Brandeis Students Calling to Arrest Avi Dichter 4.4.11

WALTHAM, MA -- Members of Brandeis Students for Justice in Palestine (BSJP) disrupted a panel discussion of six Members of the Israeli Knesset tonight at Brandeis University.
The action targeted MK Avi Dicther, an international war criminal wanted for crimes against humanity and violations of the Geneva Convention. Dichter ordered the tortures of detained Palestinians while he served as head of Shabak, the Israeli Intelligence Services. In July 2002, Dichter ordered the assassination of a Hamas commander by dropping a one-ton bomb on his home in a residential area, causing the deaths of 15 people, including 9 children, and injuring dozens more.
When Dicther spoke, a dozen Brandeis students stood and demanded that he turn himself in to authorities, distributing warrants for his arrest. In English and in Hebrew, the students listed charges against Dichter, including torture and the bombing of civilians. They ended their disruption by chanting in Hebrew "Don't worry Avi Dicther, we'll meet you in the Hague."
The action aimed to alert the Brandeis community to the presence of a war criminal on campus. "We believe that Avi Dichter must be put to trial for his crimes against humanity," said participant Liza Behrendt.
Participant Paraska Tolan stated, "War criminals have a right to speak on our campus, but students also have the right to hold them publicly accountable for their crimes. This serves as a message that Dichter should not feel welcome, even at Brandeis University."
Lisa Hanania, a Palestinian student at Brandeis, said that she was extremely disturbed by the racist comments from some of the MKs. "MK Tzipi Hotovely claimed that 'Arabs have a different D.N.A that lacks humanity'. As a citizen of state, I am concerned that Israel is sliding into an openly racist ethnocracy."
Noam Lekach, a first-year from Israel, stated, "Brandeis claims to promote social justice, but today they invited legislators who openly espouse racist attitudes towards Palestinians."
The students emphasize that, although they targeted Dichter specifically, all MKs should be held accountable for recent racist legislation such as the "Loyalty Oath," the criminalization of Nakba commemoration, and the institutionalization of residential discrimination.

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[David MG]

A central value of Judaism is righteousness. The occupation is cruel and wrong, and these students bravely confronted an Israeli MK squarely responsible and complicit with this heinous reality. We can critique, with justice, the harsh and cruel regimes in the Arab world (both US ally and not), but this doesn't change the fact that what Israel is doing is equally wrong. And so these students stood to confront the situation they can most easily influence - they stood on the side of righteousness.

[isitfunthere1]

Thanks for speaking the truth. That's it, gracefully put, in a nutshell.

[isitfunthere1]

Barbarism at such an amazing school. What a shame. But they're in the minority there thank heavens.

[ex0pos]

It is not unusual to find a Jew who will recognize crimes done in their name. Among Palestinians, it is unheard of.

[gnash555]

What a load of bullshit. So it's about the freedom to speak a dead language? LMFWAO Just how much space do you need to have a conversation in?

[swartzyakov]

Palestinians want a Palestinian homeland, good, Jews want one place to speak Hebrew, bad.

[gnash555]

I don't get it. Jews want a jewish homeland, good, Hitler wants a German homeland - bad. I don't get it.