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April 25, 2005
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Former Israeli President Ezer Weizman Dies
Former Israeli President Ezer Weizman, a flying ace and crack military commander who built up the nation's air force and helped bring about the Jewish state's first peace treaty with an Arab country, died, Israeli officials said Sunday. He was 80. Weizman was president in 1993-2000. In three decades in political life, he made a highly public transition from hawk to dove, saying the Jews had to learn to "share this part of the world" with the Arabs. (AP/USA Today)
Mofaz and Dahlan Discuss Security Issues by Margot Dudkevitch and Herb Keinon
In a late night meeting Thursday, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz (right) met with PA Civil Affairs Minister Muhammad Dahlan to discuss security issues. Both sides decided that joint security coordination teams will be established prior to the evacuation of settlements in Gaza, whose job it will be to thwart any terror attacks. "The idea is to prevent the evacuation from being carried out under fire," a security official said. (Jerusalem Post)
Israel Starts Pullout
The Israeli military began removing shipping containers from a base in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, the army's first concrete step toward a planned pullout this summer. (Oklahoma Daily)
Israel Deal Saves Ailing Egyptian Industry by William Wallis
Few Egyptians would have thought that economic salvation for one of their country's biggest job providers might lie in neighboring Israel. Last December's historic trade agreement with Egypt's erstwhile enemy appears to offer just that. The landmark trade deal allows Egyptian textiles and other products duty free access to US markets provided they include 11.7 per cent content from Israel. What protests there have been were in textile towns desperate to benefit from the deal but which are, for now, excluded. (Financial Times)
British Lecturers Condemned for Vote to Boycott Israeli Universities by Alexandra Blair
Britain's lecturers' union voted Friday to boycott two Israeli universities in protest over their alleged support for the Sharon Government's policies. After a heated debate a narrow majority of the 190 delegates at the Association of University Teachers (AUT) conference voted to cut all links with Haifa and Bar-Ilan universities. Universities UK, which represents vice-chancellors and principals, condemned the move as "inimical to academic freedom." (Times-UK)
See also Why Israel Will Always Be Vilified by David Aaronovitch
The object of those wanting peace and justice in the Middle East is to bring about an end to that occupation, and enable the establishment of a viable, contiguous Palestinian state. It is to build confidence between Jews and Palestinians, and to strengthen, always, the hand of the peacemakers. Unless, of course, you don't believe that Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state at all within any borders. And this, as it happens, seems to be the view of boycott's supporters. (Observer-UK)
 Israel, on Its Own, Is Shaping the Borders of the West Bank by Steven Erlanger
Israel under Mr. Sharon is unilaterally moving to define its future borders with a Palestinian state - with the scheduled withdrawal from Gaza and from four small settlements in the northern West Bank, with the "thickening" of settlements near Jerusalem and the Israeli border. The likely impact of the provisional new border on Palestinian life is, perhaps surprisingly, smaller than generally assumed, and it would leave about a quarter of Israeli settlers on the Palestinian side. (New York Times)
Crosses, Crescents and Stars - Editorial
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has member organizations from more than 180 countries, but not Israel. Excluding Israel is wrong, and it diminishes the Red Cross movement's moral standing. But there is a real chance that under heavy pressure from the American Red Cross, the policy will change in the near future. For the sake of the Red Cross as much as Israel, it should. (New York Times)
The Coming Pax Americana by Efraim Halevy
President Bush is relentlessly promoting the road map, which he views as an important instrument to execute his policy. At first, the process of Israeli-American negotiations seemed to create a convenient starting point for Israel and appeared to give Israel achievements in relation to the U.S. position regarding various aspects of the permanent solution. However, it makes negotiations between the sides superfluous. It makes the U.S. the exclusive arbiter in all issues of the conflict and in the future will make it impossible for Israel to exert pressure on the Palestinians in relation to subjects on which the Americans adopt the Palestinian position. (Ha'aretz)
Europe Blinded by Anti-Semitic Bigotry by Joseph Farah
Let me give you my perspective on the British boycott action -- the perspective of an Arab-American. Israel is not a colonial state. It is not a racist state. The Arabs who live in Israel are among the freest Arabs in the world. Every so-called "Palestinian" college has been created and funded by Israel. There were no Palestinian colleges or universities before 1967. And that is with good reason. Before 1967, there was no such thing as a Palestinian national identity. (Worldnet Daily)
Dartmouth: Israeli-Palestinian Debate Ignites Tension, Provokes Audience Response by Alex Lentz
Speakers representing Israel and Palestine clashed in a debate last week over the Middle East peace process. Henry Siegman, a senior fellow for the Council on Foreign Relations, made remarks from an Israeli standpoint. He blamed Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and top Israeli officials as well as the U.S. for their failure to support Abbas. Sari Nusseibeh, the president of Al'Qods University who spoke on behalf of the Palestinians, presented a more long-term solution that would culminate in the creation of a single state. The main point of disagreement revolved around the role of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas in the peace process. While Siegman highlighted the benefits of including Hamas in a cease-fire agreement, Nusseibeh disagreed, calling it a "great disaster." (Dartmouth)
Hillels in Israel Help Immigrant Students Learn More About Judaism with SOLY
Hillels in Israel are helping immigrant students feel at home in Israel through a new program called SOLY: Student Olim Learn Yahadut (Judaism). Designed by Rabbi Yossie Goldman, the associate vice president and director of Hillel in Israel, and SOLY Director Nachum Amsel, the initiative aims to teach immigrants (olim), many of whom grew up knowing little about their Jewish heritage, about Jewish life and learning. (Hillel)
Johns Hopkins: Rep. Frank Praises Israeli Democracy by Leah Bourne
U.S. Congressman Barney Frank, a Democratic representative from Massachusetts, spoke about his hopes for future resolution in the Middle East conflict, and about the U.S. involvement in brokering peace in the region. In a speech sponsored by the Coalition for Hopkins Activists for Israel and others, Frank began on a hopeful note as he stated that there is finally "a very real possibility of peace coming to the Middle East." (Newsletter)
Loyola New Orleans: Israeli Press Secretary Discusses Role of Media by Chuck Alexander
David Baker, senior foreign press coordinator for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, spoke to a small group of students, faculty and community members last week. Baker said he feels that the Israeli government, particularly under Sharon, is much more accessible than any other government in the world. Baker's job entails discussing Israeli policy with an estimated 400 reporters each day. (Maroon)
North Texas: Israeli Lecturer Dissects Terrorism by Tony Guiterrez
Ami Pedahzur told the story of a 29-year-old lawyer blowing himself up and killing a 4-month-old baby in the process. Pedahzur, a lecturer at the University of Haifa, used the story to open his lecture last week about suicide bombing. According to Pedahzur, organizational structures perpetrate 95 percent of all suicide attacks, and commitment to a cause or organization is a higher motivation than personal crisis. "Suicide terrorism is not about suicide," Pedahzur said. "It's about killing others." (North Texas Daily)
McMaster: Students Express Grievances Over SPHR Event by Frances Kraft
McMaster student Jacob Kocsis had never written a letter to a university administrator before, but a recent talk sponsored by the university's Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights club prompted him to do so. The April 7 talk was titled "Zionist Collaboration from the Nazis to the U.S.A. Imperialists Today." Judy Schwartz, director of the Jewish Students Association (JSA), said she believes the lecture was planned for "only one reason, to vilify Israel. Certainly it creates major anti-Semitism and unrest on campus." (Canadian Jewish News)
Purdue: Israeli College Students Discuss Misconceptions About Their Country by Crissanka Christadoss
Shimrit Kassa, Elad Horesh and Hila Kugler are ordinary Israeli college students. But unlike American college students, they served a mandatory few years in the Israeli military, the Israeli Defense Forces, before they had college careers. For two weeks Kassa, Horesh and Kugler came to America to share their experiences on an "Israel at Heart Mission." Kassa wears a gray hoodie, a colorful scarf, jeans and pointy black boots. Something about Kassa that usually surprises many American students is her skin color. She is an Ethiopian Jew. (Exponent)
Queens: Novel Look at Israel and its Many Voices
Muhammed is the most popular boys' name in Israel, but Americans might not know that, even if they are frequent readers and viewers of news reports from the Middle East. Donna Rosenthal included that factoid in her book, "The Israelis: Ordinary People in an Extraordinary Land," which she wrote, she says, to change the perceptions some people have about Israel. During a lecture to student members of the Queens College Hillel this month, Rosenthal revealed aspects of the Israeli culture that surprised even some Jewish-Americans. (New York Daily News)
Texas: A New Perspective on Israel by Ken Tran
Zev Golan, a man who hunted Nazi war criminals in the 1970s, shared stories of heroes and rogues who fought for the Israeli movement in its early days in a presentation organized by the UT student group Texans For Israel. "In today's world, there is no distinction between the innocent and the guilty, no difference between a target and an entire nation. Violence is indiscriminate," he said. "We must discriminate between murder and terrorism." (Daily Texan)
Virginia: Jacob Dallal Speaks about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict by Christine Herman
Dallal, spokesman for the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), spoke on the recent developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a lecture sponsored by Hoos for Israel. Offering interesting insight, Dallal pointed to the fact that both the U.S. and Israel are democracies that have witnessed direct and effective terrorist attacks in the last five years. He went on to describe the similarities and differences between Israeli and U.S. press. Emphasizing the incalculable power photographs and images add, Dallal said "visuals are huge." (Cavalier Daily)
Wisconsin-Madison: Officials Talk About Middle East Conflict by John Potratz
Two representatives from Brit Tzedek V'Shalom: Jewish Alliance for Justice & Peace spoke to University of Wisconsin students and Madison residents last week in support of possible solutions to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. In the fifth stop of a BTVS weeklong Midwest tour, director of the Washington Office of the American Task Force on Palestine Rafi Dajni and Daniel Levy, former negotiator and government advisor for Ariel Sharon, spoke on the potential of peace between the two states. (Badger Herald)
American: Palestinians Must Teach Children Peace by Gregg Roman
For peace to prevail the Palestinian Authority must begin to teach its children peace. The Palestinian Authority has been rejuvenated with a leadership that seems committed to resolving the bitter feuds that have plagued our peoples for so many years. However, for this commitment to be seen as a real pledge for peace, the government must begin dismantling its infrastructure of hate that under Yasser Arafat was so rigidly constructed. (The Eagle)
UC - Santa Barbara: Reform Should Lift Restrictions on Study in Israel by Adam Tartakovsky
Since the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP) in Israel was suspended in 2002, student attempts to study in Israel have been frustrated. But hopefully, this will soon be over. On April 7, the State Department's travel warning was finally relaxed. If the UC aims to be at the forefront of academic enrichment, why are we dragging our feet, soon to become one of the last universities in the world not to have a study abroad program in Israel? (Daily Nexus)
Drexel: Palestinians Must Espouse Mindset of Peace, Not Terror by Lauren Krol
Years of indoctrinating children to hate others, instructing children toward violence, and exploiting children into war has created a generation that has been brainwashed to act as a veto against any real peace. This state-sponsored, systemic indoctrination continues today and children continue to be exploited and abused into violence. The world must demand an end to the exploitation and abuse of Palestinian children. (Triangle)
Duke: Harvard Professor Criticizes Top Scholars by Andrew Gerst and Emily Rotberg
The biggest obstacles on the road to peace in Israel, Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz said last week, do not reside in refugee camps, Israel Defense Forces outposts or Jewish settlements - but in elite university academic departments. "Anti-Semitism from the far right is largely a thing of the past," said Dershowitz, who is also the author of The Case for Israel. "But anti-Semitism from the far left is becoming a very, very, very serious thing." (Chronicle)
GW: Remember the Facts by Sarah Fink
Terming the event of Deir Yassin as "ethnic cleansing" and purporting that "over 100 of its inhabitants...were systematically murdered" is a blatant fabrication and proves Fadi Kiblawi misunderstands what occurred. The only reason Deir Yassin has received so much attention is because of how out of character it is for Israelis. Peace is not possible by distorting reality, which breeds cultures of violent terrorism. (Hatchet, Letter to the Editor)
See also GW: Know the Difference by Annie Weisberg
On April 3, the film "Jenin Jenin" was shown on campus. The film, made by Muhammad Bakri, is a supposed factual documentation of Israel's incursion into Jenin in April 2002, but in reality is fictitious propaganda largely financed by the Palestinian Authority. Even the director admitted that he intentionally falsified scenes. Films like this one do not advocate peace and tolerance but rather promote hatred and violence through lies and misrepresentations. (Hatchet, Letter to the Editor)
GW: Shifting Attitudes on Israel by Kyle Spector
While the Student Alliance for Israel put on their annual "Israel Day" on campus, one law student stood on the side holding a sign that read "Israel Day: Celebrate the theft of Arab culture and land." Students refrained from engaging the protester and continued to go about their celebration. Two Egyptian Muslim girls were offended by the sign and what it stood for. One of the girls told me that she would not classify herself as pro-Israel, but rather as pro-peace. Arguments over the past serve no purpose in stopping the bloodshed of the present and future. (Hatchet)
Academic Boycott Hot Topic in UK by Talya Halkin
Several Israeli academics and intellectuals already expressed their views about the boycott in a recent Jerusalem Post article on the boycott proposal. Among them were Dr. Miriam Shlesinger of Bar-Ilan University, who was fired three years ago from her position on the editorial board of a British academic review because she was Israeli; Professor Yossi Klafter, chairman of the board of Israel's Science Fund; and the writer A.B. Yehoshua. (Jerusalem Post)
The Sins of the Few by Etgar Keret
Those who propose an academic boycott of Israel make frequent reference to the boycott of South African universities - a "precedent" that is utterly different; South African universities were themselves active participants in promoting racist policies, whereas Israeli institutions of higher learning are in fact one of the few remaining bastions of the liberal left. (Guardian)
Cornell: 'Bridging the Rift' Project Starts Computer Science Research by Laura Harder
The Bridging the Rift (BTR) Project, a scientific research facility bridging the Israel-Jordan border, has experienced its ups and downs since the project's groundbreaking event, which marked approval of the project by both governments, in March 2004. One focus of the project is to enhance relationships between Israel and Jordan. Prof. Ron Elber, computer science, described it as "trying to use the bridge of science, a language universally understood, to bridge human relationships." (Daily Sun)
Duke: Mechina Provides New View by Jon Schnaars
Mechina, a documentary by senior Maital Guttman (pictured), shot primarily over the summer of 2004 tells the story of six youths: Amitai, Ayelet, Vered, Yoav, Benji and Shaked. These six Israeli high school graduates deferred their mandatory military service for one year as part of a new program that incorporates work, study and volunteerism. The goal of this mechina, or preparation, is to focus on readying themselves for the service and reflecting on what that duty means. (Chronicle)
North Carolina: Violinist to Bring Strings to Hip-Hop by Ayofemi Hunter-Kirby
Few musicians trained to play the notes of classical legends like Isaac Stern and Ludwig Strauss have successfully made the transition from the stately halls of strings to the beat-filled streets of hip-hop. Miri Ben-Ari, a hip-hop violinist and an Apollo Legend has done just that. Ben-Ari grew up in a small town outside of Tel-Aviv, Israel, where she began to play the violin. (Daily Tar Heel)
Israelis Introduce Touch-Typing to Arab World by David Brinn
Most people take touch-typing on their keyboards for granted. But for Arabic-speaking students, a differently configured keyboard with Arabic characters has meant that traditional methods to teach touch-typing weren't applicable. This has all changed since Israeli company Sight & Sound developed the world's first touch-typing course in Arabic. They've successfully tested the course in a pilot program in Israeli Arab schools and hope to market it soon to the rest of the Arab world. (Israel21c)
Israel Could Kick Its Way into Soccer History by Andrew Giemark
Two weeks ago in Tel Aviv, in a World Cup Qualifying match, the Israeli national team tied France, 1-1. On the surface, that achievement on its own is notable. France is ranked second in the soccer world. Israel's world rank has varied between 50 and 70 for the last year and a half. The draw meant Israel and France are even atop the standings of their qualifying group after six matches apiece, with each nation having four matches left to play between now and October. The group winner will directly qualify for the 2006 World Cup. (Israel21c)
Israeli Helps Tsunami-Stricken Fishing Village Get Back to Work by Harry Rubenstein
Israeli Talia Friedland (pictured) has made a huge difference in the lives of the residents of an Indian fishing village that was devastated by December's tsunami. Most of the 60 families in the village lost their fishing boats and all their equipment, leaving them without a way to make a living. Friedland - who was backpacking through the village at the time - rose into action. She spearheaded efforts to raise $12,000 which has purchased three fiberglass fishing boats for the village and other vital supplies. (Israel21c)
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 - Can Israeli Settlers Remain in Gaza after the Withdrawal? | Too Dangerous? by Yossi Alpher
- First, despite years of peace between Israel and two neighboring Arab countries, open invitations to return by Moroccan and Libyan leaders, and a two thousand year tradition of Jewish life in Egypt, no Israeli Jews have opted to try to live permanently in Egypt, Jordan, or any other Arab country. In other words, there is no precedent for Israelis to live in Palestine.
- But, secondly, Palestine is not just another Arab country; it is, for Jews, part of the historic Land of Israel. If Jews are going to reestablish permanent residence anywhere in the Arab world, Palestine is indeed the most logical choice. If a few settlers from the northern Gaza Strip are interested in trying, and declare themselves ready to live under Palestinian law with all the consequences that entails, why should they be forcibly removed from their homes by the government of Israel?
- The obvious reason is physical security: the settlers' lives will be in danger. They may at some point have to be rescued, their blood may be spilled or they may spill Palestinian blood, and the ensuing security and political complications could be costly. So there is a risk involved, not merely at the personal level but at the national level.
- If settlers could remain behind as residents of Palestine, a new and far more flexible model could emerge for drawing borders and swapping land. Hebron/Kiryat Arba, for example, could conceivably maintain its Jewish settler population without being annexed to Israel.
- Settlers living on land intended for the Palestinian state could contemplate a third option--remaining in place--in addition to the options of fighting the Israeli government tooth and nail or accepting compensation and relocating. The entire process could be less traumatic, hence more acceptable to larger numbers of Israelis.
- Having participated in serious discussions of the issues involved, and in view of the challenges and dangers they would face, I personally am skeptical regarding the staying power of any settlers who choose to remain. (Bitterlemons)
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It's in the Palestinians' Interest by Avi Farhan
- I was expelled from Tripoli, Libya with my family at age three. I grew up in an Israeli refugee camp near Tel Aviv. I was one of the first settlers of Yamit, in Sinai, in 1975, and the last to leave in 1982. I've been a refugee twice already. I don't want to again be an exile in my land.
- In a meeting with Mohammed Dahlan four or five years ago, I told him that we're not afraid of the Arabs, we understand their mentality and can be a real bridge to peace. We can build a Garden of Eden together, a riviera from Ashkelon down to Sinai.
- I lived with Arabs in Yamit, where I was Israel Ministry of Agriculture representative in el Arish. I've served in the IDF military government. In Alei Sinai I was part of a fishing cooperative in which Gazans held 75 percent.
- If Member of Knesset Ahmed Tibi's family can live in Taibeh [an Arab town in Israel] and Tibi can serve in the Knesset and be Arafat's advisor, there is no reason why Avi Farhan can't stay in peace in Alei Sinai, be a Palestinian citizen and perhaps be an advisor to Ariel Sharon.
- I suggest to the Palestinians that they see the positive aspect of this idea. From their standpoint, even if I live in Jaffa or work at Tel Aviv University I'm on Palestinian land, while for my part I can raise ownership demands on lands back in Libya and Yemen and Egypt and we'll all continue to wallow in the mud.
- As for the pragmatic issues such as ownership, we'll solve them when we get to them. The new Palestinian leadership, which looks to the West, would be shooting itself in the foot if it didn't recognize its interest in guaranteeing my security.
- We all have to "reprogram" ourselves. This is a test for the Palestinians. With all the pain and the risk, I'm prepared to be the guinea pig. If they fail, they will fail the test of the democratic world that is trying to pull them into the 21st century. It's in their interest more than mine. Avi Farhan lives in Alei Sinai, northern Gaza Strip. (Bitterlemons)
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