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October 31, 2004
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 Arafat in French Hospital, Facing a Round of Tests by Elaine Sciolino
Yasser Arafat, the ailing Palestinian leader, arrived in France on Friday as the guest of the French government and was immediately taken to a military hospital for treatment of a mysterious ailment. In Washington, a Bush administration official said it appeared that Mr. Arafat's doctors were in some disagreement over the Palestinian leader's condition, with the most pessimistic assessment focusing on the possibility that he has leukemia. (New York Times)
Sharon Wins Vote for Gaza Pullout by John Ward Anderson
Israel's parliament voted last week by a 67 to 45 vote to close all 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip, evacuate their 8,100 residents, and withdraw thousands of Israeli troops that protect them, handing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon a major political victory on an issue that has created a deep rupture in Israeli politics and society. Israeli troops would pull out from most of Gaza by the end of 2005, but would retain control of Gaza's borders, coastline, and airspace. (Washington Post)
In Rabin Square, Nine Years After
Dozens of thousands of people gathered Saturday night at the Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, marking the ninth anniversary of the assassination of late prime minister Yitzhak Rabin. Former Ashkenazi chief rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau told the crowds, "We must learn to live here together, all of us, despite our differences and disputes. We have shared enemies. Not only our Palestinian neighbors, who have yet to put down their swords; we have also other enemies, like crime and violence." (Jerusalem Post)
Columbia to Check Reports of Anti-Jewish Harassment by Sam Dillon
Columbia University's president asked last week that the university provost investigate assertions that some professors have intimidated Jewish students during discussions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Ten current and former Columbia students voiced the complaints in a half-hour video documentary, "Unbecoming Columbia," produced last winter by the David Project, a group based in Boston that seeks to document campus harassment of Jewish students. In the video, several students say professors have often accused Jewish students during classroom discussions of responsibility for Palestinian deaths. (New York Times)
See also University to Investigate Claims of Bias by Megan Greenwell (Spectator
)
 The End of the Arafat Era
Though he has remained their unrivalled leader, a growing number of Palestinians have come to the conclusion that Mr Arafat has failed - both to build a fledgling democracy in their would-be state and, more importantly, to wring out of the Israelis a fair peace deal. Perhaps his greatest blunder was at the Camp David summit of 2000, when he rejected an offer by Israel to give the Palestinians a larger chunk of the West Bank than they may ever be offered again. Many Palestinians have come to wish he would go, yet regard it as almost sacrilegious to endorse Israel's calls for his departure. (Economist)
End of an Era? End of an Aura? by Amos Harel
The prime minister put the disengagement plan into play based on the assumption that there was no partner on the Palestinian side. If Arafat leaves the arena now, the basis of the process will change completely. Two developments may temper the extent of the violence in the event of Arafat's death: his decreased popularity in the territories (despite the fact that residents still see him as a symbol), and the fact that Israel was not portrayed as attempting to harm him. (Ha'aretz)
See also Sharon Tells Mubarak He Won't Delay Pullout Plan by Aluf Benn (Ha'aretz)
Talk of Sanctions Against Israel Helps the Enemies of Peace by Isaac Herzog
I wish foreign commentators would recognize the enormity of the disengagement initiative. Criticism of Israeli policies is, of course, legitimate. I do it myself, every day. But when I read the generalized attacks on Israel in some foreign papers, it feels as if we are being blamed for everything, even of causing the terrorism that we suffer. Talk of sanctions, boycotts, and UN resolutions against Israel is music to the ears of those who wish to destroy the Middle East's only free and democratic country. Isaac Herzog is a Labor Party MK.
(Guardian)
Israel and the Apartheid Lie by Benjamin Pogrund
South Africa's apartheid died in 1994, but the word is alive: Israel is accused of being "the new apartheid," while its founding ideology, Zionism, is attacked as "racism." In South Africa pre-1994, skin color determined every single person's life. Anyone who says that Israel is apartheid does not appreciate what apartheid was. A crucial indicator of the status of Israel's minority is that Arabs have the vote black South Africans did not. The writer, former deputy editor of the Rand Daily Mail, Johannesburg, is director of Yakar's Center for Social Concern in Jerusalem. (Taipei Times)
Hearts, Minds, and Campus Centers by Rachel Zuckerman
Planting pro-Israel sentiments on campus might be best achieved thousands of miles away from the proverbial ivory tower. New financial incentives from the Israeli government will be offered to young adults from North American communities to come to Israel for long-term programs. One goal behind the programs, in addition to encouraging aliyah, is that participants will return to their home campuses as ambassadors for the Jewish state. "These initiatives are potentially the most effective way to influence campuses right now," said Wayne L. Firestone, executive director of Israel on Campus Coalition at Hillel (pictured). "When American students study in Israel, they might see their Israeli classmates on reserve duty leave school to man checkpoints and protect people from being blown up in a supermarket. They see that Israel's security issues are real." (Jewish Exponent)
UCLA Launches Israel Program by Tom Tugend
The International Institute at UCLA is launching an Israel studies program, which its creators hope will be "the most comprehensive and systematic" program for the study of the Jewish state in America. Already in place are two undergraduate courses, visits by prominent Israeli and American scholars, and a community lecture program. In the works is a major international conference on Israeli democracy. (JTA)
UC-Santa Barbara: Visiting Lecturers Host Middle East Discussion by Kaitlin Pike
Two leading scholars of Islam and Judaism discussed the various tensions and similarities between Jews and Muslims last week. Rabbi A. James Rudin, the senior inter-religious adviser of the American Jewish Committee, and Dr. Akbar Ahmed, professor of Islamic Studies at American University, were speakers at the discussion, titled "Judaism and Islam: A Conversation." As part of the question and answer section, Ahmed and Rudin responded to a query about Islamic terrorists and suicide bombers. Ahmed said the actions of suicide bombings are inconsistent with the teachings of Islam because both murder and suicide are condemned actions.
(Daily Nexus)
Cornell: Between the Jewish State and the Arab World: Israel's Arab Minority by Benjamin Birnbaum
I had come to interview Khaled Abu Toameh, West Bank and Gaza correspondent for the Jerusalem Post at his office a few blocks from the Mount Scopus campus of Hebrew University. Hanging on Toameh's office wall was a photo of him with Yasser Arafat. I asked him about it. "Don't talk to me about Arafat," Toameh answered as if the name were an obscenity. "He's led his people from one disaster to the next....I'd like to see Arabs writing about Jewish suffering for a change," he continued, holding up an Arabic-language newspaper from his desk. "When that day comes, I know there'll be peace." (Cornell Sun)
Cornell: Contentious Border Shifts for Bridging the Rift Center by Andrew Beckwith
Israeli and Jordanian officials met last week to discuss border changes to make way for the Bridging the Rift (BTR)Center, a science research facility that will be constructed in partnership with Cornell, Stanford and the New York City-based BTR Foundation. "It makes me very proud to be a Cornellian," said Dan Greenwald '05, president of the Cornell-Israel Public Affairs Committee. "It's a great model for future peacemaking in the region." (Cornell Sun)
Emory: Speaker Alleges Bias Exists Against Israel by Drew Paul
Neil Lazarus spoke about "Israel in the Eye of the Media" at a Hillel-sponsored event. He told an audience of about 60 students that the media often presents an overly simplistic and one-sided view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Lazarus repeatedly emphasized that questioning Israel's policies is fine, as long as it is done in a fair manner. Lazarus talked about current events, including the declining health of the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. "The one thing I can assure you: If Arafat dies, Israel will be blamed," he said. (Emory Wheel)
Harvard: Peres Expresses Hope for Mideast Peace by Alexander D. Blankfein
Former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres conveyed a message of hope for an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at Harvard last week. "I am not sure the Palestinians like us, I'm not sure we like them. Some of us say let's wait for the next generation. There is no guarantee that the next generation will be more flexible. We have to make a peace now," Peres said. "He spoke very convincingly. He was very inspiring," said Rob P. Varady '06. Rebecca M. Rohr '08, a member of Harvard Students for Israel, praised Peres' speech even though she said she often disagrees with his political views. "I thought that it was encouraging to hear an Israeli leader so optimistic about the peace process," Rohr said. (Harvard Crimson)
Nebraska: Kawar Impresses Audience with Foreign Policy Chutzpah by Aaron Bals
Karim Kawar, ambassador to the United States and Mexico from the Kingdom of Jordan, visited the Nebraska Union last week to speak about the challenges and opportunities facing his nation. Kawar said a peaceful solution to the Israeli and Palestinian conflict would reverberate throughout the region, noting that he was speaking on the 10th anniversary of Jordan's peace treaty with Israel. "The bright side is that this issue can be resolved," Kawar said. "If you ask the majority of Israelis and the majority of Palestinians, they agree with a two state solution." (Daily Nebraskan)
New Campus Group Gives Voice to "Progressive" Zionist Students by Rachel Pomerance
More than 100 students from some 40 college campuses held a founding conference two weeks ago, of a new movement, The Union of Progressive Zionists. Founded by left-wing Zionist groups such as Habonim Dror, Hashomer Hatzair, Labor Zionist Alliance and Meretz USA, the union aims to "support a two-state solution that ensures security and peace for both Palestinians and Israelis." Wayne Firestone, director of the Israel on Campus Coalition, an umbrella of 26 Jewish groups with campus programs, welcomed the new group, calling it a "clear alternative for Jewish leftist students to raise questions and promote constructive critical discussion about Israel." (JTA)
See also McGill: Jewish Group Tries to Redefine Zionism by Naomi Lightman (McGill Daily)
Toronto: Amos Oz Speaks by Daniel Roth
Amos Oz, an internationally acclaimed Israeli author and a leader in the Israeli peace movement spoke on "How to Cure a Fanatic: Bringing Peace to the Middle East." Oz compared Israelis and Palestinians to a couple ready to divorce. "It is a clash of right and right", he said, illustrating that both sides are equally correct in many of their arguments and that this is the source of the conflict. Oz's solution was simple. "Compromise is life," he said. (The Varsity)
Yeshiva: Malcolm Hoenlein Addresses First Israel Club Meeting by Eitan Kastner
Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, gave the keynote address at the first Israel Club meeting. Hoenlein spoke of the importance of all American Jews to vote in the upcoming elections; otherwise we cannot complain when the government goes contrary to our wishes. He concluded, "American Jews have to win the hearts and minds of America concerning Israel." The event closed with a brief presentation of the Israel Club's new program "Teach for Israel," which educates college students on Israeli issues, for the purpose of communicating them to high school students. (Commentator)
Columbia: New Film's Focus: Academic Freedom, Not Anti-Semitism by Elana Jaffe and Davida Brook, letter to editor
Every student has the fundamental right to express his or her opinion both in and outside of the classroom. An environment that scares students into silence instead of debate is an unhealthy environment in which to learn. We hope that as educated members of this community, you can see in the film, "Unbecoming Columbia," the obvious distinction between the specific topic that students addressed, Israel, and the intolerable problem of academic abuse. These students' stories are but symptoms of a larger disease. The authors are president and campus relations coordinator respectively of Lionpac. (Spectator)
Duke: Facing New Bias On Campus by Elissa Lerner
As a member of the first class of Write On For Israel, I thought I was ready for the challenges of campus life. I spent my last two years in high school learning how to present a clear and thoughtful defense of Israel, and how to counter the organized anti-Zionist disinformation. As a freshman at Duke, the campus hosting the recent PSM's annual conference, I was in the heart of the political storm. I understand far more clearly now that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is merely a sideshow to the persistent, if not quite resurgent phenomenon of campus anti-Semitism. (New York Jewish Week)
Georgetown: To Make Peace, We Must Move Beyond the Past by Salomon Kalach
I guess I, too, am a "refugee." I am a Mexican Jew of Syrian descent. My grandparents were kicked out of Syria, along with many Christians, in the early 1920s. Can I claim that I am a refugee? No. Not only would I find that insulting to the 135 million refugees that were created in the 20th century, but I would also not be able to claim that because it is inconsistent with international law. Refugee status is not passed from one generation to the next. Unless you are Palestinian. I propose we start thinking in terms of our interests instead of our "rights," to start thinking about solutions instead of being so concerned with rhetoric and public relations. The majority of Israelis are doing this already. It's about time the Palestinians do the same. (Hoya)
York: Concordia Should Have Allowed Former Israeli Prime Minister to Speak by Daniel Held
It is only in the university, the bastion of academic inquiry and freedom of speech, that one is able to encounter dissenting views in an open environment, to question and challenge and thereby to learn. When Concordia University gave in to pro-Palestinian pressure to ban Ehud Barak, the university forfeited its status as a place of free intellectual inquiry. More concerning, it fell prey to threats of violence and mob rule. Violence has no place on a university campus. (Excalibur)
Berkeley: Hadag Nachash Keeps It Real by Eitan Bencuya
Playing to a sold out house, with fans pouring into the aisles and spilling out the doors, the Israeli hip-hop group Hadag Nachash brought down the hizz-ouse. Their songs range from "Shalom, Salaam, Peace," a song hoping for peace in Israel, to "The Sticker Song," a rap made up solely of common bumper stickers found on cars in Israel. Sponsored on campus by the Israel Action Committee and the Jewish Student Union, some were concerned that their message wouldn't get through to non-Israelis. Yet even with no knowledge of the Hebrew language, the concert was undoubtedly enjoyed by all. (Daily Californian)
UCLA: Technology Lets Bruins See, Talk to Israelis by Lindsey Morgan
Panim el Panim, a Hebrew phrase meaning "face to face," is a program that features monthly videoconferences between UCLA students and students at the University of Tel Aviv in an effort to spark an interest in UCLA students about religion, politics and life in Israel. "It's an amazing forum to ask what's going on," said Daniela Karlin, a second-year Jewish studies student, who is heading up the program this year. UCLA students "ask questions...about culture, what the Israeli students like to study and what it's like to live in Israel in this age," Karlin said. "Likewise, the Israelis ask what it's like here in America. It's a forum for discussion and bonding and communications." (Daily Bruin)
Georgia: UGa, and Hebrew U Schedule Research Meetings
A new partnership between the University of Georgia and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to study the effects of terrorism on children kicks off this week at an international symposium on terrorism in Israel. Topics to be addressed include the effects of exposure to terrorism on children and the rights of victims of terror. Prominent experts on the effects of terrorism will summarize Israel's experience. (AP/Athens Banner-Herald)
Kent State: Concert Has Subliminal Message by Colette M. Jenkins
Sarit Ratzaby's challenge to tell students at Kent State that life in Israel is not chaotic may get a little easier. "Many of them only know what they see in the media, and the media portrays Israel as a place where people are afraid to live because of violence," said Ratzaby. "That is just not true. People are not afraid to go into the streets. We have culture." Ratzaby, an Israeli college graduate who came to the U.S. two months ago as an Israel program associate at Hillel Center at KSU, discovered that the Hadag Nachash, a nine-piece, Israeli hip-hop band was kicking off its first U.S. tour and she began working on a plan to make Kent one of its stops. (Beacon Journal)
Tufts: Danger in Embracing My Identity by Samantha Goldman
I had heard that anti-Israel sentiment runs rampant on certain campuses. In preparation for battle, I attended lectures, conferences, and programs that train high school students for "combat" when they arrive at college. I came to Tufts ready for the worst. But while I discovered that Tufts is a very positive environment for pro-Israel and Jewish students, it is not such an accepting environment for Yankee-supporting New Yorkers. I was not fortunate enough to be part of a Yankees activist training program as a high school senior. (Tufts Daily)
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 - Elections 2004: Down to the Wire | Why I Support George W. Bush
by Ed Koch
- For all the president has done to combat international terrorism, I believe he deserves the support of Jewish voters.
- I have never voted for a Republican candidate for president, but I am doing so in this election. My decision, made two years ago, was strengthened when I heard Lee Hamilton, vice chairman of the 9/11 Commission, commenting on its final report, say, "They want to kill us." Hamilton's reference was to the Islamic fanatics who dream of reestablishing the Caliphate with a single Islamic ruler.
- We are in a war of civilizations. According to the Bush Doctrine, "We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them."
- In the first speech on foreign affairs that Kerry delivered after he won the Democratic nomination he announced that he would appoint James Baker and Jimmy Carter as his envoys to the Middle East negotiations. Both of these men over the years have demonstrated their hostility to Israel.
- While I don't agree with George W. Bush on domestic issues, I am voting for him because of his determination to root out international terrorism. For me, that trumps all other issues. In our system of government, 41 Democratic US Senators have the power to block, through the threat of filibuster, any legislation, cabinet appointment, or nominee to the Supreme Court to which they object. My advice to all is to vote for Bush for president in order to safeguard the US and its allies from Islamic terrorists. Then vote for Democrats in the Congress to protect and promote the liberal domestic policy agenda that they, and I, support.
- The writer, an author, lawyer and talk radio host, was a member of the US Congress and, for 12 years, the 105th mayor of New York City. (Jerusalem Post)
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Why I Support John Kerry
by Steven L. Spiegel
- John Kerry has been accused falsely of many sins in this campaign, but none is more unfair than the notion that he is not a true friend of Israel. Before President George W. Bush even entered politics, Senator Kerry had already amassed a long history of defending Israel in the halls of the Capitol.
- During his first term in office Bush has no particular achievement on the Arab-Israeli front. Ironically, the president's Israel policy can best be described as one of disinterest. Bush looks deceptively good towards Israel because no one remembers any disputes, any ideas or any plans he tried to implement. However, there have been a series of critical missed opportunities - missed opportunities to end the violence, to pressure the Palestinian Authority to reform, and to improve Arab-Israeli relations.
- As a result, Israel has been left to its own devices. The Bush administration has done nothing practical to assist Prime Minister Ariel Sharon with his dramatic plan other than to pat him on the back.
- Iraq spinning out of control threatens Israel in ways that cannot be balanced simply by mere pats on the back from Bush.
- The Bush campaign is trying to scare voters into believing that Kerry would pressure Israel to make dangerous compromises. As his longstanding support for Israel suggests, Kerry would not only maintain the pro-Israel rhetoric of the Bush administration but he would match his words with deeds.
- With more than 1,000 of its people dead and its economy in unprecedented decline for most of his administration, can supporters of Israel really afford four more years of George W. Bush's "friendship?"
- The writer, a professor of political science at UCLA, is director of the Mideast Regional Security Program at the Burkle Center for International Relations. (Jerusalem Post)
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