While several groups organized public demonstrations on the Sundial and Low Library steps over the past week, drawing attention from hundreds of onlookers to the military action in Gaza, 25 students met in Hamilton Hall to discuss what their own response should be in light of the recent escalation in violence.
The Columbia University College Democrats, an umbrella group for progressive, liberal, and Democratic activity on campus, met on Wednesday night to learn about the situation in Gaza and discuss what role the College Dems should assume on campus.
Avi Edelman, the College Dems’ media director and CC ’11, began the meeting by explaining the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a New York Times-created timeline.
Though members debated certain details concerning the history of the conflict, a much longer discussion ensued regarding where the group should go from here.
Some said the group should assume a “peace-brokering role” between LionPAC, a nonpartisan pro-Israel group, and the newly created group Columbia University Community Stands with Gaza, both of whom held recent rallies.
Jonathan Backer, CC ’10, raised his concern about LionPAC’s and the Gaza group’s decisions to hold these rallies, saying it bothered him “to see them waving flags during an ongoing war and having very little vocalization of a pro-peace policy.”
Others agreed on the inherent issues of the rally, pointing to the fact that there was little gray area between the two coalitions.
College Dems lead activist Kate O’Gorman, BC ’10, discussed how the Dems could take a “public middle ground” approach. She suggested that they could “step between the two groups and bring them together.”
“We had two groups standing there, facing each other with no conversation,” Nancy Huemer, College Dems secretary and BC ’10, said.
“Hearing the other side is always procedure. I would like to see some interaction or some kind of face-to-face discussion.”
Edelman echoed Huemer’s suggestion, asking group members how they would feel about cosponsoring a dialogue event. The event, to which all students would be welcomed, would ask participants to sit in what he called a “fishbowl format” consisting of two concentric circles. Those in the inner circle would have a “free-flowing dialogue” about Gaza-related issues, while the outer circle would listen. Later, those in the outer circle would have a chance to move to the inner circle and voice their opinions.
But some members raised concerns about taking on this peace-brokering role, arguing that it could come across as arrogant. “I don’t want us to just be the group that addresses peace,” Greer Feick, College Dems director of social and alumni affairs and CC ’11, said. “It’s not just about stepping in the middle, but making sure that they’re feeling involved as well,” she said of the other groups.
While the Dems have not yet settled on a course of action, they did unanimously agree on a group statement about the Gaza conflict that members of the executive board drafted.
The Dems will continue to map out their ideas at future meetings and will soon solidify plans for the event that they hope to cosponsor.
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