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Israel at Heart by Noah Liben
Is Israel the perfect dreamland that I once envisioned it to be? No. Is Israel a country like any other modernized country, complete with its imperfections as well as its strengths? Yes. Does Israel remain a fantastic country, one that I will never cease supporting with my spirit and with my frequent presence? Absolutely. As a Zionist, I fight with my heart to defend the State of Israel, while at the same time I work to build a better future for the country. We may oppose some of the government's policies, and we may even dislike some of the government's leaders. However, we must never cease to support the idea of a State of Israel with the undeniable right to exist in peace and security, and we must never cease building a brighter future for Israel with our hands and with our shovels. (Columbia Spectator)

Road Map Lobbyists Get into High Gear
A letter was sent from Congress to the president warning Bush not to harm Israel during implementation of the road map. The letter, initiated by Congressmen Tom Lantos, Roy Blunt, Stenny Hoyer, and Henry Hyde, drew 319 signatures from other members of the House, an impressive number by all accounts. The congressmen say they support the road map and want American intervention in the peace process on the basis of a two-state solution, but warn the administration not to make too many demands on Israel before the Palestinians do their part. A similar letter signed by 88 of 100 senators was sent to Bush. On the other side of the political map, at least 100 rabbis have signed a Jewish Peace Coalition letter sent to Bush prodding him to implement the road map and to fill it with more details about the nature of the final settlement to give Palestinians the incentive to fulfill its demands. (Ha'aretz)

Road Map Text (State Department)

The Neoconservative-Conspiracy Theory: Pure Myth by Prof. Robert J. Lieber
Ultimately, the neocon-conspiracy theory misinterprets as a policy coup a reasoned shift in grand strategy that the Bush administration has adopted in responding to an ominous form of external threat. Whether that strategy and its component parts prove to be as robust and effective as containment of hostile Middle Eastern states linked to terrorism remains to be seen. But to characterize it in conspiratorial terms is not only a failure to weigh policy choices on their merits, but represents a detour into the fever swamps of political demagoguery. (Chronicle of Higher Education)

Florida Prof/Terrorism Suspect Wants Trial
Sami Al-Arian, the fired U of South Florida professor accused of leading a terrorist organization's North American operations, dismissed his government-appointed attorneys Thursday and pushed the government to begin his trial by June. Al-Arian and three others are charged in a 50-count indictment of running the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's North American operations from a think tank and charity Al-Arian founded at the University of South Florida. Prosecutors allege the operation helped finance terrorist attacks in Israel. "If he represents himself, he needs Dr. Kevorkian, not me," said Frank Louderback, the attorney appointed by the court to represent Al-Arian, referring to the notorious Michigan physician who has assisted others in committing suicide. (Orlando Sentinel)

Issues on Campus:

Israeli Independence Day Commemorated This Week

Oklahoma: Party Highlights Unity
Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry spoke about hope for peace in Israel and Oklahoma to a crowd of over 600 students, faculty members and guests in the South Oval. "It is most important that the U.S. maintain and strengthen its relationship and ties to the state of Israel," Henry said. "Peace in the Middle East can happen, and we as Oklahomans must help the nation move towards peace." (Oklahoma Daily)

Emory: Congresswoman Urges Continued Support for Israel
U.S. Congresswoman Denise Majette (D-Ga.) urged President George W. Bush not to broaden the conflict in Iraq to include other nations in a speech co-sponsored by Emory Students for Israel. With tensions running high in the Middle East, Majette said it is particularly important that the United States continue its strong relationship with Israel. She said she intends to further the process of spreading goodwill between the two nations. "I want to continue the types of dialogues I have been having with the black community and people of Jewish faith," she said. "I hope we can see our similarities and help each other move forward." Majette said a common belief in the importance of education and a mutual respect for women's rights brings Israel closer to the United States than other American allies. (Emory Wheel)

Northwestern: Congresswoman Advocates Middle East Peace
Democratic U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky spoke to 30 students affiliated with Students for Israel last week. The congresswoman emphasized the delicate nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while explaining her own background. "I am a Jewish woman, a member of U.S. House of Representatives, a Zionist and a Democrat," Schakowsky said. "I support the peace and security of the state of Israel and a two-state solution where Palestinians will have a homeland of their own....The new prime minister leading the Palestinian people said he is committed to reaching a settlement," Schakowsky said. "The roadmap sets out requirements for both sides. Number one in my opinion is an end to violence and terrorism on the part of the Palestinians. It is important also for the Israelis to stop the expansion of settlements." (Daily Northwestern)

Voices from the Campus:

Yale: Why I'm on the Decent Side of the Left by James Kirchick
I still consider myself a liberal. I am pro-choice, pro-union, pro-gay marriage, etc. Political pollsters would consider me a pretty left-wing liberal. Yet at Yale, I am at best a centrist, but most identify me as a conservative. How is this possible? I am considered a right-winger at Yale primarily because I was an ardent supporter of war in Iraq and because I defend the right of Israel to defend itself against annihilation. While the indecent left stresses diplomacy to the point of endangering our national security and the security of millions of others, the decent left knows that it has been American bombs and bullets, not words, which have saved the world from tyranny three times in the last century. I was almost moved to tears two weeks ago at the scenes of a liberated Baghdad; there have been few moments in my life when I have felt prouder to be an American. (Yale Daily News)

UC Davis: Ross Holds Out Hope for ME Peace
In his remarks to 300 people, former U.S. Ambassador Dennis Ross said the terrorist attack in Tel Aviv last week raised the question of whether lasting peace was possible, even behind the conciliatory Abbas and a new White House-backed "roadmap" peace plan that demands concessions from both Palestinians and Israelis. "The Tenet Work Plan is in the roadmap; the Mitchell Plan is in the roadmap," Ross said, referring to past, ill-fated peace attempts. "Both sides have to understand that they are accountable for their actions regardless of the circumstances. If they don't, the peace process will go the same way as before." But Ross said he could "see the pony behind the pile of manure." The appointment of Abbas as prime minister - a response to President Bush's declaration that the U.S. would no longer negotiate through Yasser Arafat - indicates that Palestinians are eager to end violence that has raged for more than two years. (California Aggie)

UC Berkeley: There's No Monopoly on Mideast Emotion
Designed "to give campus and community Arabs and Jews a chance to listen to each other's stories," the May 4 "Day of Mutual Recognition" symposium will include monologues and dialogues by and among students, activists, artists, and members of the public. Berkeley Tikkun, a recently formed campus student group, is the event's primary organizer. Central to all the day's events, therefore, will be a number of individual perspectives, expressed by Arabs and Jews alike, not on the political challenges of a Mideast peace, but on the personal stories that they choose to share. (Berkeleyan)

Princeton: Israeli Political Identity Blurring, Professor Says
Political scientist Tamar Hermann discussed the evolution of Israeli-Jewish public opinion on the peace process with the Palestinians. Hermann, who is director of the Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research at Tel Aviv University, said the standard definitions of "left" and "right" in Israeli politics no longer apply. "By self-perception and self-definition, there is hardly any 'left' left in Israel," she said. Only 17 percent of Israelis in a recent poll defined themselves as being on the "left," she said. However, a significantly larger percentage voted for leftist parties in this year's election. This suggests that the traditional definitions of left and right "don't work very well anymore," she said. In the last year, polls found that only 20 to 30 percent of Israeli Jews support continuing the Oslo process. Nevertheless, many Israeli Jews still support a renewal of negotiations with the Palestinians, Hermann said. Throughout 2002 and in the first two months of 2003, between 60 and 71 percent supported the resumption of negotiations. (Daily Princetonian)

Wisconsin: Daniel Pipes Elicits Crowd Reaction
Middle East analyst Daniel Pipes told a University of Wisconsin audience the Palestinian people must accept the existence of Israel if their lives are to improve. He likened militant Islam to fascism, which swept Europe before it was eradicated in World War II, as well as to communism. Much like with those dogmas, with militant Islam, "the goal is global," he said. More moderate forms of the religion that allow for a secular society is the solution, he said. "It is the Palestinians who will gain the most from being free of this obsession of destroying Israel," he said. (Capital Times)

NYU: Modern Israel Studies Center to Open
A $3.5 million center for modern Israel studies is about to open at New York University, the latest addition to a burgeoning academic field about Israel. The center will endow a chair in Israel studies, offer two research fellowships per year for doctoral students and support lectures and seminars. Other schools that have added Israel studies offerings in recent years include Emory University in Atlanta, University of California at Berkeley, Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass., and the University of Toronto. (Forward)

U of Washington: Israel Speech Sparks Controversy
Ra'anan Gissin, senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, addressed 300 students on a wide range of topics, including the current situation in Israel and the role of Israel as a democracy. "There needs to be unity and support for the new leadership in Palestine to cut away the chaos, the gangs and warlords that corrupt people and send suicide bombers to Israel," said Gissin. Gissin spoke on behalf of the Caravan for Democracy (CFD). About 40 protesters from pro-Palestinian and human rights groups caused disorder that ended the lecture early. (The Daily)

Brandeis: War in Iraq Is Over; What Next? by Bezalel Stern
The Saudi Arabian government - our "friendly allies" in the Middle East - is actually a small, dictatorial group of princes. The Saudis are hated and reviled by their own people - much as Hussein was in his time. It is undeniable that Saudi money goes to support terror groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The official government-sponsored religion of Saudi Arabia, Wahabism, supports an extreme and radical version of Islam, one to which all citizens of Saudi Arabia are forced to subscribe. Yet Saudi Arabia remains America's friend and ally. The Saudis are not just any dictatorship; they are a dictatorship that sees America's power and outwardly supports it, financially and militarily. The message that this truth sends is an extremely troubling one. If America supports one "friendly dictatorship," might it give its support to another? And even worse, if given the option, would America install such a dictatorship on citizens it claimed it was liberating? (The Justice)

Israeli Students in the U.S.:

Tulane: Israeli, Michael Kogan, Tennis Player of the Year
Tulane junior Michael Kogan has been named the Conference USA Men's Tennis Player of the Year for an unprecedented third time, the league. Kogan, who also earned top league honors as a freshman and sophomore, has had his most dominating year for the Green Wave, climbing to his current national rankings of No. 11 in singles play and No. 5 in doubles action. The Kfar-Saba, Israel, native has posted 14 wins against players currently in the national rankings. (Tulane Green Wave)

Traveling to the Middle East Can Be Safe by Zvika Krieger
As arguably the most open society in the Middle East, Israel offers unparalleled opportunities for summer exploration. Israel's cutting-edge bio-tech industry provides for unique medical research positions. It is the only country in the region that fosters language study in two languages - both Hebrew and Arabic. Israel is also home to three of the world's major religions and in turn, is ripe for the study of and interaction with a wide spectrum of people. As someone who spent the year in Israel last year, I understand the University's fear of placing students in danger's way, even as indirectly as their support would do this. However, my experience in the region has taught me to look beyond international headlines to see that life does go on for the citizens in the Middle East, and that the proper precautions can ensure a safe - and invaluable - learning experience. (Yale Daily News)

Point-Counter-Point: Different Views of the "Road Map"

Congressional Letter to the President (signed by 88 Senators/319 Represenatives): "Palestinian terror and violence must cease...only then can we expect Israel to respond with concrete actions."

• We support your efforts to resume peace negotiations based on the clear principles you outlined in your June 24th speech.
• Above all, Palestinian terror and violence must cease;
• A new Palestinian leadership - with real authority - needs to be established, free from the taint of terrorism and willing and able to dismantle the terrorist network;
• The Palestinian security apparatus must be overhauled so that it truly fights terrorism, rather than engages in it.
• Only then can the Palestinian people begin to see some of their political aspirations realized and only then can we expect Israel to respond with concrete actions.
• Focus on real performance. Without a new, empowered Palestinian leadership that is firmly engaged in fighting terror, Israel has no one with whom to negotiate.
• We are concerned that certain nations or groups, if given a meaningful role in monitoring progress on the ground, might only lesson the chances of moving forward on a realistic path towards peace.

American Friends of Peace Now: "Reciprocal steps towards peace works in Israel's best interests."

• Members of Congress believe that the Palestinians will be able to accomplish sweeping security, political, and economic changes without parallel Israeli cooperation contained in the plan.
• Under the best of circumstances, these security measures would not be easy for the Palestinians to fulfill. But considering that much of the Palestinian security apparatus in the West Bank has been destroyed…the Palestinians will need cooperation from Israel to get the job done.
• As the Palestinians carry out their obligations, the road map calls on Israel to agree to stop deportations, attacks on civilians, and the demolition of Palestinian property, gradually return to security cooperation with the Palestinians, and withdraw from the territory it has reoccupied during the intifada. Given the heavy load that Palestinians are rightfully expected to undertake to improve security for Israel, do the representatives who signed the letter objecting to the road map seriously think these obligations are unreasonable for Israel to perform?