By Dee Davis 

The Riverside City College Political Science Student Association hosted the Gaza Roundtable Discussion on Nov. 2 inside the A.G. Paul Quadrangle Auditorium to discuss the conflict happening between Israel and Gaza.

Panelists for the discussion included history instructor Daniel Borses and political science instructor Dariush Haghighat. Political science instructor Mark Sellick moderated the discussion. 

“Palestinian and Israelis are suffering,” Borses said. 

 There is major conflict between the two states and he highlighted how Israelis came to be and how Palestine has been living for years. 

“Homeland doesn’t say Jewish state but it was a place for them to go but it wasn’t a promise,” Borses said. 

Arthur Balfour, the British Foreign Secretary, was crucial in establishing a Jewish “Homeland” in Palestine. He also ensured the promised area. 

“Empathy for the 6 million to the 12 million Jews who were slaughtered in the Holocaust. There was a lot of attention on the United Nations for them to come up with a resolution but a two-state solution was suggested, while Israel as a state was made ‘out of war,’,” Borses said. “It doesn’t justify the violence because it is horrible.”

Borses acknowledged how Hamas is an organization that was elected in 2006 with the main goal to completely eliminate Israel and the Jews, with children being a significant portion of the population. 

“Do your own research, I’m encouraging you not to believe but to think. It is hard to get the words exactly right particularly in this situation where emotions are running so high while witnessing such unconscionable human tragedies unfold right in front of our eyes,” Haghighat said.

Additionally, Haghighat talked about numerous events where Muslim and Jewish people are being attacked in their homes and workplaces. 

“Jewish students who attend Cornell University are being threatened in the street, Russian antisemitic are at the airport in Russia looking for Jewish passengers on a flight from Israel. A Muslim seven-year-old boy was stabbed to death walking back home from school,” Haghighat said.

“It isn’t an excuse to take out your anger at Jewish and Muslim people,” Haghighat said. 

There’s many examples of the actions of Israel that violate the international laws that go against humanity.

“This is a loss for you, this is a loss for me and this is the loss of freedom of expression for all of us for all of us,” Haghighat said. 

The Business Services Vice President of Moreno Valley College Majd Askar shared her experience in Palestine and the conditions while visiting.  Although Askar came back to the U.S before the attack on Oct. 7, the water had been cut off by the Israeli government in her home. 

 This is how Askar told her story about her experience on how she maneuvers with losing her husband who wanted to be buried in Palestine for her to witness.

“I had to go through Jordan as I hoped that I could see him before he gets buried,” Askar said.

Askar showed gratitude to Borses and Haghighat as the discussion came to an end and applauded them for the well informed presentation.