Students for Justice in Palestine and the Arab Student Association joined with associate professor of anthropology Jens Kreinath for a presentation on Palestinian history. 

The event followed the passing of a ceasefire resolution in the Student Government Association Senate on April 10. Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) had been advocating for the resolution since February. 

“Palestinian history is one of the most talked about things, yet it’s not understood,” Nabaa Alamood, vice president of the Arab Student Association (ASA) and social media coordinator for SJP, said.

The presentation covered the history of Palestine from the years 1900 to 2000, including British occupation, the creation of Israel and early conflicts between Israeli and the Palestinian people. 

Kreinath visited Palestine in 2019, as part of his research on religious sites shared by Muslim and Christians in the region. His portion of the presentation included photos and accounts from his travels, as well as a portion of a documentary that discusses the displacement of Palestinian families from their homes. 

Abdelkarim Jibril, the president of SJP, recounted his own experiences of traveling to Palestine, including having guns pointed at him by Israeli soldiers when trying to travel between cities. 

Jibril said that a history of occupation and colonization outlined in the presentation is what led to the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. 

“It’s a hundred years of continuous and endless murder, occupation and apartheid,” he said. 

Alamood said she encourages anyone interested in learning more about Palestine and the ongoing conflict to attend SJP events. 

“Just understand (and) listen to different perspectives,” she said. “I think everyone can benefit from that.”