Walk for a Free Palestine promotes education, advocacy

For Barney Dale, education is the key to a more peaceful future.

Dale, a resident of Durham, gathered Saturday with students and members of the community to educate residents about the issues facing Palestinians.

About 55 people attended the Walk for a Free Palestine, which took place on Franklin Street.

The walk, sponsored by the American Association for Palestinian Equal Rights, included fundraising efforts and speeches by local Palestinian advocates.

Dale grew up in the Middle East in various countries, including Israel, Lebanon and Turkey. His father worked at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv.

He spent 1971 teaching English to children at Burj Barajneh, a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon.

Educating children who were academically engaged despite their difficult circumstances was one of the experiences that influenced him to support the Palestinian cause, he said.

“Education is the ticket out of a refugee camp,” Dale said.

Layla Quran, a UNC freshman and organizer of the walk, said they raised $150 in T-shirt sales and even spread their message to other attendees of a nearby walk for local public schools.

“Thousands of people saw the walk,” she said. “Many will further research it.”

Khodr Zaarour, an international relations and political science professor at Shaw University and political director of the Muslim American Public Affairs Council, spoke at the walk.

Zaarour said Palestine needs legitimacy and statehood recognition from the United Nations in order to protect its people from rights violations by the Israeli government.

Construction of Israeli settlements in land claimed by Palestine violates U.N. conventions, he said.

“If you occupy my house, and we are in negotiations, I expect you to stop remodeling,” he said.

Zaarour said 70 percent of the Israeli population has expressed support for a Palestinian state, indicating growing support for the cause of statehood.

Many of the attendees of the walk said increased awareness about the conflict among youth will promote peace in the future.

Margaret Misch, a local Palestinian peace activist, said students should avoid basing their viewpoints on preconceived notions about the conflict.

“If students go to the Middle East and see it for themselves, their feelings will change,” Misch said.

Jerry Mikell of Durham, another local Palestinian advocate, said youth are important to the region’s future.

“Younger people are forming their opinions and attitudes and are generally more open,” he said.

Contact the State & National Editor at state@dailytarheel.com.