What is college if not a marketplace for ideas? College campuses are, in part, venues to learn about conflict and its resolution. If a university is not open-minded, it limits the potential of its students to explore new ideas. For this reason, it is ideal that Dore Gold speak alongside Richard Goldstone.With every new piece of information I take in, I balance it against my already acquired worldly knowledge to determine its factuality, bias and significance. Basically, I don't accept everything I hear to be truth. As such, everything I have the opportunity to learn can only serve to deepen my well of knowledge about the world. For this reason (along with many others), I believe Brandeis University should take advantage of every speaker it can bring to campus, regardless of whether the speaker is a noble person or has a set of values that aligns with those of the student body or those of Brandeis.

Therefore, I could not be more thrilled about Richard Goldstone coming this week. Goldstone is speaking only at Brandeis-that's huge! While the findings of the Goldstone Report and the United Nation's work regarding Israel upset me, I greatly anticipate listening to Goldstone. I was living in Jerusalem last year during Operation Cast Lead. Throughout the year, I prided myself on remaining open-minded to new experiences but level-headed enough to retain my liberal beliefs regarding Israeli politics. However, I was surprised by how emotion and reason became so entwined even in my own mind with regard to the operation.

There are obvious holes and biases in my knowledge on the topic that I hope to fill in during Goldstone and Gold's discussion. Goldstone, a South African Jew, did not believe his report would be interpreted in such a bombastic manner. All topics and debates that concern Israel are fought not only on a rational level, but on a passionate one as well. I commend the University for deciding to host such a controversial figure.

In order to have a more balanced event, Gold will be able to refute Goldstone's findings of war crimes committed by both the Israeli and Palestinian side during Operation Cast Lead, which took place in December 2008 and January 2009. Additionally, Brandeis students and faculty will have the opportunity to keep both sides balanced by asking for clarification on topics raised throughout the discussion.

There are many opinions on campus, and it is the obligation of the University to provide support and insight to all students. Though there are many pro-Israel students on campus, there are also many who are more skeptical of Israel's actions in Operation Cast Lead and who sympathize with the findings of the Goldstone Report.

Brandeis University certainly has a history of controversial speakers. On April 30, 2009, Democracy for America, Students for a Democratic Society and the Brenda Meehan Social Justice in Action Grant, with the help of four other academic departments, brought Bill Ayers, co-founder of the Weather Underground and professor in the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, to speak. Students criticized Brandeis for supporting a terrorist in a situation where a peaceful social activist could have taught the same lesson. However, Ayers had a unique view to offer. Ayers, once a violent social activist, is now a well-respected professor. Brandeis, which is built on the tenants of social activism with a liberal student body, benefited from hearing from an experienced fellow activist.

Additionally, Brandeis was deep in controversy in 2007 when there was worry that bringing former President Jimmy Carter to speak would discourage Jewish donors from allocating their money to the school. People criticized Brandeis for welcoming Carter, who had just published his book Palestine: Peace not Apartheid, which received attention for casting a bad light on Israel in order to promote Carter's views. However, students were only allowed to ask preselected questions, and immediately after Carter concluded defending the points raised in his book, Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz was allowed to rebut his argument.

Both of these guests ultimately brought great prestige to the University and allowed for a plethora of viewpoints to be accounted for-all of which have a place on our campus.

Those who were upset upon hearing that Brandeis would host Goldstone or that Gold would be present in the room to debate him should consider this: The most efficient form of argument involves understanding both sides of the argument. It would therefore be to the advantage of students of all opinions regarding Goldstone to attend his discussion with Gold to see what is said.