On October 18, the University of Iowa student-led Middle East and North African Students Association, or MENASA, collaborated with Iowans for Palestine and Eastern Iowa Jewish Voice for Peace to host a panel discussion, “Humanizing Palestine.”
A promotional email for the event stated that its purpose was to “combat dehumanizing rhetoric surrounding Palestine.” But throughout the 90-minute talk, speakers failed to mention the role of Hamas in perpetuating violence against Israelis and their people or any of the hostages still imprisoned in Gaza. Instead, the entire endeavor presented a biased narrative that amounted to misleading and downright false anti-Israel propaganda.
The promotional claims and content of the event propagated falsehoods that fall into two categories: distortions about the current war and misrepresentations of the conflict’s historical context. This event was uninterested in balanced discussion and, based on their disinformation, these people want nothing but more harm for both Palestinians and Jews.
Dani Misyuk, a current undergrad and member of both Eastern Iowa Jewish Voices for Peace and Iowa City Action for Palestine, served as one of the speakers for the event. Identifying as an anti-zionist Jewish person, Misyuk wore a watermelon Yarmulke — a symbol often associated with support for the antisemitic maximalist Palestinian national cause. She used her platform to declare her “commitment to fighting against all injustices, including the genocide being committed against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the occupation Israel has been perpetuating for the last 76+ years in Palestine.” Later, she outright denied any connection that the Jewish people have to the land of Israel.
All three of those above claims, of course, are not true. For over a millennia, Jewish people have called the land of Israel home. As the center of Jewish faith, Jerusalem is revered as the holiest site. An honest reading of past and current international law sufficiently shows that not only have Jews always had legitimate claims to establish and defend their country, but their military has gone above and beyond to ensure attempts at genocide perpetrated by anyone will not occur.
Another speaker, Yaser Abu-Dagga, cofounded a Pro-Palestinian charity foundation that recently promoted their relationship with organizations that have proven ties to terror groups.
His main contribution to the event was to emotionally manipulate the audience with pleas to “consider Palestinians when they are killed,” implying the only way to do so is to blame Israel for every civilian casualty. In reality, there is ample evidence suggesting Israel has made more effort than any other military in modern history to protect Palestinian civilians while conducting this and every war that Hamas has instigated for the past twenty years.
Another member of Eastern Iowa Jewish Voice for Peace named Ezra outrageously claimed that her early education led her to “connect the dots between the Warsaw Ghetto and Gaza.”
This comparison is a slap in the face to all the Jews who were tortured, forced out of their homes, and murdered during the Holocaust. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was a Jewish revolt against Nazi SS officers that exposed the horrific atrocities imposed to achieve their genocidal aims.
Comparing Gaza to the Warsaw Ghetto is deeply disrespectful to the memory of the Jews who suffered and died during the Holocaust. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was an act of courage by Jewish men and women fighting back against Nazi forces who were actively working to wipe out an entire people. Life in the Warsaw Ghetto was defined by starvation, disease, and the constant threat of death.
While the situation in Gaza has its own challenges, it is not an attempt to exterminate an entire race. Making this comparison diminishes the unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust and the extraordinary bravery of those who resisted Nazi oppression.
At one point, Ezra dismissed all accusations of antisemitism because she had “never once experienced antisemitism from a Palestinian or from anyone at these [anti-Israel] protests, or from anyone carrying a Palestinian flag.” Not only is this an entirely oblivious and self-centered stance, but she would have needed to actively ignore so many recent incidents on and off our campus in the past year to make it with a straight face.
What all those involved in this event are saying is that it is not antisemitic when people refuse to condemn Hamas, scream “I am Hamas,” or deny the rape of Israeli hostages.
If that isn’t antisemitism, then nothing is.
The “Humanizing Palestine” panel event missed a critical opportunity for balanced discussion and genuine understanding, raising the question of whether it was ever intended to foster such dialogue in the first place. After all, what does slandering Israel have to do with humanizing Palestinians unless the real aim was to demonize Israel to justify an implicit endorsement of Palestinian violence and terrorism?
By solely promoting debunked libels about Israel and ignoring Hamas’s role in perpetuating violence and obstructing peace, the event presented a one-sided perspective that deepened divisions rather than built bridges.
If the goal was truly to promote diverse perspectives and understanding for the promotion of thoughtful discussions, then this event fell flat.
Moving forward, the university should make clear their official positions on such dangerous and contentious claims and offer equal support to events that platform a variety of perspectives in order to show their commitment to free speech and balance. This will allow students to critically engage with opposing views and strive for justice and peace. Problematic events like these do nothing but spread hatred and disinformation.
– Jasmyn T. Jordan