By
Shana Heiser
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Service helps some students deal with violence in Middle
At the Jewish solidarity and prayer service last night, Yizhar Hess said Israel is a "land on fire," as UA students and Tucson citizens gathered in prayer for the casualties.
About 400 people joined at the Tucson Jewish Community Center, 3800 E. River Rd., to express solidarity and pray for people in the Middle East after a quick and terrifying turn of events, said Richard Belkin, president of the Jewish Foundation of Southern Arizona.
"I want peace with all my body and soul," he said.
Violence escalated in the Middle East yesterday between the Israelis and the Palestinians after talks broke down between the two sides. Israeli helicopters attacked the residence of Yasser Arafat, head of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, the Ramallah police station and the Palestinian TV station. Some of the worst disturbances are in the Palestinian territories of West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Mark Tessler, a political science professor and director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, said he is somewhat disappointed over the turn of events with the two sides' negotiations.
"It's a bit depressing," he said. "A few weeks ago it looked like there was momentum, but the trust necessary wasn't exactly there."
David Dunford, an instructor who teaches an Arab-Israeli conflict class in the UA political science department, said he guesses Barak would enter into a national unit government - bringing opposing parties into the government - and no peace talks would happen soon.
"It's a pretty gloomy day for the peace process," he said.
Tessler is also the head of the UA Near Eastern studies department.
When Hess repeated the country is burning, he spoke directly to the soul of the concerns of Dahlya Brown, a studio art and art education junior.
"I feel a very big stake going through my heart when he says that," she said. "I think it's very true."
Brown said she has quite a few family members and friends involved in the quest for peace in Israel.
"I'm happy because I know (they're doing) what we should do, but I'm scared they're all going to die," she said.
After singing "America the Beautiful" and reading Psalm 122 in English and Hebrew, the congregation shared their prayers for Israel out loud. One group of first graders from Tucson Hebrew Academy gave their prayers to Rabbi Stephanie Aaron to read.
Each student said one line.
"I wish that the war never happened."
"I wish that people would stop throwing rocks."
"I wish everyone would be safe, especially my grandparents in Israel."
"I hope each side will find friends on the other side."
Rabbi Robert Eisen called to the Jewish community of Tucson to not remain silent and support their fellow Jews around the world.
"We are gathered here to reach our arms across the miles that separate us," he said. "When a house is on fire, you do not ask who drew the match. When a country is ablaze, all the more so."
The solidarity service helped Elana Alpert, a physiology senior, deal with the recent events.
"It helps bring peace to us here in Tucson who are struggling with the tragedies that are occurring," she said.
However, not all students agreed that religion has an important place in Israel's conflict. The focus on religion at tonight's service was excessive, said Wade Gage, a psychology junior.
"I understand that it has religious basis, but people shouldn't use religion as a way to prove that they're right or wrong," he said. "I think God is separate from what's going on."
One of the differences in the latest riots is that the violence is not restricted to areas under Palestinian control.
"This is happening in places that are under complete Israeli control," Alpert said.
The United States' involvement in the conflict is inappropriate, in one UA student's opinion.
"I'm not sure the United States should be involved in the conflict, because we don't belong in it," said Jacob Siegel, a political science sophomore. "It could become a more powerful situation that could result in war."
Conflicts have been going on between Israelis and Palestinians since before 1948, when Israel became a state, Siegel said. He doesn't see an imminent end to the fighting.
"To get peace may be impossible," Siegel said. "I hope there is an end, but in reality, the only end will sadly have to come to war."
