On one side of Speedway, two one humped camels sway side to side. On the other, a crowd is fired up, and chants in opposition.

The Jewish Student Organization Texas Hillel held their annual Israel Block Party in front of Gregory Gymnasium on April 19. The block party took place in a large white tent adorned with alternating flags of Israel and The United States. Members of Texas Hillel stand out front under smaller orange tents to hand out T-shirts and VIP passes for attendees.

Inside, smaller Israeli flags hang from the ceiling above a chattering crowd of students. The savory scent of Shawarma and Falafel Pita emanates from the food section. In a corner designed to emulate an Israeli market, students scoop up and bag their own candies. A sign in English and Hebrew boasts “Media”, as students below pick up wireless headphones for a silent disco and read signs about Israeli Americans in the media industries 

For attendees, the event offered a sense of community and celebration, especially for Jewish students for whom their minority status is frequently felt.

“It's a day when students can come and be proud of a piece of land that we have, which we can call our own, which we pray for three times a day,” said Moshe Tripp, a British-American Rabbi in Austin. “Throughout history, we can't always take this for granted.”

“Israel is this really fascinating area” said Oren Rauch, a UT Student, who was born in Israel, but emigrated to the U.S. at two years old. “We were exiled for 2000 years, and now we all come back, and we share all our cultures together, and it's a beautiful mishmash.”

On the steps of McCombs, protestors rhythmically chant “Free, Free, Free Palestine” to the beat of a drum. Some wear surgical masks, others have wrapped their faces in cloth to disguise their identities. They hold signs reading “complacency is complicity”, “stand against ethnic cleansing”, and “Freedom for Palestine”. They also wave the black, white, red, and green flag of Palestine.

The Palestine Solidarity Committee rallied supporters of Palestine across from The Israel Block Party to protest Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territory, and discriminatory laws and legal system.

A report from the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Palestinian Territory said Israel’s entrenched rule in occupied Palestinian Territory qualifies as apartheid.

Protestors said they’re here to prevent this issue from being ignored.

“It is something that is probably should be required of everyone to fight against oppression and stand for those who are oppressed.” said Jenna, a UT student who declined to provide a last name.

“I've been Muslim my whole life,” said Seerat Ali, another UT student who attended the protest. “I've, heard a lot about the atrocities going on in Palestine.”

“Seeing the Israel Block Party, like in the middle of campus being celebrated in such like a big way,” she said. “It was heartbreaking. 

“There's a lot of bad things going on in the world, but this is one where I have the power to do something about it,” said Michael Katz, a Jewish person who felt the need to speak out about events in Palestine.

“The whole propaganda against Palestinians, is making false accusations of antisemitism, he said. “As a Jewish person, it's much harder for them to do that to me.”

For students in attendance at the block party; however, the event was less about geopolitics in the Middle East, and more about finding a sense of community on The 40 Acres.

“When I came to UT it definitely threw me off how little Jews are around me,” said, a Jewish student at UT, who preferred to remain anonymous. “I'm from the Northeast, and so I was surrounded by a big Jewish population.”

“This event, bringing together a bunch of various communities that I'm part of feels really, really special,” she said. “It's really nice to see different aspects of the Jewish culture being celebrated.”

For Rauch, the event offered a chance to celebrate his heritage.

“I think Israel is such an impactful country, in the global scale, especially relating to innovation,” said Rauch. “It's the only democracy in the Middle East.”

For those in the opposition, however; the event took on a different significance. For some the flags, symbols, and foods celebrated at the Israel Block Party served as reminder of the crisis in Palestinian territory. 

“The Israel Block Party, which is essentially a celebration of the State of Israel, which is an apartheid state,” said Jenna. “So that means it's a celebration of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.”

“People have Palestinian identities that have been taken from them and, and their grandparents and parents have been removed forcibly, violently from their homes. (They) have been killed have been, you know, treated as subhuman.” she said.

Some attendees of the Israeli Block Party, sought to avoid politics. Others welcomed the protests and offer advice on criticizing Israel without leaning into anti-Semitism.

“It's freedom of speech,” said Tripp. “We're very passionate about Israel, and they're very passionate about it, and I think that's very fair and valid.”

“Just stick to facts,” said Tripp. “Talk history, and don't get emotional, and everyone deserves a place to live, and everyone needs a home.”

This story was produced with the assistance of Areebah Bharmal, Paisley Porter, and Joseph Sweeney from Texas News PrimeTime.