Israeli student joins other side of conflict

While Israel struggles to justify its actions to an ever-growing hostile international community, some choose to join the other side – Maya Yechieli Wind, 19, from Jerusalem, is currently studying in New York's prestigious Columbia University and chooses to spend her spare time organizing anti-Israeli displays depicting IDF soldiers beating and humiliating Palestinians at checkpoints.

Wind grew up in Jerusalem and attended religious schools, despite coming from a secular family. When she was 17-year-old, she signed The Shministim Letter – a petition authored by senior high school students who refused to enlist in the army – and was later jailed in a military prison for 40 days.


After her release, Wind moved to the United States and began her studies at Columbia University. Alongside her academics program, she joined the Columbia University Students for Justice in Palestine organization, which attracts many Palestinian students from Ramallah as well as Arab students.