AJC News Update

Update 202  |  April 5, 2006 Click to Register Online Centennial Annual Meeting - 27 Days to Go President Bush is expected to address the May 4 gala dinner celebrating AJC's Centennial. It will be the second time the president has addressed an AJC Annual Dinner. Other world leaders confirmed for the Washington event are UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The week-long Annual Meeting will be full of dynamic speakers and substantive sessions covering AJC's agenda that will engage members and guests from around the world. Haven't registered yet? There still is room for you to join more than 1,000 AJC members and Jewish leaders from around the world who have already registered. Click for more information. Iran Ad Campaign: A Nuclear Iran Threatens All AJC ads in major American and international newspapers are sounding the alarm about the prospect of a nuclear Iran. The ads are appearing this week in the New York Times, Financial Times, International Herald Tribune, New York Sun, and Forward. With a dynamic graphic of a map that clearly illustrates the threat Iran poses, the ads ask two questions — Can anyone within range of Iran's missiles feel safe? Suppose Iran one day gives nuclear devices to terrorists. Could anyone anywhere feel safe? Help us press the international community to stop this imminent threat. See our ad. Go to AJC Advocacy Center to take action now. Study Probes Why Non-Jewish Spouses Convert AJC has released a major new report on conversion, Choosing Jewish: Conversations about Conversion, by Brandeis University Professor Sylvia Barack Fishman. The pioneering study, based on dozens of interviews with Jewish and non-Jewish men and women involved in mixed marriages, provides for the first time insights into why conversions to Judaism take place and their impact on the community. The report is an important contribution to the discussion, as Jewish communal leaders have long held that the conversion of a non-Jewish spouse in a mixed-marriage is a priority to assure the vitality and future of the Jewish community. Dr. Fishman will be a speaker at the Annual Meeting next month in Washington. Copies can be ordered from larsond@ajc.org. AJC Radio Message: America and Israel, United by Common Values A new national poll by Quinnipiac University that reaffirms the special relationship between Americans and Israel is the subject of this week's national radio commentary by David Harris. Israel came in third, after England and Canada, in a question about which countries Americans consider their best friends. "Israel's strong showing underscores the unique ties between two nations united by common values," says Harris. Click to listen. Project Interchange Brings Hispanic Leaders to Israel A group of Hispanic leaders from the U.S. is visiting Israel as part of a Project Interchange educational seminar. Assembled in cooperation with the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the mission includes representatives of NCLR, the Cuban American National Council, the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute, the National Hispana Leadership Institute, the Dominican American National Roundtable, and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. The PI trip is the latest initiative of AJC's Latin American and Latino Institute. The institute's director, Dina Siegel Vann, is staffing the trip. Darfur: Long Island Chapter AJC's Long Island Chapter, in cooperation with Congressman Steve Israel, hosted a day-long program on Darfur at Suffolk Community College. Featured speakers included Congressman Steve Israel; Stanley Bergman, chair of AJC's Africa Institute; Allison Cohen of AJC's Jacob Blaustein Institute; Rev. Calvin Butts of the Abyssinian Baptist Church of Harlem; and Suliman Giddo, a Darfur survivor and founder of the Darfur Peace and Development Organization. More than 500 people attended the panel discussion and engaged in discussions on what action needs to be taken to stop the genocide. Sudan: Stop the Atrocities Felice Gaer, director of AJC's Jacob Blaustein Institute, who also serves as vice chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, joined with Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Frank Wolfe (R-VA), and Donald Payne (D-NJ), for the launch of a new report on Sudan. At a Capitol Hill press conference, they examined problems in implementing the historic peace treaty ending the 21-year north-south conflict in Sudan, along with concerns over similar patterns of abusive action in the Darfur region. Roman Catholic Bishop Ricardo Ramirez of New Mexico and Michael Cromartie of the Ethics and Public Policy Center also participated. France Honors Los Angeles Chapter Director Rabbi Gary Greenebaum, director of AJC's Los Angeles Chapter, was honored by the French government with one of the highest presidential awards, the Insignia of Officer of the French National Order of Merit. Ambassador Jean David Levitte, France's ambassador to the U.S., presented the award at a dinner in Los Angeles. Greenebaum was honored for the role he has played in cultivating close relations with the French Consulate. "The relationship between AJC and the French Consulate here in Los Angeles has deepened and ripened over the last 16 years," said Greenebaum. "This relationship mirrors the relationship between AJC and France through our New York and Washington offices, as well as in Paris." Israel Embassy Distributes AJC Publication Shimon Stein, Israel's ambassador to Germany, has ordered an additional 1,500 copies of the recently updated German-language edition of The Arab-Israeli Conflict: A Brief Guide for the Perplexed to distribute it widely to officials and other German influentials. The embassy had previously disseminated several thousand copies of the booklet when it was first published a few years ago. One of the most demanded AJC publications for pro-Israel advocacy, the Guide by David Harris also is available in English, French, Russian and Spanish. Westchester Jewish Film Festival AJC's Westchester Chapter sponsored its fifth annual festival of Jewish film in cooperation with the Jacob Burns Film Center. This year's 31 films from around the world celebrate the diversity of Jewish experience through a wide range of voices, images, and points of view. Several of the films were followed by discussion programs with AJC staff, including Rabbi Andrew Baker, AJC's director of international Jewish affairs, who discussed Belzec, and David Harris, who discussed Five Days, a film about the disengagement from Gaza. ACCESS Diplomatic Event AJC's program for young professionals in their 20s and 30s, ACCESS: AJC's New Generation, hosted its first diplomatic event. More than 80 diplomats and young Jewish leaders attended the cocktail party at a New York art gallery, and viewed the exhibit on art with Middle Eastern roots. The event served as a catalyst for ACCESS members to develop relations with younger members of the diplomatic community based in New York, part of AJC's diplomatic outreach efforts. AJC Campus Programs AJC's Cornell Society hosted a screening of the film Walk on Water and a discussion with German Consul Carsten Ruepke and Eugene DuBow, founding director of AJC's Berlin Office. The Cornell Society is in one of two recently-launched AJC initiatives on university campuses aimed at engaging college students in the advocacy work of AJC. The other society is located at Princeton, where its members met with members of AJC's Board of Governors and New Jersey Chapter (Princeton) to discuss past priorities and future visions of the Jewish community. Berkshire Institute for AJC Leaders AJC will host its first summer institute for lay leaders on Israel. The AJC Israel Institute at Brandeis in the Berkshires is designed to deepen understanding of Israel as a vibrant Jewish state and modern democracy. Participants will be exposed to a diversity of opinions and expertise presented by noted scholars under the leadership of Dr. S. Ilan Troen, Stoll Family Chair in Israel Studies at Brandeis University and director or the Brandeis Summer Institute, and by Dr. Steven Bayme, director of AJC's Contemporary Jewish Life Department and Koppelman Institute on American Jewish-Israeli Relations. For more information, contact Steve at baymes@ajc.org. German Broadcast Media Visit AJC A delegation of German television and radio journalists visited AJC headquarters. The visit was part of a regular program where representatives of German electronic and print media come to AJC twice a year, as part of a larger visit to the U.S. Relations with German media are part of a broad network of ties with Germany. Immigration Reform AJC welcomed the Senate Judiciary Committee's passage of comprehensive immigration reform legislation. "While this initiative is still a work-in-progress, it strikes the right note in striving for the appropriate balance of enhancing our national security while protecting those who are most vulnerable in society," said Richard Foltin, AJC's legislative director. The bill seeks to replace the existing system by regulating immigration in a more efficient, safe, and legal manner. Click for news release. AJC Experts Recall Yeshiva College Steven Bayme, AJC's director of Contemporary Jewish Life, and Lawrence Grossman, editor of the American Jewish Year Book, both published essays in My Yeshiva College: 75 Years of Memories, a new volume on the history of Yeshiva University, co-edited by AJC Senior Fellow Zev Nagel. Obituary: Irma Krents AJC is saddened by the passing of Irma Krents, who was AJC's Oral History Library Coordinator from 1977 until her retirement in 1984. She took over this position when her husband, Milton Krents, retired in 1977 after 40 years with AJC. All who knew Irma will miss her. Irma is survived by two children, Elisabeth Krents and Larry Krents, and their families. In the Media Dow Jones news service reported that Iran has reacted with anger after seeing the AJC full-page ad in the Financial Times focused on the threat a nuclear Iran would pose to any nation within range of Iranian missiles. BBC Radio interviewed Deidre Berger, director of AJC's Berlin Office, about the AJC ad on Iran in the Financial Times. The JTA ran a long feature on AJC celebrating our record of global diplomacy as we mark the centennial. The article, 100 Years of Global Diplomacy, reported on the Board visits to Israel, Germany and Tunisia last month. The New York Jewish Week quoted David Harris and Eran Lerman, director of AJC's Jerusalem office, on the Israeli elections. The Associated Press quoted Rabbi David Rosen on Pope Benedict XVI reaching out to Jews. The Washington Post quoted Laurie Wexler, director of AJC's Project Interchange, regarding a planned seminar for congressional staff. The Forward and the New York Jewish Week quoted Richard Foltin, AJC's legislative director, on the immigration reform bill. The Rocky Mountain News published a letter by Denver Chapter Director Gale Kahn and President Stephen Weinstein, on the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem's anti-Jewish statements. The JUF News reported on a talk to the Chicago Chapter board by Project Interchange participants Juan Ochoa and Gloria Castillo. Also highlighted in paper was the visit of Romanian Prince Radu to the Chapter. Please contact Kenneth Bandler, AJC's Director of Communications, at bandlerk@ajc.org with any questions or comments. © 2006 American Jewish Committee

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FIRE News: Speech Code Falls at Appalachian State University

Dear Mr. Levy: Today, FIRE adds Appalachian State University to the long list of institutions at which it has toppled speech codes. Following FIRE and the John William Pope Center for Higher Education Policy’s landmark Report on the State of the First Amendment in the University of North Carolina System, and at the behest of student activists, App State recently repealed its most egregious speech code. We are gratified by this victory and look forward to further advancing the cause of liberty in the UNC System. FIRE’s full press release on this case appears below, but if your e-mail client does not support HTML, you can view a link-rich version at http://www.thefire.org/index.php/article/6947.html. Sincerely, Greg Lukianoff, President Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) 601 Walnut Street, Suite 510 Philadelphia, PA 19106 Phone: 215-717-3473; Fax: 215-717-3440 ------------------------  Speech Code Falls at Appalachian State University   BOONE, N.C., April 5, 2006—With the assistance of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), student activists at Appalachian State University (App State) have brought down an unconstitutional speech code. This welcome development was a direct result of a recent report by FIRE and the John William Pope Center for Higher Education Policy, as well as the efforts of the App State ACLU.   “Our Report on the State of the First Amendment in the University of North Carolina System showed that universities like App State have a lot of work to do,” said FIRE President Greg Lukianoff. “But every student at App State is better off now that the administration there has repealed this speech code.”   FIRE and the Pope Center unveiled their Report on the State of the First Amendment in the University of North Carolina System in January. The Report documented that while “the universities in the UNC System are legally bound to uphold the First Amendment rights of their students and faculty,” they “are failing miserably.” As it demonstrated, “13 out of the 16 schools in the UNC System have at least one policy that both clearly and substantially restricts freedom of speech.”   One of these codes was the harassment policy enacted by App State’s Department of Housing and Residence Life. As FIRE’s press release on the Report noted, that policy banned “insults, taunts, or challenges directed toward another person.” Upon reading about this policy in the Report, Paul Funderburk, a graduate student and the president of App State’s ACLU chapter, urged administrators to repeal the policy. As he put it, “The free exchange of ideas is the foremost prerequisite of a democratic society.”   On March 22, App State administrators made FIRE aware that the policy had indeed been repealed and removed from the university’s website. App State’s entry on FIRE’s Spotlight: The Campus Freedom Resource has been updated accordingly, although the university still receives a “red light” rating due to other troubling speech codes.   “We are very pleased that FIRE has taken the time to evaluate the state of the First Amendment in the UNC System,” Funderburk commented. “Without FIRE’s assistance, this affront to free expression would have gone unnoticed. FIRE provides a tremendously valuable service to all college students.”   “App State’s policies are not perfect, but the university has taken a tremendous step forward,” FIRE’s Lukianoff stated. “The speech code that was just repealed was definitely the worst offender among its policies. We look forward to seeing App State—and the entire UNC System—take even more steps to guarantee students’ precious rights.”   FIRE is a nonprofit educational foundation that unites civil rights and civil liberties leaders, scholars, journalists, and public intellectuals from across the political and ideological spectrum on behalf of individual rights, due process, freedom of expression, academic freedom, and rights of conscience at our nation’s colleges and universities. FIRE’s efforts to preserve liberty on campuses across North Carolina can be viewed at thefire.org/nc.   CONTACT:                                                 Greg Lukianoff, President, FIRE: 215-717-3473; greg_lukianoff@thefire.org Paul Funderburk, President, ACLU of Appalachian State University: 828-773-5222; paulfunderburk@hotmail.com       FIRE's work is made possible by the generosity of our individual supporters. Please click here to make your tax-deductible contribution.

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David Harris on the Radio

America and Israel, United by Common Values David A. Harris Executive Director, American Jewish Committee Week of April 4, 2006 David Harris delivers regular radio commentaries on the CBS radio network, which can be heard nationally just before the Osgood File on more than 400 stations. All of the commentaries are available at www.ajc.org. Click here to listen to this week's commentary. The following is the full text of this week's commentary: Which countries do Americans feel most warmly about? Which countries are considered America's best friends? A new national poll by Quinnipiac University gives the answers. Israel ranks third, after England and Canada. Israel's strong showing underscores the unique ties between two nations united by common values. Both countries were founded by pioneers of courage, faith and vision. Both countries have been enriched by immigrants from around the world who've brought vitality and spirit to their new homes. Both countries are vibrant democracies. Both countries contribute disproportionately to the advancement of science, medicine, and technology. Both countries respect and protect religious freedom for all. And both countries understand the threat to global peace posed by Iran's quest for nuclear weapons and terrorist groups like Hamas and Al-Qaeda. They understand the need to face these threats squarely and with resolve. America and Israel. A special relationship. Visit us at ajc.org. This is David Harris of the American Jewish Committee.

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AJC Iran Ad Campaign

A Nuclear Iran Threatens All The link to the AJC ad provided in an email earlier this evening was incorrect. Click to view the ad that will appear in the New York Times on April 4, Financial Times on April 5, International Herald Tribune on April 6, New York Sun on April 6, and Forward on April 7. In the ads, AJC is asking two questions – Can anyone within range of Iran’s missiles feel safe? Suppose Iran one day gives nuclear devices to terrorists. Could anyone anywhere feel safe? Now you can help press the international community to stop this imminent threat. Visit the AJC Advocacy Center and take action now.

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A Nuclear Iran Threatens All

A Nuclear Iran Threatens All AJC is running this week full-page ads in major newspapers to sound the alarm that a nuclear Iran would threaten any country within 2,500 miles and beyond. The ads will appear in the New York Times on April 4, Financial Times on April 5, International Herald Tribune on April 6, New York Sun on April 6, and Forward on April 7. In the ads, AJC is asking two questions – Can anyone within range of Iran’s missiles feel safe? Suppose Iran one day gives nuclear devices to terrorists. Could anyone anywhere feel safe? Now you can help press the international community to stop this imminent threat. Visit the AJC Advocacy Center and take action now. Also view the ad .

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AJC Mideast Briefing

Two Men, Two Agendas- And a Bad Way of Putting Together a Government A Weekly Briefing on Israeli and Middle Eastern Affairs April 3, 2006 Dr. Eran Lerman Director Israel/Middle East Office The spin is mightier than the sword, goes the postmodern saying; and never more so than during this bizarre political period in Israel: On the one hand, a party that was not even in existence five months ago—namely, Ehud Olmert's (and formerly Ariel Sharon's) Kadima—gained more Knesset seats, 29, than any other, but is nevertheless being "spun" as having "lost it," or at least to as being bitterly disappointed, because its much higher hopes did not come through. On the other hand, the Labor Party, led by Amir Peretz, ended up with 19 seats, three fewer than it had in the previous Knesset—or, to be precise, than Labor had jointly with Peretz's small faction, the trade union party named "Am Ehad," which reunited with its mother party, and in effect, took over. Still, the media is full of stories about Labor's "victory," and Peretz apparently began to feel equally entitled to try to put together a "social emergency" government, perhaps even with the far right as his coalition partners. Or did he? The latest spin is that this, too, was a spin—an attempt to inform Olmert that the Labor Party should not be taken for granted, and that Olmert's curt dismissal of the prospect of Peretz taking the Finance portfolio was a mistake. Olmert was apparently eager to calm the financial markets, who fear the rise of a "tax and spend" coalition government, undoing the painful but successful reforms enacted by Binyamin Netanyahu; but the manner in which the word was put out angered Peretz, a seasoned and tough negotiator, and sent him "spinning" in the opposite direction. Theoretically, he could indeed put together a coalition without Kadima—if (a big if) he and his party were willing to swallow a strange partnership, which would include: The religious right, the ultra-Orthodox parties—i.e., United Torah Judaism (6 seats), which would settle for yeshiva budgets and "synagogue and state" issues, such as restrictions on the non-Orthodox denominations; and Shas (12 seats), which has a socioeconomic agenda as well, and like Peretz himself, claims to speak for the downtrodden Sephardi poor. The political (i.e., nationalist) right wing, namely Likud (presumably after they ditch the much-maligned Netanyahu) with 12 seats, and the National Union- National Religious Party list, with 9: The cost here would be the agreed-upon abandonment of all hopes for progress on the Palestinian front (arguing that Hamas would be in power anyway) and focusing instead on the "social emergency," the redistribution of wealth, and by definition, on blocking Olmert's version of further unilateral withdrawals, the so-called "Convergence Plan." Finally, the Pensioners Party, with its astounding 7 seats (some coming from frustrated young Israelis who found an elegant way to protest) would presumably bring this strange crew to 65 seats. It did not take long for all this fervent math to dissipate. The Pensioners told President Moshe Katzav that they would support Olmert; and, indeed, their party is very much a centrist element, like Kadima (with the added, and largely legitimate, concern over the level of Social Security support for the elderly and often destitute sector of society). Shas read through Peretz's tactics and was wary of lending itself to a power game—and then being cast aside. Moreover, Olmert had already promised them no less than four portfolios if they join him at an early stage. Add the UTJ, and then Avigdor Lieberman's 11 seats (unlike the National Union/NRP, he is in favor of partition—albeit on terms that many Arabs would find offensive), and Olmert could theoretically counter with a 65-seat coalition of his own, without the right and without the Zionist left or the Arab parties. Both exclusionary scenarios are clearly suboptimal. Most Israelis would like to see a stable and largely like-minded block comprised of Kadima, Labor, the Pensioners, and Meretz (to the left of Labor), which already have 60 seats between them; along with Shas (or Lieberman, who would be less disruptive in terms of the present economic policy) added for balance on the right, but not in a position to dictate terms. Sadly, the rough jockeying for position in advance of negotiations seems to have put these hopes on hold. But there was more to this mini-crisis than a clash of personalities. What led Olmert and Peretz onto a collision course was also the real difference in their underlying agendas. For Olmert, the grand project of national security (and identity)— the drawing of Israel's future borders—is the overriding issue; and as a strong proponent of Israel's economic growth strategy, he also seeks to limit the scope of the modifications in fiscal policy that would be imposed on his government (and might endanger Israel's standing in the global economy). Meanwhile, Peretz felt vindicated in his claim that the election results, including the rise of Shas and the Pensioners, bespeak a wish on the part of the Israeli public at large to cast aside the hopeless questions of the Arab-Israeli conflict and turn to matters of everyday life—the economy (stupid!), national cohesion, and religious identity—and to undo the divisive effects, not only of the Disengagement last summer, but also of the harsh measures taken to reduce government subsidies and child allowances. This "social agenda" is what seemed, for a moment, to legitimize Peretz's bid for power. Reactions came fast and furious, and as these lines are being written the Labor Party is busy walking away from the wreckage—and claiming that the decision of the National Union/NRP, to recommend to the president that Peretz be the one assigned to put together a government, was entirely of their own volition and not some shoddy Labor trick. At the end of the day, we can expect Peretz to agree to meet Olmert (which he initially refused to do!) and for serious negotiations to start soon. What we have learned, in any case, is that this type of terribly fragmented politics is a poor way of putting together a government: Yet a Knesset in which the three major parties-Kadima, Labor, and Likud—comprise precisely half the house is not likely to agree to constitutional changes that would consolidate the political map and undo the smaller parties. In other words, this is going to be a long and troubled month, and it is not quite certain that there will be a functional coalition in sight by early May—and even beyond that, the stability of any government formed is going to be much in doubt. We must also bear in mind that, at any point, this wrangling over agendas could be undone by a rude awakening. It could be a Katyusha, no longer just a "mere" Qassam, falling on an Ashkelon schoolyard or a sensitive strategic facility, such as the world's largest desalinization plant. (One such rocket with a 21-kilometer range was already launched toward Ashkelon on Election Day, but did no damage.) It could be another successful terror attack, like the one that this week took the lives of four—a couple, Rafi and Helena Halevy, and two young people who rode with them, blown up and incinerated when a suicide bomber, dressed as a yeshiva student, detonated within their car, murdering the people who gave him a lift. It could be a dramatic rise in tensions in the north, as Iran pushes Hizballah to demonstrate what may happen if the nuclear issue heats up. The pleasures of political spinning may be short-lived.

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Israel Campus Beat - April 2, 2006

Dateline: April 02, 2006Subscribe | My Subscription | Search | Archives | About ICB | Contact Us

Top Stories Analysis & Commentary Campus News Campus Analysis & Commentary Point-Counterpoint

Business Science & Technology Arts and Entertainment Sports Domestic Israel News Suggest a Story Educational Resources Israel Study & Travel Additional News Sources Research Institutes NGOs Israeli Universities Israeli Government & IDF Featured this week Brandeis Chicago Columbia Florida Haifa Harvard Hebrew Hunter Lafayette London - UK Maryland Minnesota Pennsylvania Stanford Tel Aviv Toronto Vanderbilt Wayne State Yale York	Olmert Wins Israel Vote, Urges Palestinians to Talk Israel's Ehud Olmert won election to succeed Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and challenged Palestinians to restart long-frozen peace talks, saying he will act unilaterally to fix his nation's borders if they don't.  (Bloomberg)                Final Tally                Kadima              29 seats                Labor                20                Likud                 12                Shas                 12                Yisrael Beitenu 11                NU/NRP               9                Arab parties       9                Pensioners         7                United Torah       6                Meretz                5 Additional Headlines Hamas Rejects Talk of Recognizing Israel Palestinians Fire First Katyusha from Gaza to Israel UN Awaits Israeli Officers? U.S. Bans Contacts with Hamas-Led Government by Paul Eckert The U.S. ordered its diplomats and contractors to cut off contacts with Palestinian ministries after a Hamas-led government was sworn in, the State Department said. The no-contact policy was more sweeping than many had expected because it applies not just to Hamas members but to independents and technocrats in the new government. Contacts will still be permitted with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and non-Hamas members of the Palestinian parliament, officials said. (Reuters/Scotsman-UK) For a Palestinian Peace Movement - Editorial Ehud Olmert's victory speech was given, naturally, in Hebrew and in the middle of the night. Lost in this shuffle was an important statement, a statement that captures Israel's national position as Israel faces the outside world at this critical historical juncture. "The time has come for Palestinians, like us, to come to terms with the partial fulfillment of their dreams, end terrorism, abandon hatred, embrace democracy for themselves and look to a future of coexistence, compromise, and peace with us....If the Palestinians manage to act in the near future, we will sit at the negotiating table in order to determine a new future in our region. If they do not, Israel will take its fate in its own hands." (Jerusalem Post) Al-Quds Prof Goes to Brandeis by Matt Rand Yasser Arafat failed to understand Western mentality and Western culture, according to Al-Quds University Professor Muhammad S. Dajani. Along with four graduate students in Al-Quds's American Studies program, Dajani is spending the next two weeks at Jewish-founded Brandeis University. "It's a very courageous type of program," said Daniel Terris, who is coordinating the the trip for Brandeis. Terris heads Brandeis's International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life, which includes Al-Quds University President Sari Nusseibeh on its advisory board. Brandeis President Reinharz, who grew up in Haifa, is reportedly friendly with Nusseibeh. (Jerusalem Post) Harvard Dean Opens Walt/Mearsheimer Faculty Papers to Rebuttal by Charles A. Radin The dean of Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government said on Thursday that he has decided to open the working papers of the school's faculty to challenge and rebuttal by other Harvard professors. Dean David Ellwood said that he formulated the new policy after Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz asked to post his rebuttal to the Israel lobby paper in the ''working papers" section of the Kennedy School website, alongside the original article by Kennedy School academic dean Stephen M. Walt and University of Chicago political scientist John J. Mearsheimer. (Boston Globe) Columbia: Dershowitz Calls For Unbiased Talk On Israel Question by A. L. Gordon During a talk last week with students at Columbia University, a Harvard Law School professor who is a vocal Zionist, Alan Dershowitz, called for nuanced and unbiased discourse about Israel. "What I want to do is help you find ways to insist that as students at a great university, part of being educated is being taught the complexity," he said. "The best answer to radical anti-Israel rhetoric is not radical, unthinking pro-Israel rhetoric. It's thoughtful, moderate conversation on both sides." (New York Sun) Hunter: Casting a Vote for Israeli Democracy by Ahron Shapiro Like many first-timers in the Israeli elections, Ian Sherman still finds himself among the ranks of undecided voters. After yet another political discussion with friends and colleagues from Hunter, he throws up his hands. "I don't know who I am going to vote for," he said. "I am not just saying that. I'm really not sure." What is very different about Sherman is that he lives in New York City, not Jerusalem. (Israel21c)     See also Likud Wins - Among Foreign Jewish Students (Jerusalem Post) Point-Counterpoint - What Do the Israeli Election Results Mean? Israel's Surprise Issue by E. J. Dionne Jr. The world expected Israel to have an election on national security, but the voters decided that it was about the economy, stupid. The energy in the election was around social and economic issues, and the big winners were a group of parties that ran against Israel's rising social inequality. The biggest surprise was the sudden emergence of a Pensioners Party that called for higher social benefits for the elderly. The power of economics reflected the strength of the backlash against the privatization and deregulation policies pushed by Binyamin Netanyahu, the leader of the right-wing Likud Party who was finance minister earlier in the decade. Domestic social concerns rose to the top of voters' minds precisely because the security situation is frozen. Most Israelis do not see how negotiations are possible with Hamas. (Washington Post) A Referendum that Endorsed Withdrawal by Uri Savir In the end, Israelis were swayed by neither Palestinian animosity nor by the Likud's fear campaign, and the citizens who cast votes gave a vast majority to those ready to relinquish, by agreement or unilaterally, most of the West Bank. Even as it backs a plan with larger concessions than those outlined by the Oslo Accords, the majority created in the Knesset after these elections is far larger than the margin enjoyed by late prime minister Yitzhak Rabin.   It seems that, after almost a century of bitter debates in our land - debates between those favoring the notion of Greater Israel and those favoring withdrawal from the occupied territories - the electorate has used these ballots to voice support for the latter. The writer is president of the Peres Center for Peace. (Jerusalem Post) Israel's Muddled Election - Editorial Israelis went to the polls for the fifth time in 10 years, and what's remarkable is that they emerged more or less as they had entered: leaderless. The larger task Mr. Olmert faces is asserting himself as a credible national leader. Most Israeli prime ministers have come to office with some large record of past accomplishments. Mr. Olmert has been a professional politician most of his life and his 10 years as Jerusalem mayor were notable for the city's decline. Ultimately, this election demonstrated that, in the absence of Mr. Sharon's reassuring presence, Israelis remain uncertain about their future and skeptical of a new generation of untested leaders. Mr. Olmert has many doubters and a great deal to prove. He can benefit from the example of his predecessor, who showed what real leadership can do. (Wall Street Journal)   The Economy Took (Temporary) Precedence by Dore Gold Even the briefest examination of the election results would reveal that the voting public was primarily focused this time on socioeconomic and other domestic issues. Israel and the Palestinians are no longer engaging in "conflict resolution," but rather in "conflict management." While the security of Sderot, southern Ashkelon and the western Negev has been increasingly threatened in recent months, the residents of Tel Aviv and Gush Dan were not sufficiently affected by these developments. In 2006, Israel's comfort level was sufficient for it to act like the Britain of 1945, which did not need wartime leaders any longer; at that time Winston Churchill was replaced by Clement Atlee, with his mostly domestic agenda. The writer, who served as Israel's ambassador to the UN in 1997-1999, heads the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. (Jerusalem Post) To unsubscribe from Israel Campus Beat, click here
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