haifa | Binghamton University SJP

Today the Pipe Dream, Binghamton University’s undergraduate-run student newspaper, published a statement prepared by members of Binghamton SJP, in the wake of the Haifa Symphony Orchestra protest and the perceived response from some students, called “Dialogue is inadequate against Israeli oppression” (a notable modification of our own title for the piece). The first two paragraphs below:

In 2001, conductor Daniel Barenboim violated a long-standing taboo in Israeli society by leading selections from notoriously anti-Semitic composer Richard Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” before a Jerusalem festival audience. For that brazen move, he was greeted with cries of “Fascist!” by some in attendance and was subsequently censured by a Knesset committee. Recent evidence that Theodor Herzl, father of political Zionism, was so (privately and shamefacedly) devoted to Wagner that he wrote significant portions of “Der Judenstaat” while attending performances of the latter’s opera “Tannhäuser,” was likewise greeted as a scandal in Israel. Where Palestine and Zionism are concerned, high art and politics are not easily disentangled.

Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) protested the Haifa Symphony Orchestra’s (HSO) presence on our campus precisely because we cannot do as Herzl did; we cannot regard culture as “antiseptically quarantined from its worldly affiliations” (to paraphrase Edward Said). There is an indissoluble connection between the orchestra’s tour and the state that sponsors it. Indeed, a major Israeli banking institution that facilitates and profits from the colonization of the West Bank is one of the chief benefactors of the HSO.

The Pipe Dream also published a second guest column, “A Zionist call to end the occupation,” by two authors, one of which is the current president of the J Street U chapter at SUNY Binghamton. The writers claim:

To “stand with Israel” suggests in practice, if not in theory, that support for Israel and all Israeli policies must be unconditional, unwavering and unambiguous. To demand boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel implies a blanket condemnation of all Israelis for their supposed collective complicity in the denial of Palestinian sovereignty.

Lastly, the Pipe Dream published a statement by part-time student Ben Sheridan, who last fall was “asked to step down from [his] role as executive vice president of Bearcats for Israel, a subgroup of Hillel at Binghamton University, as well as campus intern for MASA Israel” as per Hillel’s partnership policies as interpreted by a Hillel director, after he hosted an event in which he gave a Palestinian a platform to express emotions other than gratitude regarding the Israeli government and occupation (the New York Times reports the events in its December 2013 article “Members of Jewish Student Group Test Permissible Discussion on Israel”). In the article he expresses disagreement with the policy, “welcome[s] the formation of SJP on our campus” and makes reference to an earlier post on Binghamton SJP’s blog.

For over an hour tonight, our diverse group of students showed their disagreement with the hosting of the Haifa Symphony Orchestra, an Israeli music group, outside of the Anderson Events Center at Binghamton University. At it’s peak, about forty undergraduates and graduate students stood at the entrance chanting “FREE, FREE PALESTINE!” and “Music, culture that’s all great, but not in support of apartheid state!”, and for a time a subgroup was stationed inside the lobby. We distributed flyers stating the reason for our presence to students and community members as they walked into the theater.

The demonstration went without incident, as all SJP members were respectful to the patrons’ ability to use the facility. Spokespeople for our group gave interviews to the Pipe Dream and other campus organizations. We appeared out of our dedication to human rights and out of the cultural boycott implicit in the SJP and BDS campaign, though we expect the news to be skewed any which way. So far, the results of today have only left us encouraged and excited to move forward with BDS activism on SUNY Binghamton’s campus.