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This episode of State Press Play deals with sensitive topics related to the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza.
Gabriella Fernbaugh:
The ongoing Israel Gaza conflict in the Middle East has far reaching global effects.
Damian Goacher:
All over the world colleges have spoken out and made public statements regarding their stance on the issue of Arizona State University being one of them.
Tyler Abrams:
There have been a number of rallies, protests and vigils for both sides on campus this past month.
Gabriella Fernbaugh:
I'm Gabriella Fernbaugh.
Damian Goacher:
I'm Damian Goacher.
Tyler Abrams:
And I'm Tyler Abrams, and this is State Press Play.
Gabriella Fernbaugh:
Also on this week's episode, student voices from a rally in support of Palestine.
Tyler Abrams:
This past Wednesday, the President of Students for Justice in Palestine, or SJP, answered questions regarding their petition to ASU. SJP is seeking to petition the university to boycott and divest from companies and organizations that support Israel in its conflict within Gaza. According to Finn Howe, president of SJP, the organization has been calling on ASU to diverge support from Pro-Israel companies and organizations for a long time.
Finn Howe:
This didn't start today, Students for Justice in Palestine has been on this mission for the past 16 years when it founded at ASU, and even longer for national SJP.
Tyler Abrams:
Howe says student organizations have successfully called for ASU to boycott, divest, and sanction, or BDS, institutions like the South African apartheid in the 1980s.
Finn Howe:
They managed to call on ASU and ASU in 1985. Adopted BDS for against South African crimes of apartheid… We're here today to make that similar history.
Tyler Abrams:
SJP will be presenting their legislation to the Undergraduate Student Government on November 14.
Gabriella Fernbaugh:
Last week ASU joined the We Stand Together coalition, a statement supporting Israel amidst the ongoing conflict in Gaza. I'm here with State Press editor-in-chief Shane Brennan, who has been following this. Hello Shane.
Shane Brennan:
Hey, how's it going?
Gabriella Fernbaugh:
So the statement came out on October 21st. Can you explain what this means for ASU?
Shane Brennan:
So Arizona State University is joining a coalition of 14 institutions that are not necessarily all individual universities. There are some individual universities, notably Baylor, West Virginia and Notre Dame. So there's a mix of public, private, religious universities.
Gabriella Fernbaugh:
So what does it mean that ASU stands with Israel?
Shane Brennan:
What ASU means when they stand with Israel is and I quote, from the statement that they signed on to with the rest of the universities and the colleges that I mentioned before. They see this as like the fight against ISIS. The fight against Hamas is a fight against evil that is in the quote that they sign on to. And they also take a stance at the last sentence of the statement. It's a very short statement, saying that they stand with Israel along with the rest of the colleges, universities and institutions that sign on, they stand with Israel, and with the Palestinians who suffer and I quote "under Hamas' cruel rule in Gaza."
It's doesn't get any more complicated than that from ASU at this stage in the conflict. But ASU has also supported in the past ASU students right to free speech on campus. They're free speech absolutist as they always have been, and they respect all students rights to voice their opinions on the conflict. And there have been multiple rallies on campus in support of Palestine, and Palestinian causes in the conflict overseas. There's also been a few events from Jewish students in regards to family members that may be involved back in the Middle East. There are a lot of things going on on this campus in regards to this conflict. There are a lot of people who are involved, there are a lot of people with family back there and is very sensitive. And ASU is taking a hard stance in regards to this conflict to side with Israel.
To hear more from Brennan, please tune in to State Press Play.
READ MORE: ASU JOINS 14 ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS IN COLLECTIVE SUPPORT OF ISRAEL
Damian Goacher:
The State Press has been focused on covering what’s been going on around campus related to the Israel/Gaza conflict. I’m here with State Press politics reporter Phineas Hogan, who has covered a number of the events. Hi Phineas, how are you?
Phineas Hogan:
I'm pretty good.
Damian Goacher:
So what have you seen going on around campus in response to the Israel/Gaza conflict?
Phineas Hogan:
Over the last couple of weeks, kind of as this conflict has worsened, started worsening, and there's a lot of angst among students. You know, on both sides of the equation. I attended a candlelight vigil that was organized by ASU Jewish organizations. And people there were just distraught. They were scared. They were, they felt isolated. They felt frustrated, like there were so many emotions, swimming around, and at the other protests that I've been to, I've attended multiple Palestinian protests, and it's kind of the same vibe. It's like, on both sides of the aisle, people are just upset. They're scared.
Damian Goacher:
So Phineas, what have you been hearing from the students on both sides of the conflict?
Phineas Hogan:
I've been hearing a lot of frustrations. I've been hearing about pain, a lot of emotion and a lot of fear. You know, a lot of people have family that are in the region right now, who they are in direct contact with, and some who aren't in contact, that have lost contact, with family members. And they're scared, they don't know what's happening.
Damian Goacher:
Can you describe for me what the scene was like at the Palestine event?
Phineas Hogan:
I attended two Palestinian rallies over the last week. One of them was part of a national, coordinated walkout across all students, for students for Justice in Palestine, clubs across the US. And that was outside the MU in Tempe, probably like 50 to 75 students and faculty. They all had signs, they were chanting, you know, a lot of the students were very angry, you know, they felt like they're not being protected by the university. They felt like the university hasn't really taken a neutral stance. A lot of them were very appreciative of, kind of Crow and ASU's emphasis on like, maintaining free speech and allowing them to be there.
To hear more from Hogan, please tune in to State Press Play.
READ MORE: STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS CALL ON ASU TO BOYCOTT AND DIVEST FROM COMPANIES SUPPORTING ISRAEL
READ MORE: JEWISH STUDENTS CONGREGATED TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL, HONOR THE FALLEN
Gabriella Fernbaugh:
There has been a recent spike in tensions across college campuses over the debate of the Israel/Gaza Strip conflict. On October 21, ASU students gathered to rally amid the regional conflict outside Old Main. I'm here with State Press politics editor Alysa Horton, who covered the event last month. Hi, Alysa.
Alysa Horton:
Hello.
Gabriella Fernbaugh:
So who organized the rally?
Alysa Horton:
The rally was organized by multiple organizations from across the greater Phoenix area, some of which were Students for Justice in Palestine and MECHA de ASU. The rally happened on October 21 in the morning, and lasted until midday. The rally started in front of Old Main and marching went across the Palm Walk Overpass and down South College Avenue.
Gabriella Fernbaugh:
And what was being protested?
Alysa Horton:
People in attendance of the rally were really there in support of Palestine in the midst of the continued conflict across the region. The people in attendance that I saw ranged in age from children to elderly people, it was far more than just college students there in support of Palestine. The specific purpose for attendance wasn't the same for everyone there. But overall, the energy and the chants really circled around this idea of free Palestine. I saw multiple people online have mentioned the event got heated, but with over 1000 people there. I didn't personally witness any tensions, people there were in support of Palestine more than anything else.
Gabriella Fernbaugh:
And have there been other rallies on campus?
Alysa Horton:
There have been multiple different events that we've covered. I sent one of my reporters to a gathering of solidarity for people in support of Israel and I attended another rally for Palestine a couple of weeks ago in front of the MU. My reporter also attended a Palestine walkout on Wednesday.
To hear more from Horton, please tune in to State Press Play.
READ MORE: ASU COMMUNITY RALLY AT OLD MAIN TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR PALESTINE
READ MORE: STUDENTS MARCH ON TEMPE CAMPUS TO RALLY FOR PALESTINE AMID REGIONAL CONFLICT
Tyler Abrams:
We attended the October 21 rally organized by Students for Justice in Palestine, who called for Palestinian liberation. Hundreds of students, young people, parents and children marched on ASU’s Tempe campus. The rally started at Old Main and continued across Palm Walk Overpass to the Tooker Lawn. Finally, the rally continued halfway down South College Avenue before ending back at Old Main. As the demonstrators marched, chants could be heard in support of Palestine.
The following audio postcards are voices from the rally.
Gabriella Fernbaugh:
And that’s all for this week’s episode of State Press Play, I’m Gabriella Fernbaugh.
Damian Goacher:
I’m Damian Goacher.
Tyler Abrams:
And I’m Tyler Abrams.
Gabriella Fernbaugh:
You stay up to date with what’s going on around campus on statepress.com.
Damian Goacher:
You can follow State Press on X and Instagram @statepress.
Gabriella Fernbaugh:
Amber Victoria Singer is the State Press podcast editor. Our managing team is Alexis Heichman and Reece Andrews. Shane Brennan is our editor-in-chief and Angelina Steel is our executive editor. Our original music is by Jake LeRoux and Ellie Willard.
Damian Goacher:
See you next week, devils.
