We are Students, Not Governments.

                                                  Aimee Riese, LSESU Israel Society President

                                                         This is a cross-post from The Beaver

To be clear from the outset, events seen on campus on Monday were horrific. The Palestine Society protest

was disgusting. So were the water balloons thrown as a result. So was the violence towards those throwing

them. None of this should have happened. None of it should be acceptable on our campus.

It is a sad state of affairs when relations on our campus have deteriorated to this point.

It is for this reason, again, that I now openly and publicly call for members of the Palestine and Israel 

societies to dialogue.Dialogue allows activists for peace on both sides to engage and educate themselves

and others. In doing so, they become more effective in working towards their goals of peace. 

Dialogue creates understanding and it facilitates change. We are students, not governments. 

We have no restrictions on talking to one another. In fact, we have a unique opportunity 

in an academic environment to engage.

It is not unrealistic to expect graduates of the LSE to be facilitating change on an international level in the

future.Wouldn’t it be great if students had met before, not representing any government, but as students,

learning from each other?This is not the first time that dialogue has been offered.  

During Michaelmas Term, I offered to co-host an event between the Israel and Palestine Societies 

with both a Palestinian and an Israeli mother who lost their sons in the conflict. Those who were there 

witnessed the voices behind headlines, the reality of the suffering and the need for reconciliation. Those 

who were there will have also witnessed the Palestinian mother cry out, “Where are my representatives?“

I have appealed to our current Community and Welfare Officer to facilitate some sort of dialogue for our 

societies. I have met with the President of the Palestine Society and another member of their committee

to suggest ANY sort of dialogue, in ANY format, that we could jointly arrange. The Palestine Committee

again refused but suggested that a few individuals would like to participate, not under the banner of the

society. The Palestine Society has not replied to any of my messages to get in contact with those individuals.

The refusal of the Palestine Society to engage so far at any level is thoroughly depressing. 

Instead, they built a “wall” and a mock check-point, playing dress-up as Israeli soldiers.If your intention

is to raise people’s awareness of the Palestinian cause and be activists for peace, this alienated most 

students and offended many others who may otherwise join you.

I have no reason to justify engagement by presenting my own politics. As I explained, I believe

 engagement is valuable in itself. However, I feel that by revealing a little more about my own views, this 

may challenge the assumptions of members of the Palestine Society and the general reader. 

I have interned for Peace Now, the largest Israeli peace movement, continually critical of the 

government, and also for B’Tselem, the Israeli human rights organisation

monitoring Israeli human rights abuses in the Occupied Territories.

I want to emphasise again that it is not because of my views that you should talk to me (indeed, many in the

Israel Society would not support the work of these organisations) but I hope this challenges the perceptions

that may (or may not) have been formed by not talking. It is precisely because of our differing views, 

both between the Israel and 

Palestine Societies and within them, that will challenge and educate all of us involved.

Moreover, this has moved beyond solely education. It has now entered the realms of good 

campus relations. It is worth emphasizing again how offensive the protest on Monday was. It presented

 the conflict in black and white, right and wrong. At a basic level, the depiction of a “wall” for the sole 

purpose of separation fails to recognise the reality.The purpose of this security structure is to directly 

prevent terrorism in Israel and the statistical evidence shows it has done so. Terror has affected members

of the Israel Society. 

It is hard to express how offensive the laughter and attitudes of the protestors in carrying out their 

protest was to these members. 

The Israel Society still believes that dialogue is the best way forward. It is the only way to handle 

tensions on campus. These tensions are real and grounded in experiences. I am sincerely appealing to 

members of the Palestine Society, both as supporters of the Palestinian cause and as students of the LSE, 

to talk to members of the Israel Society.