U. students react to ongoing Israel-Hamas war

On Saturday morning, Hamas launched surprise attacks on towns in Southern Israel, killing and abducting people and launching thousands of rockets across the region, according to Associated Press reports.

The Israeli military responded by mobilizing hundreds of thousands of soldiers, launching rockets and laying siege on the Gaza territory. Attacks are expected to intensify over the coming days, according to an article from the Associated Press.

Gov. Phil Murphy (D-N.J.) ordered flags throughout New Jersey to be flown at half-staff through today in honor of the lives lost in the Middle East, according to a press release.

"The terrorist attacks killed at least 800 innocent Israeli citizens, at least nine U.S. citizens, and injured thousands more," Murphy said in the release. "We mourn for the victims and their families, unequivocally condemn all acts of terrorism against innocent civilians and pray for peace and security for all of the people of the region."

In a University-wide email sent last night, University President Jonathan Holloway shared his thoughts on the situation and its impact on Rutgers.

"Members of our University community have been deeply affected, and I offered — and continue to offer — the University’s support," he said. "I want you to know that we are working with the Rutgers police, the New Jersey State Police, Student Affairs offices and others in our University community to make sure our campuses are as safe as possible in light of the tensions these events have caused."

The Rutgers University Police Department (RUPD) told The Daily Targum that increased on-campus security measures have taken place.

"The RUPD understands the anxiety, fear and concerns many of our community members are experiencing," the RUPD stated. "As a result, we have enhanced campus security and safety measures, paying particular attention to our places of worship and areas where our community gathers."

This week, members of the University community held gatherings and spoke with the Targum about their reactions and thoughts on the ongoing situation in the region.

On Monday night, several Jewish groups on campus, including Rutgers Hillel and Rutgers Chabad, hosted an "Emergency Vigil for Peace: A Gathering Of Prayer and Solidarity" at Brower Commons on the College Avenue campus. The event included speeches and prayers led by students.

Several hundred people were in attendance for the hours-long vigil, including Holloway. Some students and other attendees were wearing or holding Israeli flags.

During the vigil, one individual shouted "Free Palestine" before being removed by campus law enforcement.

Ari Kolb, a Rutgers School of Engineering senior and the president of Rutgers Hillel, said that currently, community members are fearful of looking outwardly Jewish on campus.

"I haven't sat in a class and not been trembling," Kolb said. "I have not sat on the bus and not been looking over my shoulder. As someone who normally would go to class wearing a religious head covering every day, this week was the first time I considered in my life to not wear one outside."

Yesterday, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at Rutgers—New Brunswick posted on Instagram announcing that a gathering initially supposed to be held outside Brower Commons yesterday at 1:45 p.m. would instead be held on Zoom, citing safety concerns for their members and other attendees.

The organization specifically cited Holloway's campus-wide email in addition to anti-Palestinian vandalism at Brower Commons as a security concern.

The Instagram post also stated that Holloway's use of Islamaphobic rhetoric creates fear and permits the use of violence against the Palestinian community.

"The campus-wide alert released yesterday, which named our event as a rally/protest, unnecessarily exposed us to antagonistic parties on a national scale," SJP said. "(Holloway) did not even name us: Palestinians. His statement endorses Rutgers Hillel's vigil mourning Israeli settler deaths but fails to make any equivalent mention of Palestinian casualties."

Despite the change to the online format, several dozen individuals held a rally at the originally scheduled time and location yesterday, carrying Palestinian flags and reciting various chants.

The RUPD closed College Avenue to all vehicular traffic besides the campus bus fleet. A smaller number of individuals also showed up to counter the demonstrators and stood across the street in front of the Rutgers Student Center on the College Avenue campus with Israeli flags.

Shortly after 2 p.m., there was an altercation between demonstrators from the two sides, which was quickly resolved.

Prior to the University-wide email sent on Wednesday, Holloway had issued an initial response on Monday published on the University website.

Shari Samuel, a Rutgers School of Nursing senior and Wiedhorn Fellow at Rutgers Hillel, said this first response was not emailed to the University community and did not match the magnitude of the situation.

"I didn't even know that (Holloway) said anything because I didn't get an email about it," she said. "It just felt like the University was ignoring it … It would have been nice if they mentioned the acts of terror and the amount of individuals that are being killed."

Peace is Possible is an on-campus organization that serves as a forum for Rutgers students to discuss the conflict, according to its getINVOLVED page.

The co-presidents, Or Doni, a School of Arts and Sciences sophomore, and Majeed Assadi, a School of Environmental and Biological Sciences senior, are Israeli-American and Palestinian-American, respectively.

"What we have done (in the past) is have a discussion between people from different backgrounds in a very peaceful and civil way that you won't find many places exercising," Doni said. "With this, I honestly would like to do the same."

He said he has always been hesitant to discuss the club with his friends and relatives in Israel and expressed fraught emotions regarding the current situation, which he says further complicates his position.

"Now that Palestinians are saying that this attack is justified, that makes my job impossible, and that makes me hated by every side," Doni said.

Assadi also shared his support for the club and for peace but offered a different perspective on the current situation.

"If you were not mourning our losses last Friday (before the latest conflict), then we don't want to hear you say anything about what is happening to Israelis now," he said. "Because it's very clear that you are not viewing us as equals. You are condemning us without condemning our oppressors."

The two said in agreement that they are still invested in an open dialogue and furthering the mission of their organization.

"I would like for people to come and speak about how they're feeling because that's what we need right now. Everybody needs to say what they're feeling as opposed to hiding and running and ducking so that they can internalize it," Assadi said.

The Palestine Children's Relief Fund of Rutgers (PCRF) held a bake sale outside Alexander Library on the College Avenue campus Wednesday afternoon to raise money for humanitarian aid in Gaza and the West Bank.

The organization is non-political and seeks to provide medical care for Palestinian children in the region, according to its getINVOLVED page.

Melike Sertbas, a School of Arts and Science senior and the co-president of Rutgers PCRF, said she hopes to help people in the region through her work. 

"We have clinics on the ground, we have programs for amputees, oncology (and) cardiology. So it's just nice to know where the money's going and how it's being used," Sertbas said. "I think it's great when we can recognize that despite the larger issue, there are regular people, like children, who deserve to have the opportunities that we have here."

Yesterday, Rutgers Hillel hosted a bake sale on the College Avenue campus to raise money in support of Israel.

Doni affirmed his hope that Peace is Possible can continue to serve its role as a place of discussion during the ongoing escalation.

"If we don't believe peace is possible, then what are we really doing?" Doni said.