By: Arin Howe
Puzzle Maker, Staff-Writer
On Feb. 18, IU South Bend faculty Drs. Darryl Heller and Benjamin Balthaser hosted an event at the Civil Rights Heritage Center called “A Black American and American Jewish Dialogue on Gaza.” They discussed how Black and Jewish people have developed camaraderie due to their shared experiences of oppression and the support they found in their combined communities.
The professors recounted how Black and Jewish organizations have historically stood together in supporting liberal and leftist ideologies, but that this began to change in the late 1960s when some of the most influential Jewish institutions realized that they were more successful when they were supportive, rather than skeptical, of Israel’s actions.
The shift to more conservative ideas created a fracture in the bond between the Black and Jewish communities, Heller and Balthaser explained, which they said has left both weaker than they could be together.
Dr. Balthaser, who is Jewish, explained that although many popular Jewish organizations openly support Israel, criticizing Israel is not equivalent to criticizing Judaism or Jewish people. He added that many Jewish people stand against Israel’s recent violence in the Gaza Strip, as well as the country’s historical violence against Palestinian people.
Michiana Friends of Palestine, a local pro-Palestinian activism group, posted a condemnation of the event on Instagram before the event, citing the lack of a Palestinian speaker. Their initial post also alleged that Dr. Heller deplatformed a Palestinian writer and member of Michiana Friends of Palestine, disallowing them from participating in a panel about Palestine last year (the event was later cancelled).
The organization made another post encouraging attendees to ask Drs. Heller and Balthaser certain questions at the event, including “Why did you choose to organize this panel without a Palestinian?”, “How does your academic panel challenge systems of oppression?” and “Does CRHChave plans to host an event with Palestinians in the future?”.
Currently, IU South Bend does not have any published plans to sponsor another event about Israel or Palestine.
