Alice Rothchild wants U students to step “outside of (the) usual media” and look past the common portrayal of Israelis and Palestinians.
Rothchild, a Jewish-American physician, activist and author, encouraged students to find different viewpoints of the conflict in the Middle East during a book reading and discussion session with students Aug. 24.
Rothchild told students about her personal struggle, her experiences in Israel and how those events have shaped her understanding of the situation. Those experiences, she said, have helped her understand the conflict more deeply than media reports, including how the “real sense of victimization (is) present in both cultures.”
Rothchild said that victors are also victims and vice versa, a perspective of history often missed by the media.
“History is told by both the victims and the victors,” Rothchild told the crowd in the Union Ballroom. “I never hear the (phrase) ‘Israeli terrorists.'”
Lars Moleni, a graduate student in political science, said he heard similar opinions expressed at a speech in Los Angeles.
“I think that she is trying to give the other side of the story, and I appreciate that,” Moleni said. “What she’s doing is great; it’s very inspirational.”
Rothchild’s new book, Broken Promises, Broken Dreams, reflects 10 years of research conducted around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Rothchild said she hopes students will read her book to gain a different perspective.
“Occupation is a disaster for Palestinians, Israelis, Americans and the world as a whole,” Rothchild said.
“There are so many things happening all over the place that we know nothing about,” said Zoe Ray, a freshman in sports science. “(What Rothchild said) was very interesting. I’d like to know more about it.”
