Dear Editor,
Regarding the Nov. 16 article "Activist, former negotiator speak on Palestinian perspective":
I find the fact that Tufts' chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) deemed Diana Buttu to be an appropriate lecturer to speak at Tufts on Nov. 15 quite disturbing. The very fact that SJP in Palestine invited a woman who has a history of manipulating the truth to further her own agenda causes me great concern.
A sampling of Ms. Buttu's fabrications can be garnered from interviews she gave to Fox News and CNN in December 2008. For instance, she claimed that the rockets Hamas fires into Israel on a daily basis do not contain explosive heads. Was she joking? And even if they did not have explosive warheads (which they do), the violent intent behind firing these rockets at civilian targets such as schools and hospitals cannot be overlooked.
She has further claimed in multiple interviews (such as on USA Today's "Talk Today" in June 2003) that between the years 1997 and 2000, suicide bombings by Palestinian terrorists did not account for a single Israeli fatality in Israel. I doubt the families of the two dozen civilians who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time in this period would take well to that statement.
I recognize the charged nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, especially at this moment when we hope and pray that negotiations will resume and a lasting peace will finally be achieved for the benefit of all affected parties. Yet the sensitivity of the timing serves to underscore my point: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict causes enough polarization. Any additional inflammation which occurs as a result of inaccurate reporting should not be welcomed.
Many people attended Buttu's lecture in the hopes of gaining insight and clarity on a complex and highly emotional issue. SJP acted irresponsibly by inviting a speaker who has misrepresented facts in the past. Such misstatements only result in fanning the flames of hostility rather than searching for common ground. A lasting peace in this region will remain only a dream unless people are exposed to accurate accounts from all sides.
Sincerely,
Arielle Evans
Class of 2014
