The Justice

What is college if not a marketplace for ideas? College campuses are, in part, venues to learn about conflict and its resolution. If a university is not open-minded, it limits the potential of its students to explore new ideas. For this reason, it is ideal that Dore Gold speak alongside Richard Goldstone.

With every new piece of information I take in, I balance it against my already acquired worldly knowledge to determine its factuality, bias and significance. Basically, I don't accept everything I hear to be truth. As such, everything I have the opportunity to learn can only serve to deepen my well of knowledge about the world. For this reason (along with many others), I believe Brandeis University should take advantage of every speaker it can bring to campus, regardless of whether the speaker is a noble person or has a set of values that aligns with those of the student body or those of Brandeis.

Therefore, I could not be more thrilled about Richard Goldstone coming this week. Goldstone is speaking only at Brandeis-that's huge! While the findings of the Goldstone Report and the United Nation's work regarding Israel upset me, I greatly anticipate listening to Goldstone. I was living in Jerusalem last year during Operation Cast Lead. Throughout the year, I prided myself on remaining open-minded to new experiences but level-headed enough to retain my liberal beliefs regarding Israeli politics. However, I was surprised by how emotion and reason became so entwined even in my own mind with regard to the operation.

There are obvious holes and biases in my knowledge on the topic that I hope to fill in during Goldstone and Gold's discussion. Goldstone, a South African Jew, did not believe his report would be interpreted in such a bombastic manner. All topics and debates that concern Israel are fought not only on a rational level, but on a passionate one as well. I commend the University for deciding to host such a controversial figure.

In order to have a more balanced event, Gold will be able to refute Goldstone's findings of war crimes committed by both the Israeli and Palestinian side during Operation Cast Lead, which took place in December 2008 and January 2009. Additionally, Brandeis students and faculty will have the opportunity to keep both sides balanced by asking for clarification on topics raised throughout the discussion.

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