Pro-Palestinian Israeli professor and author Tanya Reinhart argued for an end to Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip during the fourth annual Edward Said '57 memorial lecture last night.
The discussion, called "The Spirit of Struggle," focused on what Reinhart called the "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians as a result of the "internationally tolerated" Israeli policy in the West Bank and Gaza. About 100 people attended the lecture in McCosh 10, which was hosted by the Princeton Committee on Palestine.
Reinhart is the Global Distinguished Professor of Linguistics at New York University and is a professor emeritus of linguistics and media studies at Tel Aviv University. She writes a column for Yedioth Ahronoth, an Israeli daily newspaper, and contributes to several other websites.
"One of the scary aspects is that Israel is carrying [out] all its projects with the active support of the U.S. and the tacit support of the Western world," she said.
Reinhart criticized Israel's handling of relations with the Palestinians, calling current policies attempts at ethnic cleansing. "Right now, Palestinians are being pushed out of their land," she said. "To really understand what Israel is doing and why it is ethnic cleansing, we must look at the areas where Israel is trying to annex."
Reinhart argued that Israel should abandon territories in the West Bank and Gaza.
She said that Israeli occupation of the West Bank has imprisoned thousands of Palestinians. "Gaza is a closed prison, completely controlled by the government of Israel, pushed into poverty," Reinhart said. "There is no coming in. There is no coming out."
Reinhart called upon the international community to become more involved in the struggle for peace by putting diplomatic pressure on Israel. "The struggle must be international," she said. "Israel can be pressured. The role of struggle gives us hope."
Reinhart said her convictions about the "immorality" of Israeli policies toward Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza have led her to a recent decision to make her home elsewhere in the world.
"I cannot continue to live in Israel under the present circumstances," she said. "It makes it immoral to stay and not be a partner in the crime. This is a very painful decision for me because I love the country."
Reinhart earned a Ph.D. in linguistics from M.I.T. and was advised by Noam Chomsky.
Her most recent book, "The Roadmap to Nowhere: Israel/Palestine Since 2003," was published in September.
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