Palestine Conference Set to Kick Off
Concert against terrorism, speech by pro-Israeli activist among events preceding conference

Friday, October 15, 2004 | About 500 people are expected to begin assembling at Duke on Friday for the Palestine Solidarity Movement (PSM) conference, which opens with an evening panel discussion and cultural event and concludes Sunday with a rally on a West Campus quad.

Hundreds of Duke students and others on campus have already attended events preceding the conference, including Thursday’s concert against terrorism and a speech by pro-Israel activist Daniel Pipes. Earlier in the week, students and others visited a display of an Israeli bus that was bombed in January.

The concert, featuring the band Sister Hazel, attracted several hundred people to Keohane Quad on Duke’s West Campus. It was webcast nationally and preceded by talks from people affected by terrorism around the world. The concert’s primary sponsors were Campus Council, Duke Student Government, Duke University Union, the Freeman Center for Jewish Life and the Joint Israel Initiative. Another 26 campus groups co-sponsored or endorsed the event, with Duke parents, alumni and other supporters paying most of the $80,000 cost.

About 300 people heard from such speakers as college student Shawn Hall, whose father died in the Sept. 11 attacks, and Brigitte Gabriel, a Lebanese woman whose mother was injured during fighting in Lebanon’s civil war. U.S. Rep David Price and Durham Mayor Bill Bell also spoke.

In a brief address, Duke President Richard Brodhead noted that the last time he spoke at Keohane Quad was to remember Duke alumni killed in the Sept. 11 attacks. "The notion that there is any cause to visit violence on such people is something neither I nor you accept," he said.

Junior Logan Leinster said she liked the event overall, but was "somewhat disappointed" because some of the speakers "were slanted too pro-Israel and not just anti-terror."

"I think that might alienate some people on campus," she said.

Sophomore Shadee Malakou expressed her concerns with the concert by holding up posters with such phrases as "What about state-sponsored terrorism?"

Concert organizers insisted the event was intended to unite the Duke campus around the general cause of condemning terrorism throughout the world, rather than to respond specifically to the PSM conference.

"Opposition to the killing of innocent civilians, wherever it occurs around the world ... is something every student can stand behind," Jonathan Gerstl, executive director of the Freeman Center, said at a press conference prior to the concert. "Not only is this about Duke, this is about uniting students and other people around the world."

The Freeman Center will host a teach-in this weekend, featuring a speech Friday night by Avraham Burg, former speaker of the Knesset.

In his speech at Love Auditorium Thursday evening, Pipes warned that peace will come to the Middle East only if the Palestinians truly accept the existence of Israel.

"Diplomacy can only make sense when one side has given up," he said. He reviewed how previous peace efforts have failed and said the region’s core problem is the determination of Arabs to destroy Israel.

A newspaper columnist and author of numerous books, Pipes said people should stop looking for "easy, in-between" solutions. He called on the U.S. government and others to support Israel and "impress upon the Palestinians the hopelessness of their cause." Economic assistance or other measures cannot replace the strategic need for one side or the other to achieve clear victory, he said, arguing that "collapse of will is the key."

Pipes’ visit was sponsored by the Duke Conservative Union, the Freeman Center and other organizations. Before discussing the Middle East situation, he spoke about the upcoming PSM conference, saying he was "appalled" by Duke’s decision to host it. The PSM "is not a group that should have a platform at a university," Pipes argued, and Duke was "abdicating its responsibility" in allowing the conference to proceed.

His concerns reflected those of many others who have criticized Duke’s decision, while others have praised the university for remaining firm in its defense of free speech and academic freedom. [See the "Reaction" section of this site for a sample of these opinions.]

On Wednesday, Duke officials acted quickly to denounce an inflammatory e-mail that had appeared to be sent by two student organizers of the conference. Security officers later determined the email was sent from an account in Los Angeles.

The message, which included statements in support of terrorism, was "a deliberate act of disinformation and provocation on the part of people who do not want the conference to take place," said John F. Burness, senior vice president for public affairs and government relations, who added that Duke "will not be deterred by provocateurs who willfully misrepresent our students and consciously seek to create chaos in our community."

Dozens of administrators will work on campus this weekend to assist conference organizers and ensure that events -- including expected protests outside the conference venue -- are peaceful. Duke police, working with other area law enforcement agencies, also will be on hand as needed.

This site will provide updates during the weekend.

For more information contact:
David Jarmul | (919) 684-6815 | david.jarmul@duke.edu