A surprise and rare teachable moment on a January Term to the Middle East
By Henry H. Bucher, Jr., Faculty Emeritus in Humanities, Austin College
May 3, 2024
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Henry H. Bucher, Jr.
In our Austin College Jan Term in 1994, my class was in Jerusalem when there was another contentious moment in the Palestinian/Israeli impasse.* The news reported that the Knesset(Parliament) was meeting that evening to decide what to do. Since there was such division on the issue, the opposition planned to have a non-violent protest near the Knesset. The government advertised that a large tent would be set up for the peaceful protestors and Israeli police would be on guard should there be problems.

Some of my class asked if we could attend, which evoked many questions. What if the protest turned violent? What would the parents of our class think if any Austin College student was harmed by this ‘extra-curricular’ activity? After a long discussion, I agreed with some hesitation, that we would attend; but anyone who did not join us was free to do so. When we arrived, the tent was indeed large, and the police were there. We were asked to enter and sit on the ground around the edge of the tent single file. I went first and sat next to an Israeli man.  The class one-by-one assembled next to me with backs to the tent facing center stage. 

Before those protesting had a chance to speak, I shook the hand of my Israeli neighbor and said who I was and that my class was from Austin College in Sherman, Texas. He welcomed us and said that his name was Uri Avnery –a former  member of the Israeli Knesset. My jaw dropped with expectation as I asked him: “Are you the Uri Avnery who authored the book, Israel Without Zionism?”** When he said yes, I noted that his book was required reading for this Jan Term! He kindly agreed to have an informal discussion with us after the protest. 

What a surprise that Uri Avnery was not only there, but that by chance we sat next to him and were able to meet in person the author of one of the books assigned to our Jan term and a former member the Knesset. 

There was no violence. Perhaps the excitement and surprise of meeting the author of a book used in my January Term is one reason why I can’t remember what the protest was about! I wonder what the late Uri Avnery would have to say about what is happening today in the Palestinian/Israeli impasse! Now I regret not having assigned one of his four books to one fourth of the class with one day set aside for class discussion. 

*The exact issue I cannot remember. My notes have been sent to be archived in the Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia.

**Uri Avnery has also authored: A Soldier’s Tale (1948); The Bloody Road to Jerusalem (2008); Israel’s Vicious Circle (2008); and My Friend, the Enemy (1986). Uri Avnery was the first Israeli to officially meet with Yasir Arafat.