Nabil Sarhan is the son of two Palestinians who he says were driven away from their own country and denied their right to return. For Sarhan, the controversy surrounding Israel's prime minister-elect Ariel Sharon is of particular concern.

Sarhan (graduate-computer science and engineering) is the president of Penn State's Arab Union Society.

Opinions within the university range from skepticism to faith about Sharon and his ability to bring resolution to the 50 years of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East. Sharon was elected by more than a 62 percent majority last week.

The AUS is looking forward to a just peace but believes it is unlikely to come from Ariel Sharon, who they say promises to give much less than what former Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered for peace.

"I believe that the situation will become much worse as Sharon becomes the prime minister," Sarhan said. He is distrustful of Sharon's past as minister of defense, largely because of a massacre and the deaths of hundreds of Lebanese and Palestinian civilians for whom Sarhan believes Sharon was indirectly responsible. But others choose to judge Sharon for more recent actions. A prime minister should be examined by what he does, said Rachael Feinmesser, consul at the Consulate General of Israel in Philadelphia.

"Judge a person from day one in position. Where it counts," she said.

Feinmesser, who is one of nine consuls in the United States, spoke at Penn State last night. Her mission is to give people a better idea of Israel's point of view culturally as well as politically. She believes that in many ways the Palestinians missed out on an opportunity the Barak governmentgenerously proposed.

Feinmesser grew up in Israel in a community she referred to as socialist, where no one had private possessions. She said she doesn't see Palestine preparing its people for coexistence with Israelis.

"I think Mr. Arafat, in the moment of truth, was going back as if he was not ready for compromise," Feinmesser said.

She added that compromise in the Middle East situation is inevitable, because it is "our (Palestinian and Israeli) fate to live together in this small territory."

Marc Herzog, Penn State Israel political action chairperson for Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life said Sharon should be supported.

"The bottom line is he wants peace. How can anyone not support him for that?" Herzog said.