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Intifada means "shaking off" in Arabic and refers to an uprising or revolt. Two intifadas occurred in the Palestinian/Israeli theatre. The first from 1987 to 1993 and the second from 2000 to 2005. While both were violent, the second was especially so.
The first Intifada ended with the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1992. These accords represented a commitment by the PLO to reject terrorism as a tool and the Israeli government to recognize the PLO as legitimate and to incrementally withdraw from Palestinian territories.
Then in 1993 a new organization, Hamas emerged. Hamas rejected the Oslo Accords and set out a charter calling for a single Islamic state from the River to the Sea. Following sustained terrorist attacks by Hamas and ongoing settlement of the Palestinian territories by Israelis, dialogue broke down and the second intifada was born in 2000. A visit by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to the temple mount in Jerusalem was used as Palestinian pretext for rioting, which quickly spread.
The second intifada saw 138 suicide bombings of Israeli buses, restaurants and other civilian scenes. The IDF retaliated by reinvading the West Bank and Gaza, surpressing terrorist activity. A barrier had already been erected along the border of Gaza which greatly reduced the number of suicide bombings of Gazan origin in the second intifada. Israel began erecting a successful barrier near its border with the West Bank as well, and this also proved effective at reducing the number of suicide bombings.
The second intifada claimed the lives of 1137 Israelis, 87% of which were civilians. 6371 Palestinian lives were lost, 47% of which were civilians. Many children on both sides were were killed. This intifada left deep trauma across both Israeli and Palestinian society.
Those who call for intifada at Pro-Palestinian protests invoke deep psychological wounds left in the Israeli and Jewish psyche. Calls to "Globalize the Intifada" are likely to be interpreted by many Israelis and Jews as a call to bring the terrorism and slaughter of the intifadas to the global stage. Its use post Oct 7, 2023 may feel to some like a call to export murder, mutilation, rape and torture to the international scene. Calling for intifada on a university campus leaves many Jewish students, staff and faculty looking over their shoulders worried that they will be the next casualty of exported terrorism.
Our message does not in way aim to stifle Palestinian voices for peace. "Globalize the Intifada" and its sister slogan "From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free" are not simple calls for peace, though some who use these slogans may envision a peaceful message. Let's regain a sense of campus civility in which dialogue between Jews and Palestinians can ensue in an atmosphere of mutual respect rather than hurling slogans inspired by violence.
Sources: causalty figures are from wikipedia. All other facts from the Encyclopedia Brittanica entry for Intifauda by Robert J. Brim and Bader Araj. Photo of burning bus from the Beit Lid Junction suicide bombing of 2001 and was taken by אלעד גוטמן / IDF Spokesperson's Unit, CC BY-SA 3.0.
