Last week, the Undergraduate Students Association Council considered a resolution entitled “A Resolution In Support of Positive Steps Towards an Israeli-Palestinian Peace.” The resolution recognized that “both the Jewish people and the Palestinian people have historical and cultural ties to the land” and “both the Jewish and Palestinian narratives regarding the land are substantial parts of each group’s self-identity.” In light of the hostile campus environments created by divestment resolutions brought forth at other UC campuses, the resolution called for peaceful and respectful dialogue based on the UCLA principle that “healthy climate is grounded in respect for others, nurtured by dialogue between those of differing perspectives, and is evidenced by a pattern of civil interactions among community members.” Furthermore, the resolution called for positive investments in companies and ventures “that have spent time and resources on efforts to facilitate cooperative interaction between Israelis and Palestinians” in order to further promote and support cross-community collaboration. Read more...

The original version of this article contained an error and has been changed. See the bottom of the article for additional information. By Gil Bar-Or Fellow Bruins, not just Israelis or Palestinians, Muslims or Jews, but every single student on the UCLA campus: I want you to sit back and think about the fact that a majority of our elected council members decided to vote against a resolution that recognized the plight of both Palestinians and Israelis. Read more...

By Jason Ball The appointment of Janet Napolitano as University of California president has rightfully evoked protests and criticism. The hiring process for the UC president is a secretive process designed to exclude students and UC community members, offering only symbolic participation in the process. Read more...

BY Sunny Singh On Oct. 14, UCLA’s Center for Middle East Development hosted an event called “At the Negotiation Table: What are the options? Israel, Palestine and the US Role – A Discussion with Ambassador Oded Eran.” Eran, the head of the Israeli negotiation team with the Palestinians in 1999, deputy director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the former Israeli ambassador to the European Union and NATO, spoke about the history of negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians. Read more...