UPDATE: April 30, 12:32 p.m.
The Daily Illini had a conversation with David Green, a bystander who identified as a supporter of the Palestinian justice movement.
DI: What brings you to the Main Quad here today?
Green: I’m a supporter of the Palestinian justice movement, and I have been for the last 30 years. And I have been for the last 25 years that I’ve lived in Champaign. I’m of Jewish background, and I’ve been involved both in the general anti-war movement since 9/11 here, and I’ve also been involved in the movement for Palestine, starting back in ‘99, and then all the way forward for 25 years here. I was involved with SJP from 2001 to 2014, just as an adult, as a non-student, of course, as an employee of the U of I.
I’m just here to support, to be one little part of this historic series of events that I hope will lead not to just justice for the Palestinian people, but to a transformed Middle East, in which the national liberation movements that are active now in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen — vis-as-vis Israel and vis-a-vis American military intervention in the region, that that movement, guided by Iran in a very patient, strategic, tactical way, will over the next coming years, transform the relationship of the United States, with the region, from an imperialist and colonialist relationship to something, obviously, much more equal, and much more empowering to the people of that region.
DI: We’ve had some passersby like yourself talk about seeing protests similar to this back in the 90s, for example with anti-apartheid protests and things like that. What does it mean to you to be seeing students today making this encampment, similarly to what we’ve seen in the past?
Green: It means a lot to me. I admire them. I think they’re showing that they’ve had their ears open during their — in relation to me — relatively short lives. I’m almost 74, so I’ve had, you know, 60 years of my life to both support Israel and then to understand Israel, and then to struggle against Zionism. And I’m glad that at a young age, they can get started with this. They’re at a historical moment, which is really propitious, which is really full of hope and meaning, and transformative possibilities for this country and for the Middle East, and for the world as a whole, as American imperialism starts to wane, as it becomes clear that the American ruling class and the American military and the American sort of technological class can’t control the world with all its money and all its weapons.
DI: When you were over there speaking with some of the students who are participating in the encampment, did they have anything interesting to share? Were you able to share some good conversations with them?
Green: I was just telling them about my background, and we agreed that when they want to have somebody to speak about these things, who’s been in the community for 25 years, who’s been involved with this movement for 30 years, and has been politically aware for, you know, 60 years. If you go back to say when I was 13, then I would be able to, but basically, I just want to know what it is that people, younger people, may feel that they don’t understand because you get a lot of curveballs. You get a lot of obnoxious people saying a lot of obnoxious things about the Palestinians and Zionism and so forth. And it’s a relief that that’s coming to an end now. It’s a relief that even Jewish communities, including the one in this community, are a little bit on their heels. They’re not being very outspoken about what’s going on, because people have, you know, the wheels turned quite a few times since the 1960s, since the 90s. Since 10 years ago, the wheel was turning and it’s a different world and you’re in a different world. And I think you can have a lot of hope. If you’re in your late teenage years or in your 20s you can have a lot of hope that if you live a normal lifespan, you’re gonna see huge positive changes there. We’ll have to see huge positive changes. Otherwise, this country is going to be in a lot worse shape than it is now. And it’s not in very good shape right now.
DI: Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
Green: Just you know, if this gets published in any form, you’re welcome to use my email address, which is [email protected]. And people are welcome to contact me with good faith concerns about this movement from any perspective.
