As a proud member of the Coalition for Justice in the Middle East (CJME), I have watched on in silence and horror for the last few weeks as my fellow activists and friends have been viciously and rudely attacked time and time again on campus and specifically in this publication. In almost all cases, I have seen them respond with respectful, academic discourse while the subsequent rebuttals are delivered with ever increasing vitriol. This kind of childish point-counter-point is responsible for the unpleasant atmosphere that has tainted campus communities which try to engage with these issues. It must end. This Op-Ed is written on behalf of CJME; I will not speak about SCAI because I am not a member of that organization and, although our pleas have thus far been ignored, I would ask once again that the reader draws a clear distinction between the two groups.

First of all, let me make one thing very clear: It is offensive to suggest that CJME’s members are anti-Semitic and absurd to ask that they defend themselves against this charge. Yesterday, Mishan Araujo (“Calling SCAI’s bluff”) asked that we come up with a different term to describe the nature of our Israel-focused events. A recurring theme of these events is discontentment with certain Israeli government policies. Would that suffice? When activists of all political and racial stripes criticize President Bush’s justification for the war in Iraq, or the American intelligence services’ use of torture, I would hope that enlightened students at prestigious universities could avoid vilifying them as anti-American.

If you are still unconvinced, please feel free to attend a CJME meeting. These take place every Sunday at 8 p.m. at Tresidder. Last night, the group featured great ethnic and religious variety. For a more inaccurate and xenophobic view, see Roehi Kashi’s lovely use of the words “Arab” and “Muslim” in yesterday’s Daily (“Violence must end”). This brings me to my second point: CJME’s programming is, frankly, the business of solely those dedicated individuals who pour their time and commitment into setting up informative events for the Stanford public. It is true that fall quarter was more focused on the Israel-Palestine issue than usual. These were the events that came to the attention of the group and that were feasible at the time. Those dissatisfied with our programming will be pleased (and humbled) to know that in the coming weeks and months, CJME will be hosting a terrific student theater piece about the effects of war, the premiere of a Stanford-produced film on America’s use of torture and a talk on accountability and human rights abuses in the Arab world.

And if Stanford Israel Alliance or the Jewish Students Association thinks that these events were prompted by their barrage of unjustified criticism, please think again. May I remind you that last year CJME made possible a wonderful discussion of Iran’s nuclear program and the visit of renowned British journalist Robert Fisk. These events and those that are currently in planning have long been on our agenda because CJME members are diverse and interesting people who have persisted in spite of these attacks. If there is an issue that relates to social justice in the region that you feel has not received deserved attention, please feel free to bring it up at one of our meetings. If you identify strongly with Israel as a country and Israelis as a people, then I would suggest you concentrate your efforts on ending the occupation and establishing a two-state solution rather than verbally abusing those with whom you may disagree on one or two cosmetic issues.

Freshman Tim Gregory is treasurer of the Coalition for Justice in the Middle East and founding member of Seeking Harmony in Israel and Palestine. He can be reached at tgregory@stanford.edu.