Journalist and activist David Sheen addressed a room of about 60 people Nov. 9 regarding what he sees as the increasing racial tension and oppression of Palestinians in the state of Israel. The presentation was followed by impassioned remarks from attendees, who added to the complicated discussion of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Sheen’s lecture included a PowerPoint concerning Israeli leadership and systemic racism toward Palestinians and other marginalized populations within the country’s borders, including African refugees.
Sheen largely advocated for Palestinians living in territories that most of the world recognizes as Israel. While the regions of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank are largely populated by Palestinians, Sheen said they are in jeopardy of being completely overtaken by Israeli rule.
Sheen spoke of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in its most recent context, which is about the past 30 years, he said.
He pitched a story of Palestinian oppression on many fronts: housing, labor and recreation. He spoke of how politicians publicly prohibit Palestinians from inhabiting their villages, and “boycott” any product or service that has required Palestinian labor.
The ultimate failure of the Israeli state, though, is its government, Sheen said.
“I contend that it is not a democracy, but an ethnocracy,” Sheen said. He claimed Palestinians are given no chance for a stake in the government and elected officials are also openly racist, and some them don’t even look at Palestinians.
“They invite known terrorists into the government,” Sheen said.
He showed pictures of numerous politicians affiliated with either the Israeli nationalist or religious party alongside quotes of them publicly affirming discrimination against Palestinians.
Although he is against the current Israeli leadership, Sheen doesn’t agree with the often-suggested two-state solution that would grant Israel and Palestine separate jurisdiction over individual territories within what is currently recognized as Israel. Sheen says that any affirmation of a Jewish state would perpetuate the racial institutions already in place.
Sheen compared current Israel to Jim Crow America. He also compared the late Israeli leader Meir Kahane to Adolf Hitler.
The emotional remarks struck MU graduate Daniel Swindell particularly. Swindell has volunteered for the pro-Israel groups Stand With Us and Christians United for Israel and is vocal in his advocacy for the nation.
“My problem with David Sheen is that he routinely depicts the treatment of African refugees to the treatment of Nazi Jews,” Swindell said. “This is a well-known form of anti-Semitism called ‘Holocaust inversion.’”
Swindell also said he and other members of the Jewish community wrote letters to the Black Studies Department, one group sponsoring the talk, and asked them not to allow David Sheen’s lecture.
Comments from disgruntled audience members were plenty, but Sheen was passive, and occasionally sarcastic, in his responses.
Sheen speaks from his personal experience as a citizen of Israel, and he doesn’t leave out his own personal, historical ties to the problem.
The displacement of Jews from European countries during and around World War II, as well as the Zionist movement, led Jews to Israel, but many sought refuge elsewhere and were denied on the base of their ethnicity and religion.
Sheen said African refugees entering Israel are called “infiltrators,” a word he finds eerily similar to the “infiltratees” his ancestors would have been.
“For so many of us, our families have a very recent memory of being refugees,” Sheen said. “I know that we should be doing better. When faced with the same thing, we fail miserably.”
While many commenters took the defensive, Rick Baker had a different perspective to add. Baker spent more than half of his life in the U.S., but a mission trip prompted him to broaden his worldview. Ultimately, he converted to Islam. He commented on how similar Islam, Christianity and Judaism are.
“These are the conversations we need to have,” Baker said. “I hope you guys appreciate it as much as I do.”
Sheen said Israeli leaders won’t allow schools to teach both Arabic and Hebrew. Sheen also addressed what he sees as Israel’s growing concern with the intermarriage of Jews and non-Jews. Sheen said Israel spent $4 million last year on efforts to get American Jews to marry within the religion. In 2015, he said, the amount will increase to $50 million.
Sheen also drew attention to American media’s inadequate or unequal coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“Why do I have to come all the way from Israel to tell you these things? It’s a complete failure of mass media here,” said Sheen.
He also notes American financial support of Israel, including the contributions of Sheldon Adelson, a major donor of both the state of Israel and the U.S. Republican Party.
In spite of these critiques of the U.S., his ideal for his own country is one familiar to Americans.
“I want to live in a society where all are equal,” Sheen said.
The talk was sponsored by Mid Missourians for Justice for Palestine, MU Socialists, Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation and the Black Studies and Peace Studies departments.
