Question for Liza about Palestinian Solidarity Activism at OSU

[Liza Featherstone]

Hey Yoshie. Snehal Shingavi told me -- or at least I understood him to say
-- that the ISO was involved in Palestine organizing on all those campuses,
but he didn't -- speaking as an ISO member -- "take credit" for that
organizing, on the contrary. And I, by what I wrote, did not mean to give
them credit either, in the sense that I did not mean to imply that they were
the sole force at all of those schools.

That said, if the ISO is not at ALL involved in Palestine organizing on OSU
campus, or not at all playing a "strong role," then I was misinformed, and
would certainly ask the Nation to print a correction if OSU activists wanted
one.  ISO people don't tend to be closeted -- one of their virtues, in my
opinion -- so it sounds like I may have screwed up. Write to me offlist and
we'll figure it out

LIza


> From: Yoshie Furuhashi <furuhashi.1 at osu.edu>
> Reply-To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> Date: Sat, 01 Jun 2002 17:08:56 -0400
> To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> Subject: Question for Liza about Palestinian Solidarity Activism at OSU
> 
> *****   FEATURE STORY | June 17, 2002
> 
> The Mideast War Breaks Out on Campus
> 
> by LIZA FEATHERSTONE
> 
> ...Opponents of the pro-Palestine activists sometimes invoke the ISO
> connection in a--perhaps redbaiting--effort to discredit the cause
> and its adherents. But Shingavi bristles at the suggestion that the
> ISO is leading pro-Palestine organizing on campus, citing ISO-free
> campuses where students are active on the issue (including Florida
> State, Northwestern and the University of Illinois). Still, at many
> schools--including Columbia, Ohio State, Michigan, New York
> University and the California state universities--there is no doubt
> that the organization plays a strong role in Palestinian solidarity
> organizing, and that its networks facilitate coordination among
> campuses....
> 
> <http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20020617&s=featherstone>   *****
> 
> I just happened upon Liza's article and was surprised to read the
> above paragraph.  Is _anyone_ in the Committee for Justice in
> Palestine at the Ohio State University -- much less anyone who is
> doing regular organizing work for it -- a member of ISO???  If so, I
> am unaware of who it is.  It's possible (though unlikely, I think)
> that someone is an ISO member and hasn't told me that s/he is, but
> even if there is one (or more) in the closet, I just don't see _any_
> evidence _at all_ that ISO "plays a strong role in Palestinian
> solidarity organizing" at OSU.  I'm puzzled.  Is ISO claiming credit
> for organizing the Committee for Justice in Palestine at OSU???  If
> so, the claim is false.  I applaud the ISO for doing a good job at
> Berkeley and other schools, but it can't claim the credit that it
> doesn't deserve.
> -- 
> Yoshie
> 
> * Calendar of Events in Columbus:
> <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html>
> * Anti-War Activist Resources: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/activist.html>
> * Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/>
> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osu.edu/students/CJP/>