Left: Buckeyes for Israel gather in the Oval Monday afternoon following the escalation of conflict between Israel and Palestine. Credit: Lily Hynes, assistant photo editor. Right: Students for Justice in Palestine protested outside the Ohio Statehouse Sunday afternoon, led by the organization’s co-president Heba Latif. Credit: courtesy Heba Latif.
Students for Justice in Palestine and several campus Jewish organizations quickly mobilized on Sunday and Monday, respectively, to bring attention to the injustices they see with escalations in the century-long conflict between Palestine and Israel after Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an attack against Israel Saturday.
Daniel Ronis-Tobin, a third-year in industrial and systems engineering, is a member of Buckeyes for Israel, a “bipartisan and non-discriminatory” pro-Israel student organization that works to “educate students on Israel’s commitment to peace,” according to its directory page. The group joined OSU Hillel, a chapter of a Jewish campus organization, and OSU Chabad, an on-campus center for Jewish students, for a vigil in the Oval Monday night, amassing a crowd of at least 200 people, many draped in Israeli flags.
Ronis-Tobin said after waking up to the news Saturday morning, he, his family and other students on campus felt they needed to do something to support those in Israel.
“We know a lot of people who are missing right now. So just in general, a lot of my community is really hurting and there needed to be some sort of community response,” Ronis-Tobin said.
Aaron Portman, senior Jewish educator and campus rabbi at The Ohio State University Hillel, spoke at the vigil, assuring students that they have a place in the Jewish community at Ohio State.
“As Jews, what happens in Israel impacts us directly and as we know, when things happen over there, we get impacted here. Antisemitism rises,” Portman said. “It’s happened before. We are scared, OSU. We are frightened. We are nervous. What can you do? First and foremost, know that you have a place here at OSU. In the Jewish community, in Hillel, in Chabad. Wherever you need to be, look for your community. If you’re feeling vulnerable or worried or unseen or angry, seek out your community. You are not alone.”
The previous day, Ohio State’s Students for Justice in Palestine, a chapter of the national organization advocating for human rights in Palestine and divestment from corporations in Israel, hosted a protest in front of the Ohio Statehouse, with a gathering of about 150. Heba Latif, the co-president of the organization on campus and a fourth-year in political science, spoke at the rally, hoping to raise awareness about the violence committed on both sides.
“We think both sides are equally wrong for the violence and the only way that we believe to stop the violence is to end the occupation,” Latif said. “This occupation kills hundreds of Palestinian civilians every year and are subject to more and more systemic and racist oppression.”
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the occupied Palestinian territories, including the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, have been partially monitored or blockaded by Israel since 1967 and 2007, respectively.
Latif said the protest was meant to educate others about the conditions Palestinians live in as well and was happy with the turnout.
“We had a lot of diversity [at the protest]. It wasn’t just Palestinians. It was also a lot of allies from different countries,” Latif said. “We had a lot of people from the Jewish community as well that came and supported us. This is not a religious conflict or religious issue. Anyone can be there to support the violation of basic human rights for Palestinians.”
Protesters chanted “Gaza, Gaza, don’t you cry. Palestine will never die” while marching downtown holding Palestinian flags and signs that read “Palestine will be free.”
The conflict between Israel and Palestine spans a century, with several wars breaking out between the states. Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, launched an attack on Israel on Saturday, prompting a response by Israeli forces on Monday.
According to a report from the Congressional Research Service, the United States has sent foreign aid to Israel since 1946, the majority of which is military assistance. In 2016, the United States and Israeli governments signed a 10-year memorandum of understanding, a document outlining the agreement of two or more parties, in which the United States will provide Israel $38 billion in military aid.
At least 1,200 people have died since the attack Saturday, of which 687 are Palestinians, according to Reuters. Several more thousand injuries have been reported on each side.
Ohio State students have a history of advocacy on either side as organizations have held protests when the conflict previously escalated. The Undergraduate Student Government also passed a resolution in 2022 urging the university to divest from companies operating in Israel.
Students for Justice in Palestine, among other groups celebrated the resolution at the meeting and on social media. One post commended USG and said the decision would “strengthen the Palestinian voice on campus.”
According to previous Lantern reporting, Jewish student groups such as Hillel released statements criticizing the decision and fearing it would increase antisemitism on campus.
Both groups said they will continue to host demonstrations and support fundraisers as the conflict continues.
