Students for Justice in Palestine is sponsoring events this week in recognition of national Israeli Apartheid Week, while Tikvah: Students for Israel celebrates its own Israeli Peace and Diversity Week.

Tensions between pro-Israel and pro-Palestine groups have run high over the past school year-including a Nov. 13 altercation during Israel Liberation Week and hate-speech graffiti around the campus.

But senior Yaman Salahi, a Students for Justice in Palestine organizer, said the events are not intended to incite hostilities between students on campus.

"I see this week as a point of unification where Berkeley students can come together," he said. "The mission on campus is two-fold: awareness and action and engagement. We want Berkeley to be part of the anti-apartheid movement."

Tikvah said Israeli Peace and Diversity Week, which began last year on the Berkeley campus, is meant to highlight Israel's democratic culture.

"We're trying to project to Berkeley the sides of Israel that we think they don't get the chance to see-open, accepting, diverse," said Tikvah member Judah Mirvish.

He said he has not witnessed any conflict between the two groups during the week's events.

Since the November altercation, Dean of Students Jonathan Poullard has taken a more active role in working with leaders of both groups to foster proper avenues of communication and conduct.

"He's been very proactive, especially post the incident in November in bringing both communities together to establish some commonalities," said Amanda Carlton, assistant director of student involvement for the Center for Student Leadership. "He felt it was his role to step in."

However, Student Action Senator Tu Tran said he was skeptical the groups would be willing to participate in a meaningful dialogue.

"I'm not trying to be a pessimist or anything, I'm not saying that it's never going to happen," he said. "It seems like the lesson last November was that we're still not where we need to be."

Yesterday afternoon, Students for Justice in Palestine held a demonstration to raise awareness for the Palestinian political prisoners in Israel and to advertise tonight's event, a documentary film about the prisoners.

"The aim of the demonstration is primarily to educate people," said senior Dharshan Chandramohan, a member of the group. "It's important for people to recognize the parallels between the struggles in the Middle East and in South Africa."

Today at noon, Tikvah will host a rally on Upper Sproul Plaza supporting Israel.

Gary Yevelev, political advocacy chair of the Israel Action Committee, said he does not expect hostilities between the two sides to spiral out of control.

"I think people are tired of that," Yevelev said. "It's been sort of a wake-up call within the Jewish community and Arab and Muslim groups. What happened in November was unbefitting of what this university stands for."

Tags: SJP