Description
The unfolding genocide in Gaza has invited scrutiny on the permissibility of violence and the disciplinary mechanisms that have been used to silence critique of such violence within UK universities. Academics have raised ethical questions about the role and responsibilities of universities towards affected students. Less focus has been placed on the ethical and moral dilemmas posed to the formation, preservation and loss of friendship experienced by students resulting from their support for Palestine. Drawing from narrative interviews with Arab, Palestinian and/or Muslim students in UK universities, this paper examines the cognitive dissonance described by students resulting from the challenge of living two lives: one where the predominate ‘business as usual’ response negates personal impact and silences personal suffering and the other where the devastating impact of loss transforms the very nature of how friendship can be meaningfully formed. The paper argues that the question of Palestine is a litmus test for organising friendship based on a shared value system. Whilst this is often connected to shared positionality in terms of key identity factors such as ethnicity and religion, significant transracial friendships can be forged through a shared moral compass centred on Palestine support, but which requires reflexivity on positionality and power to speak on Palestine to avoid marginalising Palestinians. The paper contributes to work which rethinks the international through analyses of micropolitics of friendship, solidarity and ethical and emotional drivers that make meaningful connections possible amid structural constraints to belonging that engender feelings of loss, harm and betrayal.
