Indeed, social alienation is unavoidable for Harvard’s Israeli students. Students recall moments of feeling like their “humanity was questioned.” One student said to their Israeli peer, “I can only imagine the war crimes you have committed.” Another explained that his friend was not allowed into a social organization when the leadership discovered he was Israeli. At Harvard, students face obstacles — social and otherwise — simply because of their nationality. 

Amongst all my interviewees, one of the most pervasive themes was self-censorship. In particular, students felt uncomfortable identifying as “pro-Israel,” irrespective of the term’s definition. Certain students who identify as progressive in the American political system felt they needed to conceal their Israel politics in order to access campus’ liberal spaces. One student revealed that they “chose to not engage because it is a topic where you can be seen as absurd for being pro-Israel, and [I] would rather maintain the reputation of being a ‘normal person’ on campus.”  Anti-Zionism, then, has become the norm in most social and intellectual milieux on campus. This affects how Harvard’s largest Jewish institution is perceived. For instance, another student recalled a first-year orientation program that purported to show incoming students the “bad parts of Harvard.” The tour guide, suggesting it was a hostile environment for Palestinian students, stopped at Hillel. 

Every year, the PSC participates in Israel Apartheid Week, a national movement on college campuses during which students organize rallies, speaker events, and displays. At Harvard, its centerpiece is the PSC’s “Wall of Resistance” (which was up March 25-31). Intended to remind students of the security barrier in the West Bank, it highlights the oppression of Palestinians, alleges that Israel is an apartheid state, and invokes a series of other progressive social justice movements, too. The wall demonstrates how anti-Zionism affects the broader Jewish community – the environment created by groups like the PSC on campus makes Jewish students feel, at best, censored, and at worst, unsafe. One student shared their reaction with me: “Seeing the country that’s such a huge part of my religion and identity falsely demonized, singled out, and misrepresented in the center of campus makes me feel hated and unwelcome, and signals to me that there isn’t a place for me or my values on this campus. By misrepresenting Israel, the Wall shuts down any dialogue, discussion, progress or learning, especially for the majority of Harvard students who aren’t knowledgeable about Israel and everything that it is and stands for.” The PSC’s characterization is reductive and inaccurate; as another student described, “Slogans like “Zionism is White Supremacy” [written on the Wall] serve to erase the identities and experiences of the millions of Mizrahi Jews, myself included, whose ancestors never set foot in Europe, and for whom Israel provided a refuge after they were ethnically cleansed from their homes.” 

The Holocaust imagery on one of the panels of the Wall is inexcusable. I think of my ancestors who perished in the Holocaust; it is devastating to see my generational trauma exploited. Moreover, the Wall fosters a spurious sense of intersectionality by invoking so many issues of justice. Jews have fought alongside other oppressed communities for centuries, and it is these same humanitarian values that compelled Jews to escape persecution and inspired them to build and preserve a safe and secure Israel.

I have spent countless hours speaking with students, compiling results, and just sitting with my own reflections. I mentioned earlier that students involved in pro-Palestinian advocacy have refused to engage in conversation – both directly, by declining invitations to talk, and indirectly, in the abrasive statements on their Wall that preclude discourse, like “there is no Zionist state without racism.” But we must pursue dialogue wherever and whenever we can – students cannot be afraid to talk to each other. Both of our communities have deeply held connections to this land. The more we talk, the better we empathize: the PSC’s Wall hardly encourages this.

My thesis begins with this quote from the 20th century theological and social justice activist Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel: “We are closer to God when we are asking questions than when we think we have the answers.” This time it feels right to end with it.