This is a guest post by Alex Stein.
Last week, to mark the start of the new university year, Israeli President Shimon Peres took a jaunt around the Hebrew University campus. While doing the rounds, as one does on these occasions, he found time for a meet and greet with various students, not all of whom were pleased to see him.
According to Haaretz, Ali Baher, the chairman of the Hebrew University’s Arab student body, refused to shake Peres’ hand. Moreover, he called him a “murderer of children”, presumably a reference to Peres’ role in the Qana deaths of 1996’s Operation Grapes of Wrath, in which 106 civilians were killed in shelling from Israeli artillery.
After this snub, Baher was taken away and questioned for three hours over his behaviour. Somebody trashed his dorm-room and an enquiry was held into his behaviour, ultimately deciding that there was no reason to discipline him. “I have a right to not shake hands with those I do not want to shake hands with,” Baher told Haaretz.
I completely agree with him, which is why I signed the online petition in Baher’s favour. I’d hope that readers of Z Word would do the same. But that doesn’t necessarily mean I think that refusing to shake Peres’ hand was the most sensible course of action to take, a possibility that seems to have been lost amidst the hysteria following the absurd reaction from Hebrew University officials.
Before asking that question, though, we have to bemoan the lack of published detail. Did Mr Baher - the most important Arab student on campus no less - just happen to be there when Peres was walking by? Did Peres seek him out - randomly - or was there some kind of organised reception for important student leaders? Either way, I’m reminded of a prize-giving ceremony following the Second Lebanon War, in which leading Israeli writer David Grossman’s son Uri was killed. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was due to give the prize to Grossman.
Given the role Grossman felt Olmert played in the death of his son, he wasn’t very happy about this. So he announced beforehand that he would refuse to shake Olmert’s hand, avoiding an embarrassing scene at the ceremony while still giving appropriate vent to his anger at Olmert.
It may be that Baher’s run-in with Peres was entirely random. Even so, it surely wasn’t the most useful gesture. A snub like that is only likely to inflame tensions on campus, and would be unlikely to cause Baher’s fellow students to think more critically about Peres’ role in the darker chapters of Israeli history.
There is much important discussion regarding the role of the Israeli government and political mainstream in failing to alleviate the discrimination that is all too prevalent against the country’s Palestinian (Arab) citizens. But not enough is said about the efficacy of Israeli-Arab politics. Far too often, Israeli-Arab leaders are overly concerned with grand nationalist gestures (like meeting Hezbollah/Hamas leaders in Lebanon/Syria), than with getting down to the nitty gritty of the dirty politics that would benefit their people. If Mr Baher’s actions are anything to do by, the next generation is shaping up in exactly the same way.
“According to Haaretz, Ali Baher, the chairman of the Hebrew University’s Arab student body, refused to shake Peres’ hand. Moreover, he called him a “murderer of children”, presumably a reference to Peres’ role in the Qana deaths of 1996’s Operation Grapes of Wrath, in which 106 civilians were killed in shelling from Israeli artillery.”
I am guessing that Baher wasn’t referring to anything specific but used a slogan that he knew would wound a President who has been at the forefront of trying to bring about Palestinian and Israel cooperation trough the building of industrial zones, etc.
I would also guess that the Police questioning him about his action was due to the past history of attacks at the Hebrew University against students by pro-Palestinian terrorists.
It would have been a dereliction of duty on their part had they not questioned him.
Shriber - I think that’s unfair. He’s a signed up student at the university, and the head of the main representative body for Arab students - to imply that he might somehow be connected with terrorism is out of order.
“He’s a signed up student at the university, and the head of the main representative body for Arab students - to imply that he might somehow be connected with terrorism is out of order.”
Of course everything connected with terrorism is unfair, Alex. It’s unfair of security at airports to ask me, “a nice Jewish boy,” to take off my shoes before they let me through the gate.
From the point of view of security it’s not unfair. Everyone is a suspect until cleared, you, me, Mr. Baher, etc.
Remember that recently in England a couple of doctors drove a car full of explosives into an airport hoping to blow it up and kill lots of people. Who would have thought that Doctors would be capable of that?
Still, the issue as you imply isn’t whether he was questioned the issue is to find out why a brilliant student like Baher felt the way he did. What does it say about ethnic relations between Israeli Arabs and Jews?
I like btw, your comment that:
“Far too often, Israeli-Arab leaders are overly concerned with grand nationalist gestures (like meeting Hezbollah/Hamas leaders in Lebanon/Syria), than with getting down to the nitty gritty of the dirty politics that would benefit their people.”
It’s a good thing that the media is covering this story and hopefully it will lead to some soul searching. Each side needs to look at its own failings Arab politicos as much as Israeli politicians.