To the Editor:

I hesitate to write, but I am sick and tired of this lack of communication between the Arab Students’ Association and the Yale Friends of Israel.

I can understand why Sara Hirschhorn and Sam Yebri may have been irritated by the Yale Daily News article about Mazin Qumsiyeh (. His views do not match yours, and you may have felt that it would have only been fair for the Yale Daily News to also include an article about a pro-Israeli peace activist at Yale.

But what I want to say is that, once again, the YFI has directed its frustration towards the ASA. Please realize that Mazin Qumsiyeh is NOT the ASA’s faculty advisor. We have no such position in our organization, nor do we need one. Also, the ASA is not intent on seeing the state of Israel cease to exist. We do not call for the “destruction of the internationally recognized state of Israel.” Some members may have views that are in direct disagreement with yours, but I don’t think it is correct for you to assume that the ASA is an anti-Israeli organization.

We criticize the Israeli government, but we do not preach hatred and intolerance.

Fadi Pierre Kanaan

OCTOBER 31, 2001

The writer is co-president of the Arab Students Association