The University of Iowa Young Americans for Freedom hosted speaker Ian Haworth, a Jewish conservative media personality, at the Iowa Memorial Union on Monday night.
Haworth, near the beginning of his speech, asked the attendees to participate in a moment of silence to commemorate those killed in the conflict over the last year, emphasizing his belief in the value of innocent lives on both sides of the conflict. He then spoke about his opinion on the worldwide reaction to the war, saying there was an uptick in antisemitic actions around the globe.
Haworth said he believes Hamas doesn’t want a ceasefire and that no action from Israel could stop the conflict, but he still supports a two-state solution.
“I believe that Palestinians have the same right to self-determination that Jews have in Israel,” he said. “But you cannot look at a group of Hamas, look at what they did on Oct. 7, and say this will just stop if we give them a state. You are rewarding terrorists, and the second you reward terrorists, you are guaranteeing years, decades, generations of more terrorism.”
Ian urged the audience to challenge “anti-Israel lies” and to support Israel in its fight against Hamas.
Several police officers and barricades were in place in case of any protests, though no protest took place, and no interruptions occurred during the speech.
