR HONESTY AND YOU COMING ON THE SHOW AND TELLING US WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING, SO NADIA, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT? NO STUDENT SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY WHICH IS IN AN AREA THAT IS HEAVILY DEMOCRATIC AND AN IVY LEAGUE INSTITUTION, PEOPLE ARE SPENDING $90,000 TO SEND THEIR KIDS THERE AND YOU HAVE A FELLOW STUDENT THAT DOESN'T FEEL SAFE. >> I THINK PALESTINIANS WOULD BE THE FIRST TO RELATE TO THAT PAIN.>> ARE YOU OKAY WITH EVERYTHING HE HAS GONE THROUGH? >> ABSOLUTELY NOT, THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT NOT TO CONFLATE THE CALL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE WITH ANTI-SEMITIC ACTIONS OR HATE SPEECH.>> BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE LINE IS BLURRED, THAT IS WHY I WANTED TO HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW. >> THE LINE IS BLURRED AND THAT IS SHOWING THAT ONE SHOULD NOT DEFLATE THE CALL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS WITH HATE SPEECH AND IN FACT, IF YOU LOOK AROUND THE ENTRANCE OF THE LAWN WHERE THE STUDENTS ARE, THERE ARE GUIDELINES FOR RESPECTING ONE ANOTHER, RESPECTING UNIVERSITY STAFF AND THE REST OF THE PHYSICAL BODY, THE PHYSICAL SPACE THE STUDENTS ARE IN, THEY ARE REALLY TRYING TO CREATE A SPACE FOR EMPATHY, DIALOGUE AND FOR RESPECT FOR ONE ANOTHER.>> WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS HAPPENED? >> UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE LOST TRACK OF THE MAIN MESSAGE AND THE PURPOSE, IT IS A FUNDAMENTAL AND PEACEFUL MESSAGE, IT IS A CALL FOR AN END, AND DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST THE VIETNAM WAR IN THE 60s, LIMITATIONS AGAINST APARTHEID IN 80s, IT IS A PEACEFUL MESSAGE.>> WHY DO YOU THINK THAT MESSAGE HAS GOTTEN LOST?>> IT IS UNFORTUNATE, THE PEOPLE WHO CARRY OUT HATEFUL ACTIONS ARE NOT CONDEMNED BY THE PROCESS AND THEY ARE NOT RECOGNIZED. >> DO YOU THINK THEY ARE STUDENTS, DO YOU THINK THEY ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE MADE THEIR WAY INTO THESE PROTESTS? >> THEY MIGHT BE, BUT I CAN TELL YOU FOR SURE, THE STUDENTS WHO ARE SPEAKING OUT FOR PALESTINIAN RIGHTS ARE CARRYING A MESSAGE OF PEACE, AND THEY HAVE CLEAR GUIDELINES FOR HOW TO DO THAT BUT THEY ARE TRYING TO DO IT IN A THOUGHTFUL WAY AND THEY WERE NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES CONDEMNING ANY ACTIONS THAT WOULD PUT ANOTHER STUDENT AT RISK. >> ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE SEEN IS THAT BOTH SIDES ARE TALKING, BECAUSE THERE SO MUCH SCREAMING AND YELLING, THERE IS SO MUCH ANTI-SEMITISM, THE KIDS DO NOT FEEL SAFE. IF YOU COULD TALK TO PARKER RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT HIM TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT YOUR POINT OF VIEW? >> I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IT IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR ANY STUDENT TO FEEL UNSAFE ON CAMPUS AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT PALESTINIANS WOULD RELATE TO THAT PAIN AND WOULD ABSOLUTELY KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO FEEL INTIMIDATED AND TO HAVE THEIR IDENTITIES STIGMATIZED AND THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE AND THERE IS COMMON GROUND HERE WHICH IS A CALL FOR AN END TO VIOLENCE, AN END TO THE DEATH TOLL AND I THINK THAT YOU CAN TRUST THAT PALESTINIANS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE INTIMIDATED AND TO NOT FEEL SAFE ON CAMPUS AND THAT IS NOT HOW IT SHOULD BE. >> PARKER, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY? >> I THINK THERE HAS ALSO BEEN A LEVEL OF HATE THAT HAS COME FROM OUR SIDE OF THE AISLE AS WELL AND THE RISING ISLAMOPHOBIA ON CAMPUS IS ALSO INCREDIBLY UNACCEPTED AND THE RISE IN OVERALL HATRED ON OUR CAMPUS IS UNACCEPTABLE. I WILL BE THE FIRST TO SAY COMING FROM THE STUDENTS WHO SPEAK FOR THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IN THE INDIVIDUALS SUPPORTING ISRAEL, WE WANT TO CONDEMN THE HIGH AMOUNTS OF HARASSMENT ON INDIVIDUALS, SPECIFICALLY THE PROTESTERS. I THINK A LOT OF TIME THIS ISSUE BECOMES INCREDIBLY HEATED, IT IS EMOTIONALLY CHARGED WITH MANY FAMILIES IN ISRAEL, HAVING PERSONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND FEELING THIS WT NOT WANTING JEWISH PEOPLE ON CAMPUS, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT FEEL IT IS COMBINED WITH THEIR IDENTITIES. A LOT OF TIMES, I DON'T WANT THE LOSS OF INNOCENT LIFE AND I WANT AN END TO THIS WAR BECAUSE THIS GOING ON ISN'T PRODUCTIVE, IT ISN'T HELPING ANYONE, IT IS NOT MOVING US FORWARD. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE DIALOGUE LIKE THIS THAT IS MANAGED AND FELT WITH A MUTUAL ASSURED ESPECT BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS AND THE FACT THAT WE DO SHARE STRUGGLES AND ABILITIES AND WE SHARE MARGINALIZATION AND WE CAN PARTNER TOGETHER TO FIGHT THE ISSUES OF ISLAMOPHOBIA AND ANTI- SEMITISM, VIOLENCE AND BRING OUR COMMUNITIES TOGETHER. >> NADIA, I HAVE LEARNED MORE FROM YOUR CONVERSATIONS WITH PARKER OVER ANYTHING I HAVE SEEN ONLINE OR ON CAMPUS, WHY CAN THIS HAPPEN HERE AND NOT ON CAMPUS? DO YOU BLAME THE FACULTY AND THEY HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE SITUATION? >> I THINK UNFORTUNATELY THINGS GET HEATED ON CAMPUS AND STUDENTS CAN LOSE TRACK OF WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT. BUT I'M GLAD TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THAT ULTIMATELY WE ARE ALL HERE, WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE WITH HIGHER EDUCATION IS TO BE TRAINED TO BE POSITIVE FORCES OF CHANGE IN THE WORLD, TO THINK CRITICALLY ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING AROUND US, AND BE SENSITIVE TO OTHER PEOPLE'S POINT OF VIEW AND TO SPEAK OUT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. AND I THINK BOTH PARKER AND I WOULD AGREE THAT IS FUNDAMENTALLY WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO HERE.>> DO YOU THINK THERE IS A TIME WHEN PARKER WILL FEEL SAFE AGAIN ON CAMPUS? >> I SURE HOPE SO, THAT IS THE WAY IT SHOULD BE, THAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CAMPUS, TO MAKE SURE ALL THE STUDENT BODY AND THE PROTESTERS FEEL SAFE ON AMPUS. >> PARKER, WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR YOU TO RETURN BACK TO CAMPUS?>> FIRST IT REQUIRES A LARGE SUM OF ACCOUNTABILITY FROM THE ADMINISTRATION AND MAKING A BROAD STATEMENT ABOUT ANTI-SEMITISM, I THINK THEY HAVE MADE STATEMENTS ABOUT STUDENTS THAT MIGHT BE EXPRESSING THESE DIFFERENT THINGS OR HOW RELATIONS HAVE BEEN STRAINED, USING VERY FLOWERY LANGUAGE COMING FROM THE ADMINISTRATION BUT NOBODY HAS TAKEN A CONCRETE STANCE WHERE THE MESSAGE IS, WE DON'T WANT ANTI-SEMITISM ON OUR CAMPUS. AND I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE ACCOUNTABILITY, BUT ALSO ACCOUNTABILITY WITH OUR SECURITY FORCES ON CAMPUS. THERE ARE JEWISH STUDENTS REACHING OUT TO PUBLIC SAFETY ON CAMPUS, REACHING OUT TO NYPD ON THE STREETS, ASKING FOR SUPPORT AND THEY ARE TELLING US THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, IT IS NOT OUR PROBLEM, SO WE ARE DEALING WITH THESE ISSUES ON OUR OWN. WE ARE THE ONLY SUPPORT AND RESOURCES WE HAVE, SO FOR ME TO COME BACK TO CAMPUS, I THINK FOR A LOT OF OTHER JEWISH STUDENTS TO COME BACK REQUIRES COLUMBIA TO GAIN ACCOUNTABILITY AND TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS, IT REQUIRES INDIVIDUALS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE, SPECIFICALLY THOSE ON THE STREETS, TO ALLOW US TO ENGAGE IN THE DIALOGUE WHERE WE FEEL THAT WE ARE ABLE TO BE WELCOME AND RESPECTED AND OUR IDENTITIES DON'T MAKE US A TARGET FOR HARASSMENT, OR JUST BECAUSE WE ARE PRO-ISRAEL OR JEWISH, THEY DON'T WANT TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS. SO WE NEED TO HAVE THAT LEVEL OF WELCOMED KNOWLEDGE AND THE ABILITY TO PARTAKE IN THAT DIALOGUE AND THE UNIVERSITY ENCOURAGES THIS LEVEL OF DISCUSSION, THAT IS WHEN JEWISH STUDENTS CAN FINALLY COME BACK TO CAMPUS AND ENGAGE IN THIS CRITICAL CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE CAN ADDRESS THESE GEOPOLITICAL ISSUES THAT ARE CHALLENGING OUR GENERATION. >> WE APPRECIATE
