“Like the cactus, they can demolish the stones, but the roots stay and will come back up.” 

This was one of many thought-provoking statements said by James Zogby, chair of the DNC Ethnic Council, in Stewart Hall on Monday, April 22.

Zogby’s speech, which was part of the International Studies department’s annual lecture program, focused on the Palestinian culture of resistance both before and after the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza.

Through statements like the one above, Zogby was able to impactfully educate students and members of the community on the Arab-Palestinian concept of sumud, which is a word that Zogby frequently used during the beginning of his speech. Translated from Arabic, sumud represents perseverance and resilience in the face of decades of oppression and forced removal.

The lecture began with Jonathan Skaff, director of International Studies, who introduced the crowd to James Zogby. Zogby was a religious studies professor at Shippensburg from 1972-1978 before making a very successful career out of political activism.

His many credits include co-founding the Arab American Institute in 1985, for which he continues to serve as president. Zogby also held positions in the presidential campaigns for Jesse Jackson, Al Gore, Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders. Furthermore, he received a presidential appointment to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom by President Obama in 2013.

Zogby started his lecture by reminiscing on his past experiences meeting Palestinian people both in refugee camps outside of Israel and those still living within Israeli borders. According to Zogby, the camps were organized much like the villages the people had left behind in Israel. 

“The camp became an alternate Palestine reality for them — that is resistance,” Zogby said.

The reality of the situation became much darker after entering Palestinian territory, however. Countless villages were destroyed; countless families were lost. Zogby continued, “Entire neighbors in Gaza have been leveled – what do you do when everything is gone, and you have no sense of place anymore – they don’t give up even though it’s gone.”

It is words like these that reinforce the concept of sumud. Even though the Palestinian people have lost so much, they still maintain their culture of resistance. It was from his experience in Palestine and learning from the Palestinians that Zogby knew he had a purpose, and that was to uplift the Palestinian people.

From there, Zogby detailed the work he has done with various presidential administrations toward bringing peace to Israel. He recounted a time when President Clinton sat down with Palestinian leaders and said, “I know your history – you’ve been dismembered as a nation.”

Before opening the floor to questions, Zogby condemned the actions of both the Israeli and US governments for perpetuating the cycle of violence in Gaza. On April 20, a bipartisan bill was signed in Congress that included sending $26 billion to Israel, much of which going to further arm the Israeli military.

According to Zogby, on the same day the bill was passed, a targeted bombing in Gaza was responsible for claiming the lives of eighteen children. While he expressed deep sorrow, Zogby remains hopeful for a change of opinion in Congress as 37 Democrats voted against the arms bill.

Following those words, Zogby encouraged the audience to ask questions. The questions asked on Monday night largely centered around how Americans can raise awareness about the situation in Gaza, as well as what can be done to remedy the conflict.

Through these questions, Zogby stressed the importance of placing oneself in the shoes of someone living in Gaza. “You don’t have to meet them to know they are just like you. They have the same hopes and fears and dreams” he said. Zogby suggested that members of communities tell their stories and work toward humanizing the Palestinian people.

On the topic of bringing peace to Gaza, Zogby stated that the president should apply pressure to the Israeli government. The line he continuously used to reinforce this viewpoint being, “you’ve got to stop the bombings or else.”

For those curious to hear more from James Zogby, he has appeared on political television broadcasts as an expert on Middle East Affairs. He has published written works such as “Arab Voices” and “20 Years After Oslo,” which are also drawn from his extensive experience studying politics in the Middle East.

For those who were unable to attend and have any questions they would like to ask, or are curious about his weekly column, Zogby encourages students to send an email to Jzogby@aaiusa.org.

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