UNL groups mark Oct. 7 in different ways

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Two University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) groups are marking Oct. 7 in different ways.

This year’s Oct. 7 marks the third year since Hamas attacked Israel.

UNL’s Students for Justice in Palestine is showcasing a flag memorial on UNL campus from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The group said the flags are meant to “honor Palestinians who have lost their lives to Israel.”

Students for Justice in Palestine said the flags will not fully represent the Palestinian death toll, but will serve as a reminder of the war in Gaza.

Ari Kuhen, director of Norman and Bernice Harris Center for Judaic Studies and faculty director of Hillel at UNL, said the flag memorial is a mistake.

“Whatever the Students for Justice in Palestine are up to is not aligned with us or Oct. 7 in any way,” Kuhen said. “There is a coordinated and national campaign to hold an event that shifts the focus from the terrorist attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.”

Kuhen said Oct. 7 is a painful day for the Jewish community.

“To the Jewish people and students, Oct. 7th is a very painful and meaningful day. This is an erasure of Jewish pain and suffering. It does not help to further the Palestinian cause. It’s a mistake. The Jewish people and students of Lincoln and Omaha will be having a day of mourning, and have been invited to a private memorial and religious ceremony. This is not a day for waving flags. We should not prioritize or compare people’s suffering. We should be working together and talking.”