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COU thursday, november 1 , 1 973 lincoln, nebraska vol. 97 no. 37 Arab, Israeli students urge Middle East pact By Nancy Stohs Arab and Israeli students at UNL may be 6,000 miles from the tanks and fighter bombers, but they don't lack verbal ammunition when it comes to the Mideast crisis. Homer Sambar, 25, a graduate student in physics, said he hasn't been home to Haifa, Israel for more than four years. He is UNL's only native Israeli student. He said that he is a pacifist. Rod Hermes, 23, graduate computer science student from Bagdad, Iraq, said he'd trust Radio Israel reports on his shortwave radio before American television networks for objective Mideast news coverage. These and other students and faculty interviewed said renewed fighting in early October didn't surprise them. They said only compromise can end this conflict and future outbreaks. They agreed America's press hasn't presented the entire picture. "It had to happen because of the stalemate after the 1967 war," Sambar said. Jewish-Arab tension, which he's lived around for 21 years, is as old as the Biblical story of David and Goliath, he said. According to Hermes and graduate agronomy student Bashir Al Ithawi, also of Bagdad, which side initiated the attacks this time is irrelevant. "Who started the war in '67? Hermes said. "Who started it in 48?" Electrical engineering post-doctoral fell ow Rasheed Azzan, 28, of Cairo, Egypt, said Israel practices "silent agression" by continuing to occupy Arab lands. Sambar said he thought Israel launched the fighting to prod the Arabs into peace negotiations, or to prove that if they refused to negotiate, "we (Israel) can conquer their lands." "So long as they (Israelis) know they can beat us, they try to stop us any way they like. They want to punish us and then bring us to peace. What kind of peace is that? That's just success of power. The more they beat us, the more we'll never give up," Hermes said. In two and one-half years at UNL, he said he has learned the American image of Arabs: uncivilized, revengeful and arrogant. "Nobody asks us why we're fighting," he said. He and Al-lthawi said the real issue isn't territory, but rights denied by the Israeli government to 1.5 million displaced Palestinians forced to live in shacks and tents in the desert. "If the Jews have a right to Palestine, why not the Palestinians?" Hermes said. "We're not attacking or defending, we're liberating. It's our land." "I very strongly believe no country should get one square yard of territory as gain for a war. That in itself is the basis for another war," Azzan said. According to Sambar, "The Arabs aren't losing anything by not gaining this piece of land (Palestine)." He said he sees the war as "two dogs fighting over one bone," with the only solution to divide it. Sambar said that compromise wouldn't occur for another 20-40 years. He pointed to a new youth movement in Israel which is beginning to oppose what he called the "politicians politics" regarding the war. 'The young people believe we have to cross the barriers between cultures and religions and compromise," he said. , "I've experienced the friendliness of the Arabs in Israel," he said. "I know we can coexist and live peacefully. So why can't it happen on a larger scale?" Sambar said. Students on both sides said they opposed Soviet and U.S. intervention. "If they'd left us alone a long time ago, we'd have had peace now," Hermes said. Sambar said the two powers should apply pressure on both sides to negotiate peace, but definitely should not send troops. The United Nations plan to send peacekeeping forces is a good idea, but probably will be ineffective, according to the students. Azzan said troops could bring only a "short freezing over of a hot problem." Secretary of State Henry Kissinger's presence in the Mideast may psychologically induce talks there, according to Sambar. Since last month's fighting broke out, Hermes said UNL's Arab students have tried to keep better informed by meeting to listen to shortwave radio broadcasts and discuss the war. Hermes said the U.S. news media don't report all the military details, such as losses and don't interview directly enough Arab sources. "No one can force you to be pro-Arab," he said, "but just don't lie." Sambar agreed the press was probably biased, but said he thought Arabs were reluctant to ta.,s to American newsmen. None of the Arabs interviewed said they'd encountered any real problems here for being Arab. Azzan said in four years he has learned to live in a pro-Israel country. Both sides said they doubted peace would come to the Mideast in the near future. "There may be a cessation of fighting," Sambar said, "but that's not peace." "The Arabs are more hopeful about a solution than any other people. We love peace. We know its value. But we won't accept peace that brings no justice," Hermes said. All three Arabs said if necessary they would return home to fight, but said they didn't think they would be. r. English debaters criticize fltt. dry American debate style By Jane Owens "Revolting." "Atrocious." "Not even fun." That's how two English debaters described the American style of debate. According to Daniel Thomas Hardy and James Parker, recent graduates of the University of Kent, Canterbury, England, the purpose of English debate is to entertain an audience. Visiting Lincoln to challenge two UNL debaters, Hardy and Parker contend the American style of debate is too formal and only deals with dry farts. "English debate involves more rhetoric and insults to your opponent," Parker said. "We don't use file cards, and the outcome (of the debate) is determined by audience reaction." "The English audience can even call out heckles and asks for points of information while you're debating," Haidy said. Parker and Hardy said they are prepared to debate on 10 questions during their tour. They allow iheir American opponents to select from among the topics. "So far one third of our debates have been on the isolation question," Parker said, "but our list includes a couple of humorous topics as well." "We've even argued the affirmative on 'The Ideal Wife is a Dumb Blonde' at some Quaker college," Hardy said. "That night the audience, which was about 75 per cent male, ended the debate with a roaring chauvinistic cheer." Commenting on American university students, Hardy said, "They seem to have a different attitude on life as a result of having to pay for their education." Most students receive full grants to attend English universities, he said. Another difference, Parker said, is that England has a "better organized left-wing student movement. About 50 per cent of all British university students belong to political movements "of some extraction," he said. Both Hardy and Parker said they belong to Britain's Conservative Party. Their UNL debate is scheduled for live broadcast Thursday at 8 p.m. on the Nebraska Educational Television Network. UNL and Nebraska Wesleyan University students from the economics, political science and English departments will participate in a question period during the broadcast. The 50 year-old Speech Communication Assoc. Committee on International Discussion and Debate is sponsoi ing Parker and Hardy's Amer ican tour. r fJ f. 1 1 - 71 11 1 m V J iitfi ' i TUMnnnrar it hi r'tm -j v' rtrrwMMinaif mirm -rnimnHniMnnrfnninii-iwiMyiiiMi imiiihii unmrniiiiirrMiiwni Photo by Gall f-o;la English debaters Daniel Hardy (left) and James Parker Halloween, housekeeping occupy ASUN President Ann Henry handed out trick-or-treat lollipops at the door, Sens. Emilie Brown and Karen Martinson, dressed in Halloween costumes, swore in two new senators from the business college and the ASUN Senate Wednesday evening took care of its housekeeping duties. Senators heard reports from committee chairmen and Henry and passed a resolution supporting the Nov. 18 Delta Gamma Farmhouse; chili feed. At Sen. Dave Thurber's suggestion, a report from ASUN's representative to the Council on Student Life (CSL) was placed on the agenda. Henry is a CSL member. Henry reported on CSL's statement on the open meeting policy and attempted to answer senators' questions about it. She said complaints about open meeting policies, according to the statement, may be taken to CSL. When asked where complaints about CSL were to be taken, Henry replied that she wasn't sure which campus organization would handle complaints. Henry also asked that senators plan to attend a hearing of the Academic Planning Committee the week after Thanksgiving. Henry, the only student on the committee, said the group is trying to establish goals and priorities regarding curriculum in the face of further budget reductions and an estimated $1 million deficit next year. "The concern of the committee is what do we cut and what programs do you not start in the face of cuts," she said. Henry emphasized the importance of presenting student opinion before a committee composed primarily of faculty and staff memlxjrs. Sen. Doug Johnson, a member of the legislative review committee, asked that the senate request acting director of libraries Dr. A.C. Breckenridge to appear before the senate in two weeks. Johnson requested that the director report on the status of ASUN recommendations for library improvement and whether those recommendations are being implemented. He also reported on his own resolution which deals with raising funds for the Child Care Center. His ad hoc committee is planning an "all university kegger" to raise funds for the center.
