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Celebratory dinners, festivals and parties have been planned on campus this week to commemorate Israeli independence, and organizers say the events are an effort to celebrate the nation’s culture and history rather than discuss politics.

This May marks the 58th year of Israel’s existence as a state, and celebrants in the past have compared the events to American celebrations of the Fourth of July.

“I honestly hope that people on campus will be able to put politics aside this year and come and enjoy the celebration,” said Leeron Morad, vice president of Bruins for Israel, the group that is planning this week’s activities. “We are inviting everyone from campus to come and watch and enjoy themselves, regardless of their political views.”

But past years’ celebrations, which have been accompanied by protests, have shown that this task is difficult to accomplish. Israel’s 58-year existence has been marked by almost continuous conflict between Israelis and Palestinians over land and state boundaries.

“Of course it’s political,” said James Gelvin, a professor of Middle Eastern history. “What for Israelis is independence day is for Palestinians the agony of the ‘nakba’ (the Arabic word for disaster), when the formation of Israel resulted in the displacement of about 720,000 Palestinians.”

The week of events began Thursday with a dance that Morad said attracted more than 1,000 people – some traveling from as far as San Diego and Santa Barbara to attend.

Other planned events include a festival, an Israeli-style dinner and a photography exhibit.

“We see in the news the political aspect of Israel,” said Candice Daneshvar, the president of Bruins for Israel. “We want to bring in the cultural aspect of Israel.”

Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller of the Hillel Center for Jewish Life at UCLA said Israel is a focus for Jewish national identity and “independence day in Israel represents a celebration of the Jewish collectives and the emergence of the Jewish people in the 20th century.”

But some students said they feel that those celebrating Israel’s independence overlook the means by which Israel was established as a state.

Rahmatullah Akbar, president of the Muslim Students Association, said he does not wish to deny Israel’s right to exist as a state, but would like the celebrants to recognize the effects of Israel’s independence on the Palestinian people.

“It is wholly inconsiderate and merely consistent with the disregard for Palestinian rights that there would be an Israeli celebration on the day that around 700,000 indigenous Palestinians were expelled from their homes,” he said.

Last year, during an event in Bruin Plaza, a handful of protestors from MSA stood silently during the celebrations on campus, holding signs printed with words such as “militarism,” “apartheid” and “occupation.” Members did not say whether they plan to protest during this year’s festivities.

Akbar said students in MSA would have less reason to protest if the celebrants of Israel’s independence acknowledged the expense at which Israel was established.

“If those celebrating Israel’s independence also recognize what Israel’s independence did to innocent Palestinian people ... and if they recognize that independence without justice for all is not really independence and if they recognize that the Palestinian people’s independence is just as important and critical to a long-lasting peace as their own, perhaps there would be less of a reason to protest,” he said.

Gelvin said Israel was created in the same fashion that most white-settler countries were established, drawing a comparison to the establishment of the United States.

“I don’t think we’re surprised any longer at the fact that there are Native Americans counter-demonstrating on Columbus Day,” he said.

“Israelis are only beginning to acknowledge the effects of their state-building on the inhabitants of Palestine.”

On Wednesday, there will be a celebration of Israel’s birthday in the form of a festival in Bruin Plaza from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring a live band from Tel Aviv, speakers, Israeli food and cotton-candy sales, Morad said. The on-campus festival will be followed by a free dinner for students at Hillel.

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