Tension and heated debate circled yesterday as the Rutgers University Student Assembly discussed a motion to reconsider a vote recently passed by RUSA allowing the University Chapter of the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund to have the rights to the semi-annual meal sign-away program.
Concerned University students and some RUSA members said that the PCRF, an international humanitarian group that provides Middle Eastern children affected by war with medical care, should not be allowed the right to the sign-away program because they are a highly political international group.
After each side spoke and answered questions for about 10 minutes, they were asked to conclude discussions. Following the meeting in the Rutgers Student Center on the College Avenue campus, the discussions turned contentious as members shouted outside room 411 of the student center.
Kerri Willson, associate director for Student Centers and Programs, tried to calm both sides but they continued to hotly debate the issue for a few more minutes.
“RUSA has shied away from controversy, from taking stances on political issues,” School of Arts and Sciences junior Tali Rasis said. “I can’t think of a more controversial international issue, or definitely among the top that is going on right now.”
Dialla Hamzeh, the PCRF University chapter’s treasurer, said the organization was upset to hear that students were opposed to helping the organization.
“We were actually shocked when we heard this, especially at Rutgers, because we are so diverse,” said Hamzeh, a School of Arts and Sciences junior. “We don’t think [any of the information] is substantial.”
Rasis said PCRF’s founder and President Stephen Sosebee had comments on his blog that indicated he and the PCRF are a partisan organization, which is not a group RUSA should support.
“He supports forceful resistance. That shows clearly [PCRF is] not a neutral group; they’re very much for one side,” she said. "That’s not something RUSA should be fighting [for].”
There were also allegations that the organization had ties with terrorist groups in the past because of their relationship with the Holy Land Foundation, which was brought up on charges in 2007 for funding Hamas, a terrorist group, said RUSA member Avi Scher, a School of Arts and Sciences sophomore.
“It’s the international organization I have a problem with, not the Rutgers chapter,” Rasis said.
But Ghadeer Hasan, president of the University chapter of the PCRF, said these accusations are false and did not come from substantial sources.
“I don’t think we should make a decision over a blog, just anything off the Internet that has no credibility at all,” said Hasan, a School of Arts and Sciences junior. “The PCRF works with the FBI, the treasury department, the Isreali embassy and the Egyptian embassy — none of which we would be able to do if we were funding terrorists or were linked to terrorists.”
She said the PCRF did work with the Holy Land Foundation many years ago, but its only relationship to the group was to help a child.
“Where is the controversy over the right of a child to health care?” Hasan said. “I don’t really see controversy over giving a child a second chance at life.”
RUSA is expected to consider the issue over the weekend and make a decision on Monday through an e-mail vote.
Updates will be posted on dailytargum.com as they become available.
¬— John S. Clyde contributed to this article
24 comments
Now these occupiers are preventing sufferers from getting even minimum food to survive. though Iranian president had called for wiping for Israel and world reacted with hysteria (just listening those words) , but it is zionists who are wiping the Palestinian community which obvious, but world is deaf dumb and blind. The Americans should wake up and prevent America from becoming full fledged war criminal and being shaped by Zionists and Neocons.
I personally have faith that a good number of the RUSA members understand what the issue really is, and will at least take the time to look into the allegations more before voting. So I think they are trying to be fair. Let's give them a chance before we turn on them, because I think in the end, RUSA will allow justice to prevail, and not cower in the face of a few unfriendly, biased members.
Please actually read about what the PCRF. It does not send grain to the middle east. This is not about food, please get your facts straight
Thanks.
Perhaps you could present valid sources and proof about your allegations instead of your superficial research before you start attacking the decisions of the council, the organization, and your own country and school.
I would like to commend RUSA for acknowledging the good things the organization is attempting to do.Chico--
So you think it is fair to write an entire population of people because of the few you hear about in the news? Last I checked, one person or one group does not define a whole race or religion or population. We do not see every Palestinian blowing themselves to pieces. We see a militant group, not all Palestinians.
And I do not believe anyone could say the children are responsible for the things you accuse the "Palestinians" for.
Also, you are not skipping a meal to donate a swipe.
And not everybody needs thanks or praise in order to do a good deed.
"The defiant Hassidic man goes on shouting fearlessly in Hebrew and pointing to the sky like Malcolm X as we turn to leave. An old frail man from the Temple Mount group comes over carrying a rolled up Israeli flag and tries to hit him, but is held back by others. It is a feeble effort, but a good one for us to leave on. I feel inspired as we depart the Jewish Quarter.
"That man was so brave to stand there and shout such unpopular things," my wife says. He certainly made our trip down from Ramallah worth the hassle."People like Jeremy are spouting rhetoric and continuing misperceptions that a little research could fix.