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BY JACQUELINE SMALL

In print | Published April 8, 2010

Sarah Brajtbord ’11 said her visit to Palestine after her freshman year made a dramatic impact on her.

“Going through the checkpoints [of the West Bank] as a privileged American, especially as a privileged Jewish American, was one of the most profound and emotional experiences of my life, and it’s really something that brought me to the level of activism and the commitment to [Israeli-Palestine relations] that I have today,” she said.

A leader of Students for Peace and Justice in Palestine, Brajtbord was instrumental in the planning and execution of this week’s “Three Days in Palestine,” which featured a screening of “Divine Intervention” on Tuesday, a discussion forum facilitated by Assistant Dean and Director of the Intercultural Center Rafael Zapata last night, and, most notably, a simulation of an Israeli checkpoint within the West Bank which divides Israel and Palestine.

There was a tall black wall erected in front of Parrish, blocking off Magill Walk, out of chain-link, barbed wire and black plastic trash bags.

Students had the option of walking through the checkpoint and past students acting as members of the Israeli Defense Force or avoiding the checkpoint by taking one of the other paths to the south end of campus. Those who chose to go through the checkpoint received a slip of paper with information about their identity, which the “soldiers” questioned them about. Students were randomly assigned nationalities, religions and permit statuses. Depending on the identity, the soldiers would let them pass, question them or turn them away.

“We thought of having an event that will involve as many students as possible, in a visible place so that people who don’t choose to participate will be curious about what’s happening,” said Nidal al-Ayassa ’11, who grew up in Palestine and serves as another leader of SPJP. “Our attempt was to bring a glimpse at what everyday life is like for Palestinians in the West Bank. …What’s better than actually bringing that to campus in the busiest of junctures?”

Samia Abbass ’11, another leader of SPJP, said that the other “Three Days” events were developed with the checkpoint as the focus. Abbass is an American citizen whose father’s side of the family lives in Palestine.

SPJP was in communication with the administration throughout the planning process. “We drafted a proposal to give to the administration, though we knew we could still do this no matter what. … But they’ve been very supportive all the way through, as long as the option to refuse the checkpoint was there,” Abbass said.

al-Ayassa added that while the administration was “very concerned about the availability of choice,” the simulation made sure to respect boundaries that are not respected at real checkpoints, such as personal space. “We’re very limited in what we can portray [at Swarthmore],” he said. “In general these things would be respected, but checkpoints have their own rules.”

Sophie Hagen ’10, who went through the checkpoint as a Palestinian with documentation, said that she was ordered to stand against the wall and walk back across the border with her backpack on her head. “Maybe it’s because I’m not a confrontational person but it was like ‘Jeez, you’re treating me like some sort of criminal and I haven’t done anything,’ ” she said, adding that it was a powerful experience.

Darryl Smaw, the associate dean of multicultural affairs, sent an e-mail to the student body on Monday urging people to neither “run nor hide from such conflict … but rather embrace the opportunity to engage in real and honest dialogue when our differences are felt so sharply.” In an interview earlier in the week, he said that he has not yet heard of any complaints but has received e-mails in support of his letter.

“Those who responded deeply appreciated the reminder of the values at our core, but that does not mean nor infer that there aren’t differing sides to be represented here, and we should continue to be in difficult dialogue,” he said.

On the Wednesday, the third day of the event, blank poster boards were placed on the wall for students to anonymously voice their opinions. One student wrote, “The security and defense of Israel is more important than hurt Palestinian feelings,” while others wrote “End the occupation” and “Free Palestine.”

Aaron Brecher ’10, a member of Swarthmore Organization For Israel, was optimistic about the days.

“The event so far seems outstanding. Not only is the program a potent protest aimed at a tragic conflict and the specific policies that help to contribute to it, but it also serves as a wonderful beginning to an important conversation that only seems to take place sporadically at Swarthmore,” he said in an e-mail. “As for the checkpoint simulation, though I can see how some might feel especially uncomfortable, it was both sensitive and tasteful.”

He also noted that he did not see being pro-Israel and pro-Palestine as mutually exclusive.

Bratjbord said that they had not engaged in conversation with Israeli Students for Peace or other pro-Israel groups before the events. Brecher said that while he would have liked to have known that the checkpoint would be erected, he did not think that any advocacy group was obligated to give advance notice of plans to a group with a conflicting perspective.

Michael Ramberg, the Jewish Student Advisor, said in an e-mail that consulting with Jewish and Israeli students “would have been helpful on numerous levels, and could have helped the organizers achieve their goal of creating as broad a conversation as possible.”

Ramberg held office hours for students who were distressed by the checkpoint, and said that he had “been in contact with numerous students who have concerns.”

Bratjbord said that the main goal of the events is education.

“You can read a lot about it but until you see it and experience it … you can’t understand it,” she said.

Hannah Kurtz ’13, who participated in the exhibit as a French international observer, said that the simulation showed her the difference between how Israelis, Palestinians and foreigners are treated.

Yin Guan ’13, who was able to pass through easily as an Israeli, said, “I was going through at the same time as someone else on the other side was, and it was lunchtime and people were hungry, so I felt lucky but sort of guilty.”

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