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March 20, 2005
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New Holocaust Museum Opens in Jerusalem:
See Photo Gallery - Bearing Witness (Washington Post)
Visit the ICC Website
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 Jericho Transferred to Palestinian Authority Control by Amos Harel and Arnon Regular
Israel finally transferred security authority for Jericho to the Palestinian Authority on Wednesday, after a month of crisis-ridden negotiations. Following the handover, the IDF will no longer operate inside Jericho, and a checkpoint west of the city has been removed, enabling freedom of movement in the direction of Ramallah. The PA promised to unify its security forces in Jericho, so that the IDF will be able to liaise with a single representative. (Ha'aretz)
Palestinians Agree in Cairo to "Extend the Current Lull" by Arnon Regular
The Palestinian factions ended their internal talks in Cairo Thursday with a decision to continue the current lull in the fighting for an indefinite period. The participants also agreed to set up a "new PLO" by the end of the year, which would, for the first time, include the Islamic organizations Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Participants also discussed the possibility of having Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which are currently headquartered in Damascus, move their headquarters to Gaza following Israel's planned withdrawal this summer. (Ha'aretz)
IDF Chief of Staff: "Temporary Quiet" Won't Bring Peace by Ahiya Raved
IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Yaalon said Friday that until PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas disarmed Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the Israel-Palestinian conflict would not be over. "Don't get too excited by the temporary calm," he said, adding that terror groups were regrouping and rearming under cover of a temporary period of calm. (Ynet News)
New Egyptian Ambassador Arrives in Israel by Ali Waked
Egypt's new ambassador to Israel, Muhammed Assem Ibrahim, arrived in Tel Aviv Thursday. The former ambassador, Mohammed Bassiouni, was recalled to Cairo in late 2000 at the start of the intifada. Assem, 60, is a career diplomat who has held posts in Egyptian embassies in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Sudan. (Yediot Ahronot-Ynet)
University Students Returning to Israel by Tom Tugend
American student enrollment at Israeli universities is on the upswing, some U.S. institutions are mending broken ties, and others are initiating new contacts. Following the lead of the University of Toronto last year, the University of Wisconsin, University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown University, Washington University in St. Louis and Smith College have recently resumed their Israel programs. Michigan State and Indiana University have recently launched first-time programs in Israel. The improved security situation in Israel and warming relations with the Palestinian Authority are credited for much of the upswing, but major roadblocks remain. One obstacle regularly cited by American and Israeli university administrators is the U.S. State Department's continuing warning against travel to Israel. The Caravan for Democracy recently launched a campaign petitioning the State Department to reconsider the warning. (Jewish Journal of Los Angeles)
 Americans: What Pullout From Gaza? Israeli Sacrifices Going Unnoticed by Gary Rosenblatt
While Israeli society is deeply concerned about the prospect of a civil war over the government's planned pullout from Gaza and part of the West Bank this summer, nearly six in 10 Americans are unaware of the proposed disengagement. According to Stanley Greenberg, who conducted the survey in mid-February, "Israel is doing more" in terms of initiating efforts to promote a more peaceful climate with the Palestinians, "but people don't know it." Greenberg said it falls to American Jewish leaders to explain Israel's actions in a positive light, emphasizing the sacrifices being made for peace. (New York Jewish Week)
There Is No "Right" of Return by Amnon Rubinstein
Is the State of Israel allowed to act to maintain its Jewish majority and, if so, what measures can it legitimately employ for that purpose? Responsibility for putting the subject on the table rests primarily with the Palestinian leadership, which brought up the right of the descendants of refugees to return to Israel as a main item on the agenda. It is clear that their intention is to flood Israel so that its character (and name) disappear with the creation of an Arab majority in the country. Drowning the Jewish state in an Arab majority means there would be two states for one people, thereby denying the Jewish people its right to self-determination. (Jerusalem Post)
Bloomberg Denounces Campus Anti-Semitism by Hilary Leila Krieger and Tovah Lazaroff
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg denounced anti-Semitism at college campuses in America last week while in Jerusalem to commemorate the opening of Yad Vashem's new museum. "I'm very concerned that in a number of universities there does seem to be an anti-Semitism that's cropped up," he said at a press conference. "Intolerant behavior, whether it's anti-Semitism or anti-Muslim feelings or anything else, is just unconscionable, and if students are interested in being free for the rest of your life, you have an obligation to make sure there is no intolerance against any group." (Jerusalem Post)
See also Bloomberg Revels as Leader of U.S. Delegation to Holocaust Museum by Peter Enav (Newsday)
Columbia Rhetoric Rising by Liel Leibovitz
Two weeks before an ad hoc committee at Columbia University is scheduled to submit its findings regarding allegations of anti-Israel bias, Columbia students and faculty are stepping up their involvement in the controversy. A student debate on Columbia's otherwise polarized campus marked the first effort to strike a conversation between those supporting the accusations and those opposing them. (New York Jewish Week)
European Campuses Calmer by Yossi Lempkowicz
Diaspora Affairs Minister Natan Sharansky said he believes anti-Semitism is most prevalent in Europe, and it is affecting Jewish university students. He said countries like France, the U.K., Belgium and Sweden are the "stars" of anti-Semitism. "Things have calmed down in the last two years. We have few complaints from Jewish students," said Jonathan Brandeis, a student at Brussels' Free University and the head of the Belgian Union of Jewish Students. (Ynet News/EJP)
Guelph: Israel Week Celebrated
The Israeli Affairs Committee (IAC) at the University of Guelph put on its second-annual Israel Week - an apolitical celebration of all things Israel. A mock "Kotel" (Western Wall) was constructed and passers-by were invited to write messages of peace. Members of the IAC talked about diversity and democracy in Israel and the people's desire for peace. It is a long-standing tradition to paint the campus cannon in the middle of the night - exactly what members of the IAC did in order to advertise Israel Week. (Canadian Jewish News)
Hebrew University: Professor Sees Hope for Middle East Peace by James Dornbrook
Professor Eyal Ben-Ari has devoted his life to promoting peace in the Middle East, especially between Israel and Palestine. He said both sides are working hard to understand their differences and to continue to keep the lines of communication open. Ben-Ari is the director of the Harry S Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace in Jerusalem. He lectured during a recent visit to the Truman Presidential Museum and Library. He said the goal of his visit was to establish closer ties between his organization and the Truman Library. (Missouri Examiner)
Michigan Student Assembly Votes Against Divestment by Jeremy Davidson
Hundreds of anxious students and local community members filled an emotionally charged room last week, when the Michigan Student Assembly soundly defeated a proposal advocating the creation of a committee to examine University investments in companies that do business with Israel. The overwhelming margin against the resolution - 11 representatives voted in favor, while 25 voted no - came as a surprise to many MSA officials and observers, who had said in the lead up to the vote that they expected a close outcome. (Michigan Daily)
Queens: Israel at Heart Teaches Students About Unity by Desiree Dounel
"In Israel, I am treated more as an Israeli than as an Ethiopian," said Nevo Vandimo, who migrated to Israel with his family in 1987. "In the States, If you're a black man, you're just a black man." Ethiopian law students Aviva Cohen and Vandimo, along with lawyer Abaynesh Tessema, spoke with Queens College students as part of an Israel-to-U.S. tour in celebration of Black History Month. Einav Dahari, 27, a Jewish Agency Israel Fellow at Hillel organized the event through Israel at Heart. (The Knight News)
Technion: Israel Holds First Business Plan Writing Contest by David Hayoun
Technion - Israel Institute of Technology held a student competition for writing the best business plan. Yaron Barak, a medical student and one of the competition's organizers, said he got the idea from the US, where leading universities, such as Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of California - Berkeley, regularly hold such competitions. (Globes)
Tufts: Druze of Israel: A Conversation with Zeidan Atashi by Olivia Saucier
Mr. Atashi, a Druze Israeli, was the first non-Jewish member of the Knesset, as well as the first non-Jewish Israeli delegate to the U.N. In 1995, he published a book entitled Druze and Jews in Israel: A Shared Destiny? and has conducted extensive research on the Israeli media, especially its portrayal of Arabs and other minorities. "I have a conviction for future peace in the region," he said. "When Israel withdraws from Gaza and parts of the West Bank, [moves which are scheduled for this year], the Palestinians will hopefully gain confidence. This will open new opportunities for withdrawals, which will encourage more recognition." (Tufts Observer)
Tufts: Chorev Is a Musician with a Global Mission by Rebecca Dince
Matan Chorev, a dual-degree senior, is an accomplished cellist and a student of foreign policy. "I was really not interested in advocacy or advocating or arguing on the side of one party to the conflict," Chorev said. "My interest was actually in using the enormous resources here at the University to foster new thinking about these dilemmas." Chorev, who was born in Jerusalem but has been living in the Boston area since 1992, is the co-founder of the Middle Eastern Student Society (MESS) and is one of the founding members of the New Initiative for Middle East Peace (NIMEP), a student think tank and cultural advocacy initiative. (Tufts Daily)
Up By Their Bootstraps by Gabrielle Birkner
The Israeli nationals, studying in the United States and Europe, recently gathered over bagels and lox in New York. They are scholarship recipients of the International Sephardic Education Fund. Many of them are the first in their families to attend college. The organization, known as ISEF, assists poor but gifted Israelis with their tuition, and provides them with a support network as they pursue their studies. Without exception, the ISEF scholars said they feel an overwhelming responsibility to give back. (New York Jewish Week)
York: Dershowitz Lauds Pragmatic Solutions to Conflict by Michael Sitayeb
Alan Dershowitz, the outspoken author of The Case for Israel, gave a talk entitled "Two peoples, two states - ONE reality." He emphasized the need for pragmatism in solving the conflict in the Middle East and suggested that the desire of both parties to hold on to specific rights is a prescription for continued conflict. He made a point of highlighting problems in academic circles where a proliferation of extreme views exacerbates the conflict. He also senses that there is very little will to defend Israel on the academic scene, claiming not a single faculty member in over 50% of American universities would speak openly about their support for Israel. (Excalibur)
Illinois - Urbana-Champaign: Getting Tough with Syria by Elie Dvorin
I've seen my share of "End the Occupation" rallies. These rallies are characterized by a bearded sociopath standing on the Quad, ranting about Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories or the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Yet in all my days of rally observing, I've never once seen a call to end the Syrian occupation of Lebanon. Despite the fact that Lebanon has been occupied since 1976, most people had never heard of the Syrian presence until last month when Lebanon's former prime minister was assassinated. Syria is a serious impediment to peace in the Middle East, and fortunately, the Bush administration is starting to recognize that. (Daily Illini)
Brand Israel by Amy Klein
"The 'Israel-Palestine Conflict' is a no-win hasbara war," says businessman Jonathan Medved. He recommends appealing to Americans' self-interest, be it business, health or technology, and have them associate Israel with those concepts. At a meeting at Carnegie Mellon University on how to divest from Israel a student stood up and said, "Wait a minute. Do you mean I have to stop using my computer? My credit card? My voice mail? Forget it!" Israel is about so much more than the struggle. So a campus event addressing another subject - from Israel's venture-capital opportunities to Israeli films - might not alter perceptions, but it could inspire a second look. (Jewish Journal of Los Angeles)
McGill: Speak Out for Restraint by Gil Troy
We are not the new Jews of Silence. We have a stake in Israel's future. Sidestepping the disengagement question, humbly deferring to Israel's citizens to determine Israel's borders, we need to defend democracy, peaceful debate and the rule of law. We who support Israel, left and right, religious and secular, must champion Israel's democratic process, repudiating those who threaten violence. (New York Jewish Week)
Rapids Sign Israeli Defender Guy Melamed to Multi-Year Contract
The Colorado Rapids signed Israeli defender Guy Melamed to a multi-year contract. At the collegiate level, Melamed played four years with Boston College. He was named Team MVP three times while playing for the Eagles. Having captained the team in 2004, he was also one of the semifinalists for the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy, presented annually to the best college soccer player in the USA. (Major League Soccer)
Israel Makes Deserts Around the World Bloom by Allison Kaplan Sommer
It is often said that the state of Israel has made the desert bloom. Now, through an initiative called the International Arid Lands Consortium (IALC) Israeli expertise is helping make other deserts around the world bloom as well, enabling people of arid lands to improve the quality of their lives and future generations. The organization, based at the University of Arizona, is composed of a consortium of six universities in the United States, together with participants from states in the Middle East. Israel's representative in the consortium is the Jewish National Fund. (Israel21c)
Israeli Doctor-Clowns Help Tsunami Victims
A group of Israeli clowns are in Thailand to help children recover from the trauma of the Tsunami tidal waves. The clowns are part of the Dream Doctors group which works with children in Israel who are victims of cancer and terrorism. The clowns help the victims through laughter, said Nimrod Eisenberg, one of the clowns. The trip was coordinated with the Israeli embassy in Thailand and relief organizations. One of the clowns, Alex Gruber, said they overcame the language and cultural gap by improvising activities with the children. (Israel National News)
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 - Does Hizballah Have a Political Role in the Middle East? | Can Hizballah be Coaxed to Trade Terrorism for Politics? - Editorial
- Hizballah pioneered suicide bombings. It has networks of operatives on every continent. It wants Islamic rule in Lebanon and destruction of Israel.
- So why are U.S. officials, including President Bush, now talking about changing their view of Hizballah? The answer is that Hizballah is a key to peace and stability within Lebanon and perhaps more broadly in the Middle East.
- Last week, Hizballah's black-turbaned leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, showed the group's clout by marshalling hundreds of thousands of demonstrators in Beirut. Significantly, his supporters waved the innocuous Lebanese flag in place of the Hizballah banner with its Kalashnikov-brandishing fist.
- Making over Hizballah into purely a political party would provide a new model for other terrorist groups and would-be terrorists. It would strengthen democratic currents stirring up the dictatorial order of the region. Middle East dictators would lose their proxy armies.
- Not that this happy ending is anywhere in sight. Nasrallah is charismatic, but he's no Middle Eastern Nelson Mandela. His move was for self-preservation. If Syria withdraws from Lebanon, he loses his main protection. He will have to make Hizballah appeal to other Lebanese, maneuver in politics and extend its social services beyond poor Shiite Muslims.
- Still, his gambit can be exploited by the U.S., France and others working to stabilize Lebanon. Co-opting Hizballah - as Bush suggested this week is possible if it disarms and stops attacks on civilians - is a smart approach.
- On Wednesday, Nasrallah welcomed Bush's remarks, no doubt calculating that Hizballah can help push fundamentalist regimes to power in the Middle East in a democratic process. (USA Today)
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"Goodbye, Hizballah" by M. Zuhdi Jasser
- Today the Lebanese people are making a historic statement which should be clear to all. When the Syrian bullies are gone, they will not put up with the theocratic oppression of the Hizballah and their failure of an ideology.
- They will not accept Islamism and its unipolar view of the world from the myopic prism of political Islam.
- An Arab nation is being reborn and their majority from the outset appears to be making it clear that there will not be an opportunity for the Islamists of the Hizballah and Iran to fill in for the Allawites from Syria. As they give the Syrian Allawites their departing cheers of good riddance after 30 years of strangulation, today, we are hearing a, "good-bye, Hizballah."
- Fair democratic processes in a new Lebanon may continue to give Hizballah's minions a few seats at the parliamentary table. But at least in this new Lebanon it is appearing that the secular pluralistic moderates are not going to roll over to the fundamentalist militant Islamists like Hizballah.
- If this momentum continues, the days of influence of radical Islam as that seen in Hizballah are numbered. God bless the Lebanese pluralists for their courage, and may they be a stimulus for moderate secular pluralistic Arabs everywhere.
- For it is this strength that will in the end put the final nails in the coffin of radical Islam which feeds on fear, violence, and the perception of mass support which just isn't there.
- If the Lebanese can articulate and enact a secular free Arabic society based on pluralism and no single overriding religious doctrine, it may provide an example and a standard for the rest of the Middle East and even Iraq on its way to change. (Media Line)
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