The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is one of those issues that people continuously hear about but are too desensitized towards it to even bat an eye. For far too long, people have heard about the Palestinian-Israeli confl ict, yet continue to lump it into this one big ball of a headache, claiming these two sides have been at “war” for far too long over something as baffling as land.

But what defines war? One way to define it is an active conflict between two self-controlling sides that have adequate resources to sustain the unrest. That’s where the term war becomes inapplicable. Continuous checkpoints, illegal settlements, deprivation of necessities, and denial into the holy city, Jerusalem, are a few reasons that highlight the oppressor/oppressed relationship. The 400- mile long apartheid wall, which is comparably bigger to the Berlin wall, is rooted between Palestinian homes, villages, farms, and families, separating loved ones, segregating roads, and limiting movements within Palestinian territories.

Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) is a student advocacy club making its way to Pace that is directed towards spreading awareness about the injustice Palestinians face under Israeli occupation. SJP’s movement as a social justice group is dedicated to promoting justice, human rights, liberation, and self-determination for the Palestinian people and the world community as a whole. SJP is strictly against the normalization of the problem and believes in the decolonization of Palestinian territories.

Here’s where YOU come in: Students for Justice in Palestine is making its way to both the NYC and Pleasantville campuses! We feel it is important to actively engage and inform students about this major human rights issue, and give them the opportunity and outlet to take action. SJP welcomes all students to take part in our movement and firmly rejects any form of hatred or discrimination against any racial, religious, or ethnic group. We are currently in the process of finalizing our place in the Pace Community and hope to gain as much support as we can from students we know can make a difference.

For far too long, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been overlooked and often times one side is largely underrepresented. When the Pace student body hears of any injustices, it becomes our obligation as human beings to become the voice of the voiceless. It is our responsibility to do whatever we can to make even the smallest difference. We can no longer stand the desensitization of the conflict and SJP will serve as a platform for students to

rid our community of empty complacency!

For more information on how you can become a part of SJP please contact Nihal Qawasmi at [email protected]