Despite all the activity in White Plaza yesterday at lunchtime — from the a cappella groups selling tickets to senior class representatives soliciting Senior Gift donations to a filibuster-ers on a podium — it would have been hard to miss the Yom Haíatzamaut , or Israel Independence Day, celebration. The area in front of El Centro Chicano was decorated with white and blue balloons, banners and flags to celebrate the holiday.

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Nina Gonzaludo

Members of the Stanford Jewish community sing during the Israeli Independence Day Celebration in White Plaza.

“We wanted to send a message to the Stanford community that there is more to Israel than the Palestinian conflict,” said freshman Cheryl Pruce, vice-president of the Stanford Israel Alliance and one of the coordinators of the event. “There is so much negative stigma associated with Israel and we want people to recognize that Israel is a beautiful country with a very rich history and culture.”

One of the highlights of Israel Pride Week, which began on Monday and ends tomorrow, included speakers, dancing, music and food. Many students from the audience joined in on the singing and dancing while others waited in line for free falafels. Students organizing the event also sold candles, Israeli flags and various Israel-themed t-shirts, one emblazoned with the phrase “I love Israel, I want Peace, I am a Zionist.”

Sophomore Lyuba Wolf, co-president of the Stanford Israel Alliance, gave a speech on her personal definition of Zionism.

“I’m a Zionist,” she said. “I’m tired of people telling me that Zionism is racism. Zionism is a love of Israel and a hope for peace.”

She added that although she has never stepped foot on Israeli soil, she feels a strong connection to the country. In an interview with The Daily, Wolf explained that Israel Independence Day is a holiday for all Jewish people, not only those living in Israel.

Other student organizers echoed these sentiments.

“This day is significant to the Jewish people as a whole because the founding of the State of Israel marked the realization of the Jewish people’s aspirations for self-determination following a history of expulsions, persecution and the lack of a secure existence in other countries,” said Adina Danzig, executive director of Hillel at Stanford.

The event’s coordinators stressed that this celebration was meant to be purely cultural, not political.

“We want to celebrate the country of Israel — that includes its culture, its people, and all of its achievements,” Wolf said. “We don’t have any specific stance on Israel’s foreign policy, other than the fact that we believe that the Jewish state has a right to exist.”

Students, faculty, staff and members of the community who attended the celebration said they approved of the event’s goals.

“I’m very pleased that this event happened,” said freshman Danny Arbeiter. “It was obvious that the organizers put a lot of time and effort into this, the food was great and I had fun.”

Unlike last year’s celebration, which was met with protesters bearing Palestinian flags, the event went smoothly with no opposition.

“Last year, there was a silent protest by pro-Palestinian students, so we were expecting some kind of protest this year as well,” said freshman Mishan Araujo, vice-president of the Stanford Israel Alliance. “There is a lot of hostility on campus because of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We hope that this event has helped promote cultural awareness and allowed people to realize Israel’s cultural significance.”

Israel Pride Week’s main sponsors are the Jewish Leadership Council, Hillel at Stanford, The Stanford-Israel Alliance, the Israel Students Organization and the ASSU.