Earlier this year, ASUO senate, with the student group QuackPac, which stated a need to recognize that Israel does have a right to exist as a country, and that the University of Oregon acknowledges all of the contributions that Israel has placed into the “modern world.”
The resolution titled “The University of Oregon’s Commitment To Israel’s Right To Exist And Thrive,” passed at senate with a vote of 13-5-1.
The QuackPac is a bipartisan group of students who aim to better the ties of Israel with the United States. This organization cares about Israel and its alliance with the United States. These students are involved in an array of activities on campus and are of Jewish and non-Jewish decent.
Doctoral student Evan Shenkin and senior Diana Salazar are among a group of students on campus who oppose the Israel resolution. There is no official name for their group, but many of the students fighting the resolution come from Students Against Empire and Imperialism.
These students are sending a letter to UO President Michael Gottfredson voicing their concerns with the resolution.
The letter speaks on Shenkin, Salazar and other students’ defense.
“Our letter calls on President Gottfredson to make clear that the resolution does not speak for many undergraduates and graduate students on campus,” Shenkin said.
Both Shenkin and Salazar stressed that they are not trying to speak for the Palestinians — rather they want to raise awareness for the issues that are occurring.
“I’d like to stress that I am coming from a place of solidarity and privilege and do not intend on ‘speaking’ for Palestinians, nor do I argue that I am fully aware of the struggle for Palestinian liberation as movements are journeys, not destinations,” Salazar said. “My solidarity comes from a place of shared struggles and life-long commitment to social justice.”
Shenkin and Salazar believe that the resolution does not speak for the Palestinians. It focuses on Israel and their right to exist, but excludes Palestinians and their rights as citizens.
“We find the language of the resolution deeply problematic,” Shenkin said. “Antithetical to the ethical mission of our university and actually stifling productive dialogue around the Israel-Palestine conflict. The language of the Israel resolution claims to speak for the university as a whole. It does not.”
The letters asks President Gottfredson to release a statement clarifying that he does not welcome the position proposed in the resolution or its process.
The letter states, “We demand that, as the President of this university, you release a clarifying statement that you do not embrace this position, nor the process used to reach it. You need to underline the fact that many of us do not feel that the resolution represents our views in any way.”
The letter also states that with the passing of the resolution, students are unable to have a proper discussion about the Israel-Palestine issue since it suggests that all students possess the same views. An unfriendly environment has now been created on campus. So, by acting on this issue, students will be able to express their views on the conflict.
Shenkin, Salazar and the other students hope for a future meeting with President Gottfredson to further discuss the issue.