Palestinian conference draws protest

Members of Amcha-The Coalition for Jewish Concerns presented a letter to OSU President Karen A. Holbrook's office today to protest the Third National Student Conference of the Palestine Solidarity Movement.

Members are upset because they say the PSM conference that begins today at the Ohio Union is anti-Jewish and pro-terror.

"We're here to tell the president that this is a conference that should not take place on any university," said Shmuel Herzfeld, vice president of Amcha. "It has nothing to do with free speech and everything to do with hate speech."

Herzfeld said the conference openly calls for suicide bombing and the death of Jewish people.

"Last year, the conference was held at the University of Michigan. I went to it, and a group of people surrounded us chanting the English equivalent of 'kill the Jews,'" Herzfeld said.

According to an Amcha news release, over 10,000 Ohio residents signed a petition to Governor Bob Taft, requesting that the conference be stopped.

The letter presented to Holbrook's office stated, "This conference will leave a permanent stain on your great university. Even at this late hour, we appeal to your sense of decency, morality and justice to prevent it from taking place at OSU."

Holbrook was not present, but a representative of her office received the letter.

The conference is permitted to occur at OSU, because of the right to practice free speech afforded by the First Amendment, but Herzfeld said this conference exceeds those boundaries.

"Would you allow the KKK to hold a conference on campus? Would you allow Osama bin Laden to hold a conference? This is no different," Herzfeld said.

PSM leaders initially wanted to hold the conference at the University of Rutgers, but were denied, Herzfeld said.

The PSM conference is being held at the Ohio Union and will continue until Sunday.

"As long as they're there spewing evil, we will be there, too," Herzfeld said.