Featured this week

Ben-Gurion: Professor Says 'Israel's Lack of Acceptance to EU May Be Political'
by Matthew Krieger

Although Israel compares favorably with other OECD member nations, it has yet to be accepted to the international club of some 30 countries who have attained "developed" status, something which Israel's economy easily qualifies for.  Over the last decade, Israel has been aiming to gain entry into the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development but its efforts have been rebuffed due to "political decisions" within the organization, Ben-Gurion economist Prof. Avia Spivak said at a conference at the Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem earlier this month. (Jerusalem Post)

Brandeis: Chalav U'Dvash: A Publication as Sweet as Milk and Honey
by Ben Sacks

Jason Lustig ‘08 isn’t an average Brandeis student. Not surprisingly then, neither is the Zionist publication that he co-founded in 2005 with Daniel Temkin ‘08. Chalav U’Dvash is, according to Lustig, who is currently a General Editor, “the only publication of its kind. You’re not going to find another Jewish publication, in English, run by undergraduate college students, studying the issues that we do in such depth... maybe not anywhere in the world.” When the club was first launched, its purpose was, in Lustig’s terms, to give “an opportunity for young Jews like ourselves to express what’s happening to Jews today.” Chalav U’Dvash contains lengthy, in depth articles about Israel, Judaism, and Zionism, covering a wide variety of topics such as the modernization of Israel and Judaism’s take on politics. (Brandeis Hoot)

Haifa: Research Study: Israel Combat Soldiers Become More Dovish During Service

Israeli soldiers who serve in combat units become less hawkish and more open to compromise on security issues during the course of their service, a study released by Haifa University has found. At the same time, women also undergo a political change, becoming more hawkish, a university spokesman said last week, confirming the findings. The study, conducted by the university's School for Political Science, surveyed 490 male and female soldiers of every rank and in every branch of service. Respondents were asked to answer the same series of questions before induction, six months into their service and immediately after mobilization. (Deutsche Presse-Agentur/Combined Jewish Philanthropies)

George Mason: JSA, Hillel Fly Flag for Israel
by Eric Moreno

On Monday, April 23, the Jewish Student Association and Hillel sponsored an Israel Independence Day event remembering 59 years of existence. All day, students gathered around an Israeli flag that was standing on the Quad. The flag was flying at half-mast out of respect for the victims of Virginia Tech. “As a nation Israel is far too familiar with unprovoked, horrendous and violent surprise attacks on civilians and we sympathize with all those who still suffer from the tragedy at Virginia Tech,” a press release from the Jewish Student Association said. A number of  students, faculty and alumni, stopped by to talk to those around the flag. The majority of responses to the event were positive. (Broadside)

Gratz College and Case Western: Lawyer: Terror Changes the 'Rules of the Game'
by Ryan Teitman

"Terrorists have rights," said law professor Amos Guiora to those gathered for his lecture on counterterrorism at Gratz College. "If we forget that terrorists have rights, we will end up like them." A professor of law at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, and director of the school's Institute for Global Security Law and Policy, Guiora served 19 years in the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the Israel Defense Force, where he was a legal adviser to Gaza Strip activities before he ventured into the world of academia in 2004. At last week's talk on "Countering Terrorism in the 21st Century: Lessons from Israel," the expert delved into the issue of the need for national security versus the possible infringement of individual rights. (Jewish Exponent)

Kent State: Bar Mitzvah Raises Money for Israeli Medical Center
by Ryan Wilkinson

Reminisce: Remember your 13th birthday, your Bar Mitzvah. If you're not Jewish - well, then you can pretend, too. In fact, that's just what the members of Alpha Epsilon Pi said they wanted. The fraternity held its first Bar Mitzvah Bash last week. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Shaare Zedek Medical Center, a hospital in Jerusalem. David Danenberg, president of Alpha Epsilon Pi, North America's only Jewish fraternity, said he is hoping the Bar Mitzvah will become an annual event. (Skater Online)

Northwestern: Students Dance To Celebrate Israeli Independence Day
by Talia Alberts

Last week, an Evanston bar was transformed into a Tel Aviv nightclub complete with an Israeli DJ, hummus and pita. The second annual Israel IndepenDANCE Party took place at Tommy Nevin's Pub, in celebration of Israeli Independence Day on April 24. The first event of the week was a screening of "The Long Way Home," an Academy Award-winning film about the role of Holocaust survivors in founding the state of Israel. The event was co-sponsored by the Simon Wiesenthal Center and drew crowds from both Northwestern and Chicago members of the Wiesenthal Center. (Daily Northwestern)

Stanford: Former Jihadists Speak Out

On Monday, April 16, Stanford University played host to three former terrorists turned peace activists. Walid Shoebat, a former PLO terrorist who has built a name for himself on college campuses and other venues, was joined by speakers Zack Anani and Kamal Saleem. Together they explained why, as former Muslims, they left the cause of jihad and rejected their backgrounds and terrorist training to embrace America, Israel and the West. (AINA)

Utah: Lawyer Hits Terrorists' Wallets
by Josh Loftin

An Israeli lawyer has committed to fighting terrorism by aiming for the pocketbooks of those who fund it. Since 1996, Nitsana Darshan-Leitner has filed lawsuit after lawsuit on behalf of victims of terror attacks and their families through the Shurat HaDin, or Israel Law Center, of which she is the director. What's truly notable, however, is that those lawsuits are filed against everyone from international banks to oil companies and national governments, including Syria and Iran.  During a speech last week at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, she said she files the lawsuits because she views the judicial process as the most potent weapon in an ongoing war with terrorists. With the judgments, which run into the hundreds of millions of dollars, money used to fund the terrorism attacks is either seized or frozen. (Deseret News)

Yeshiva: Presidential Hopeful Addresses Students

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney likened Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Adolf Hitler in a speech last week to Jewish university students. "We are faced with the horrific proposition that those who speak of genocide are developing the capability to carry it out," Romney said, referring to the Islamic jihad movement. He also said Iran and its leader are threats to Israel. Ahmadinejad has called the Holocaust a "myth" and said Israel should be "wiped off the map." Romney said the Iranian leader has "gone beyond the boundary of outrage." (AP/Boston Herald)
    See also Romney at Yeshiva U (YouTube)

Boston: Peace Not Possible in Middle East, Journalist Says
by Christina Ku

There is no room for peace in the Middle East in the near future, said Israeli journalist Tom Segev, a Boston University alumnus, on the 40th anniversary of Israel's Six-Day War at the School of Management last week. The repercussions of the 1967 war contribute to Israel's unrest, and there has been little resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts since then, Segev said in front of about 40 attendees at "1967 - Israel's Longest Year," hosted by the Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Studies. (Daily Free Press)

UC Davis: Chancellor Supports Travel Abroad to Israel
by Patrick McCartney

UC Davis Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef confirmed his support for ASUCD Senate Resolution 11, which calls on the University of California Board of Regents to change its UC Education Abroad Program policies to allow travel to countries with "less severe travel warnings," such as Israel. ASUCD Senator Pro Tempore Molly Fluet said she was pleased that the chancellor supports revising the UC EAP policies. "I think that's great; we had a UC EAP program [in Israel] five years ago. I'm glad the chancellor said that [he agrees]," she said. (California Aggie)

Fort Lewis College: Israeli Students Share Experiences
by Ann Butler

Congregation Har Shalom's celebration of Israeli Defense Forces Memorial Day and Israel's Independence Day had an additional spark on April 21 and 22. Two Fort Lewis College students who hail from Israel added depth and meaning to the two days that are important to their country. Assaf Yogev, 21, and Yarden Gazit, 22, who both served their three years of required military service before beginning their freshman year at FLC in September. Because they are both members of the Israeli Cycling Federation, they were assigned to noncombat positions, but have lost friends who were in combat. (Durango Herald)

Carter's Visit to Georgia StateU Peaceful
by Ernie Suggs

Jimmy Carter is still drawing standing room crowds when he goes on the road to speak about his latest and most controversial book, "Palestine Peace Not Apartheid."  That was not always a good thing, as some of those crowds have been highly critical of his book, and its overall theme that Israel is the main cause of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But last week when he returned to Atlanta to speak to students and faculty at Georgia State University the controversy surrounding the book was hardly addressed.

Ithaca: Students Celebrate Israel
by Anna Uhls

For the first time in five years, Ithaca College celebrated Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day, with crafts, music, food, hookahs and educational materials last week in IC Square. “I’m just here for the delicious kosher food,” said senior Elyssa Kolber. “No, I’m just kidding. I love the country....The Israeli culture is beautiful. The country is more than just political news. When I think of the country, I think of all the fun and enjoyment I feel when I’m there.” (The Ithican)

MIT: With Imagination, a Hope for Peace
by Mordechai Treiger

A contest is hoping to find a just solution for just Jerusalem. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is currently accepting submissions for the Just Jerusalem competition, which aims to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict by focusing on the issues that divide that city. Five $50,000 fellowships will be awarded in March to the best idea in each of four categories - physical, economic and civic and symbolic infrastructure - and the best overall second-place suggestion. The deadline for proposals is Dec. 31. (Daily Pennsylvanian)

Rutgers: Hillel Honors Fallen Soldiers
by Michelle Rosenberg

One hundred twenty people from both Jewish and non-Jewish communities came to honor the men and women who sacrificed their lives to protect Israel last week. Rutgers Hillel hosted "What Is a Life Worth: Israel Remembrance Day" commemorating the fallen soldiers in the Israeli army. In Hebrew, the day is called Yom HaZikaron, meaning the day to remember. Elisa Levine, the sister of Michael Levine, a soldier killed in August during clashes with Hizbullah in the southern Lebanese village of Aita al-Shaab, answered questions from the video according to Michael's perspective.  (Daily Targum)

Syracuse: Once-Quiet Munich Survivor Speaks of 1972 Olympic Horrors
by Brian Tahmosh

Dan Alon did not speak publicly about the Munich Olympics for 34 years. He was one of five athletes to escape the terrorist attacks and live to tell their stories, but he kept that to himself. Alon didn't want to tell his story until last year. After the release of the movie "Munich," Alon felt he had an opportunity to get his message out. Still, it wasn't easy the first time he spoke. "It was very hard for me to talk," Alon said. "I had to stop many times. My words were stuck in my throat." Last week, Alon spoke again at the Chabad House at Syracuse University. He emphasized he is not a speaker from the beginning and said he would be telling his story, but not giving a speech. (Daily Orange)

Wake Forest U Professor Travels to Israel to Study Threat of Terrorism to Democracy

Randall Rogan, professor and chair of communication at Wake Forest University, has been accepted to attend “Defending Democracy, Defeating Terrorism,” the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ (FDD) fifth annual academic fellowship in Israel this summer.  The program, taught in conjunction with Tel Aviv University, provides an intensive series of lectures provided by academics, diplomats and military officials from India, Israel, Jordan, Turkey and the United States on the latest trends in terrorists’ ideologies, motives and operations.  The attendees will also participate in field studies designed to give them first-hand experience with security issues and the practical side of deterring terrorist attacks. (Wake Forest University)

Yale to Step Up Middle East Studies
by Kanya Balakrishna

The Council on Middle East Studies will unveil an initiative today that will commit more of the University’s resources to studying the contemporary Middle East. Additional resources will also be invested in Yale’s chapter of Empowerment and Resilience in Children Everywhere, an international project that seeks to better the lives of Israeli and Palestinian children. (Yale Daily News)