San Francisco State University fourth-year student Vanessa Muniz has previously participated in protests surrounding the Israel-Hamas war, which inspired her to attend Palestine 101 on March 2. The event, hosted by the General Union of Palestine Students, gave Muniz a clearer understanding of what she had been advocating for and answers about the Israel-Palestine conflict.
“I just wanted to learn more deep into the history of it because I wanted to know what I’m actually walking for,” said Muniz, a member of the League of Filipino Students. “I feel like I’m kind of doing the walk of justice by understanding more and asking these questions that I kind of always had, but I’ve never had the space to actually ask.”
The educational event, held at the Rosa Parks conference wing in the Cesar Chavez Student Center, was the kickoff for the upcoming Palestine Awareness Week, which the General Union of Palestine Students is hosting.
Students who attended the session gained information on the current political climate in the Gaza Strip and the events in history that have impacted Palestinians abroad.
Ziniab Imtair, president of GUPS, helped organize this event to showcase how the current conflict in Palestine has been ongoing long before the Oct. 7 attacks and how a rich cultural history has existed on that land compared to what is shown in the media supporting Israel.
“Palestine has a long, rich history that goes back centuries and centuries,” Imtair said. “I think it’s important when talking about Palestine — it’s important to know the history and the facts, because that history and the facts debunks a lot of the myths and propaganda Israel spills out today.”
Imtair also highlighted the importance of Tuesday’s interactive event compared to a rally, where people could “sit down and listen and learn” about easily comprehended information.
“It was a lot of information, but it was said so seamlessly, and also in a timeline where people are able to digest it,” Imtair said. “I think they take this information and use it as armor or use it to inform yourself, because a lot of people that come to these events know the basics, but we went into more specific things.”
Saif Yaffawi, a member of the Palestinian Youth Movement, was invited by GUPS to speak on behalf of the organization with the intention of understanding the events unfolding in Palestine.”
“Palestine is just one example of what native people subjected to southern colonialism and imperialism are experiencing,” Yaffawi said. “We need to see Palestine as an example of the worst thing that can happen to a group of people when they are not afforded the solidarity that they deserve and when we do not organize against the forces of imperialism that make the genocide happening in Palestine possible.”
Yaffawi hopes that those who attended the discussion will potentially utilize the information learned to unify and take action to stop the current crisis.
“It is not just showing solidarity, but literally working hand-in-hand with different groups of people in whatever context that they are, and resisting what is happening in Palestine and resisting the forces that make this possible,” Yaffawi said.
Brian Yan, a second-year student, emphasized the importance of being able to attend an event like this at SFSU during the Israel-Hamas war, as the information provided relayed a narrative that has counteracted mainstream viewpoints and misconceptions surrounding Israel and Palestine.
“We need to counter the narrative that Israel is the victim here, that Israel is not the aggressor because it didn’t start on Oct. 7,” Yan said. “It’s been going on for 75 years, and it’s important that we make that known to people. Oct. 7 is a result of 75 years of occupation, oppression, imperialism — and we need to make that clear on this campus and everywhere else.”
