CW / Elijah McWhorter
Israeli soldier Noam Nino speaks about his combat experience in Gaza during Triggered: The Tour.
The University of Alabama chapter of Students Supporting Israel hosted Triggered: The Tour in the Student Center on Tuesday, where two Israeli soldiers shared their combat experiences in Gaza. In response, Students for Justice in Palestine held a protest against the event and the war on the Quad at the same time.
“The main goal was to inspire a lot of the students here, and it was an opportunity for people to get to hear their side of the story,” said Tamar Oren, president of UA SSI.
One of the soldiers who spoke was Noam Nino, an artillery corps member of the IDF.
Nino said that although soldiers prepared for the war, they weren’t prepared for the mental war that soon followed, adding that the psychological battle was as difficult as the physical one, requiring constant reminders of their mission and goal.
The soldiers recounted months spent in Gaza, where destruction, encounters with hostages and raids occurred over and over.
“It wasn’t like anything you can imagine, the fact that kids are going to school where weapons are being stored in any place possible,” Nino said.
He said he believes the trauma that occurred on Oct. 7, 2023, has pushed the desire for peace farther back, adding that it could take generations to fix.
The war began after Hamas-led militants crossed the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, killing almost 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and capturing 251. Israel’s offensive in the territory has since killed over 50,000 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The protest on the Quad spoke against the event and the Israel-Hamas war, calling for action from the University.
“We want the University to disclose their investments, whether indirect or direct, to Israel,” said Omorose Emwanta, a sophomore neuroscience major present at the SJP-UA protest. “We want them to divest from those investments and then list a ceasefire resolution publicly.”
During the event, three students attempted a silent protest and were soon escorted out by security.
Emwanta also criticized Lockheed Martin, a defense contractor that has supplied weapons used in Israel, for its involvement in on-campus fairs. This follows a recent $7.4 billion arms package for Israel, approved by the Trump administration on Feb. 7, 2025, which includes a $660 million deal for Hellfire missiles with Lockheed Martin as the principal contractor.
Haley Keller, a junior physics major, said she felt personally connected to the UA SSI event because of her family in Israel.
“With family in Israel, hearing from these soldiers made everything feel much closer to home,” she said. “Everyone’s allowed to have their own opinion. I just wish at the end of day, everyone can have fruitful discussions about how this is affecting students’ lives and how we go about our lives, even as students on campus.”
Emwanta said turnout at the protest alone didn’t measure the event’s success. She said seeing people engaged, holding signs, listening or even interacting with the social media posts proved that the issue resonated with people.
“The fact that more than one person showed up — that’s success to me,” she said. “People could be at home, doing nothing. Instead, they came here, held signs and listened. That matters. It means people care about Palestine.”
Nino said most soldiers simply wanted peace.
“At the end of the day, most of us are family people,” he said. “We just wanted peace and were doing what a normal country and normal people would do if they were kidnapped, raped, and innocent civilians murdered. You would go fight and defend yourself and your country.”
Oren said she hoped the event would inspire students to be more confident in discussing difficult issues.
“Our presence on campus makes a difference. Seeing us advocate matters to those who serve,” she said. “You don’t have to agree, but if you won’t listen, nothing will change.”