Organized student response unnerves visiting IDF officer


On May 12th a senior military officer of the Israeli Defense Force speaking at the Denver University campus was interrupted so effectively that he failed to finish his talk.  Col. Bentzion Gruber, a Deputy Commander of the Reserve Division that served in Operation Cast Lead, the Christmas 2008 massacre in Gaza, was systematically challenged by students and non-students at an event sponsored by the Institute for Study of Israel in Middle East and the DU chapter of Hillel, a Jewish fraternity on campus.  Gruber\’s lecture was entitled, "The Most Rigorous Military Code of Ethics in the World.

 

After pre-rehearsal at a strategy meeting, several non-students challenged Col. Gruber\’s every statement, until each in turn was ejected from the room by police.  Students also participated, but stopped short of being ejected.  Gruber struggled unsuccessfully to finish his speech, which was finally cut short by the moderator, who turned to Q & A.  

 

Angered, Gruber blurted out, "Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims," causing shouts from a stunned audience and a reprimand from his hostess. Gruber was forced to apologize.  

 

IDF solders are sweeping across campuses nationwide with similar propaganda presentations.  Students for Justice In Palestine at Arizona State University staged a house packing and walk out at an event sponsored by Sun Devils for Israel at which IDF Sergeant Nadav Weinberg was speaking about the "Ethics of the IDF.” 

 

At the University of Michigan, students first packed the hall, then filed out one by one to demonstrate outside, each wearing a gag, and blood red t-shirts with names or photos of Palestinian children pinned on them.    

 

Prime Minster Benyamin Netanyahu\’s lecture on November 5th at the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America in New Orleans also brought protests; the protesters inside the assembly were photographed being manhandled, pummeled to the floor, and then dragged out the doors, not by police but by other attendees, presumably Jewish, in an amazing show of brutality.  It should have made Bibi feel right at home.  Assaults against protesters are not legal, but police present made no apparent effort to protect the protesters.  

 

These protests are encouraging signs of a "turning" in our time.  Non-student adults must participate in aid of these students. 

 

(Charles Carlson is founder of We Hold These Truths and Project Stait Gate, which protests at churches that fail to stand for peace.   www.whtt.org)