White Will
09-23-2004, 08:42 AM
Here's a story from today's Raleigh News&Observer that's so typical of the Jew 'm.o' on American campuses that it's worth noting and following by WNs. Write to Duke and balance the 57,000hysterical Jew letters and e-mails with some sober sanity. My my, how far a once respected southern university, the "Harvard of the South," has fallen...
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1664094p-7897250c.html
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Forum at Duke angers Jews
University permits Palestinian events
By JANE STANCILL, Staff Writer
DURHAM -- As Duke carefully plans security for a pro-Palestinian conference on its campus next month, the university is feeling the sting of outrage from Jewish groups, alumni and students.
The university has received about 1,000 letters and e-mail messages, including one outright threat of violence, against the Palestine Solidarity Movement's conference scheduled for Oct. 15 through 17.
More than 56,000 people have signed an online petition opposing the conference. Some alumni have threatened to withhold donations. A private Jewish school in Atlanta said it would boycott Duke's program aimed at academically talented middle school students.
Duke's new president, Richard Brodhead, cited the principles of free speech and educational dialogue in the university's decision to allow the conference. It was invited and sponsored by Hiwar, a pro-Palestinian student group that has been active at Duke.
Staff writer Jane Stancill can be reached at 956-2464 or janes@newsobserver.com.
Campus officials say they do not endorse the Palestine Solidarity Movement, an umbrella organization for groups that seek an end to Israeli occupation in Palestinian territories and the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their original properties. The movement's goals include a campaign to push college campuses to sell off their investments in companies that do business in Israel. Brodhead recently said Duke would retain its Israel-related investments, reiterating former President Nan Keohane's refusal to divest.
Nevertheless, the university's hosting of the conference has elicited emotional responses. Some say the university risks becoming known as a place unfriendly to Jews.
"I don't think Duke can afford to be perceived as being indifferent or hostile to the Jewish community," said Steven Roy Goodman, a 1985 Duke graduate and independent consultant who advises Washington-area students on higher education. "This is going to make many prospective students and families uncomfortable with Duke, and they're going to look at other colleges."
Jewish students at Duke, meanwhile, have planned a series of pro-Israel events, both during the same weekend and throughout the school year. On Wednesday, representatives of Hadassah, a national Jewish women's group, presented Duke Jewish groups with a check for $10,000 to help pay for the programs. Hadassah plans to mobilize its members from across North Carolina to attend events at the Freeman Center for Jewish Life at Duke.
"We want to show them we care about what they're going through and show our support," said Debra Friedman of Richmond, Va., chairwoman of Hadassah's Southern Seaboard region.
A roster of 80
The Palestine Solidarity Movement is finalizing its conference plans. About 80 organizations and campuses will be represented at the Duke event, said conference organizer Fayyad Sbaihat. The group has 40 active divestment campaigns across the nation.
"We want to see a very peaceful, just and lasting resolution to the conflict in Palestine," Sbaihat said.
Duke officials applaud the flurry of programs that will focus students on the Israeli-Palestinian situation.
"We are trying to use this as a real teachable moment," said John Burness, senior vice president for public affairs and government relations.
In a letter to a concerned Duke parent, Brodhead wrote: "I deplore the violence in the Middle East and the historic inability of the Israelis and the Palestinians to find a workable solution to their longstanding and awful conflict. But I truly believe that the long-term solution to these issues will come more from open and honest discussion and the education it produces than from squelching discussion."
It will be an expensive teachable moment. Duke estimates security costs for the weekend could reach $40,000 to $50,000. Duke police are working with other area law enforcement agencies to plan their strategy.
Protests have arisen at previous conferences by the Palestine Solidarity Movement, though no violence has been reported.
Duke police aren't taking chances, though. Participants will have to pass through metal detectors, and their bags will be searched.
So far, about 150 people have registered. All are asked to sign a code of conduct pledging not to engage in disruptive behavior or hate speech, said conference spokesman Rann Bar-On, a Duke graduate student in mathematics.
Campus Jewish groups have formed the Joint Israel Initiative to set up programs to counter the Palestine conference, though they say they don't oppose Duke's decision to allow the conference. The Jewish groups are planning a concert, workshops and guest speakers.
"We don't want to raise tension on campus," said coordinator Mollie Lurey, a Duke junior.
The initiative has called on the pro-Palestinian conference organizers to sign statements that they condemn the killing of innocent civilians and support a two-state solution to the conflict.
Bar-On said the group could not sign such statements.
"A solution to the conflict has to be determined by the Palestinian and Israeli people in a democratic manner," he said. "It's clear from our guiding principles we only endorse nonviolent action."
Conservative response
The event has drawn the attention of conservative activists, both locally and nationally. The Duke Conservative Union took out a full-page ad in the campus newspaper, The Chronicle, taking Brodhead to task for approving the conference. Organizers of previous conferences, the ad said, "have publicly advocated terrorist violence, including suicide bombings."
Internet chatter has focused on claims that previous conference participants chanted "Kill the Jews." But Burness said those claims have been disputed by administrators at other universities. A campaign of misinformation has spread about trouble and hate speech at previous conferences, he said.
"I do believe it is a fact of American political life that to win is to energize your base, and the facts become somewhat irrelevant," he said. "That's what is happening here."
Goodman, the Duke alumnus, wrote a column about the Duke flap in Washington Jewish Week. He called the event a hostile propaganda conference. "If this was an academic conference, I would wholeheartedly support it," he said.
Whatever term is used, the conference will put Duke in the spotlight Oct. 15.
"The Jewish community is watching this very closely, not just in North Carolina but across the country," Goodman said.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1664094p-7897250c.html
---------
Forum at Duke angers Jews
University permits Palestinian events
By JANE STANCILL, Staff Writer
DURHAM -- As Duke carefully plans security for a pro-Palestinian conference on its campus next month, the university is feeling the sting of outrage from Jewish groups, alumni and students.
The university has received about 1,000 letters and e-mail messages, including one outright threat of violence, against the Palestine Solidarity Movement's conference scheduled for Oct. 15 through 17.
More than 56,000 people have signed an online petition opposing the conference. Some alumni have threatened to withhold donations. A private Jewish school in Atlanta said it would boycott Duke's program aimed at academically talented middle school students.
Duke's new president, Richard Brodhead, cited the principles of free speech and educational dialogue in the university's decision to allow the conference. It was invited and sponsored by Hiwar, a pro-Palestinian student group that has been active at Duke.
Staff writer Jane Stancill can be reached at 956-2464 or janes@newsobserver.com.
Campus officials say they do not endorse the Palestine Solidarity Movement, an umbrella organization for groups that seek an end to Israeli occupation in Palestinian territories and the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their original properties. The movement's goals include a campaign to push college campuses to sell off their investments in companies that do business in Israel. Brodhead recently said Duke would retain its Israel-related investments, reiterating former President Nan Keohane's refusal to divest.
Nevertheless, the university's hosting of the conference has elicited emotional responses. Some say the university risks becoming known as a place unfriendly to Jews.
"I don't think Duke can afford to be perceived as being indifferent or hostile to the Jewish community," said Steven Roy Goodman, a 1985 Duke graduate and independent consultant who advises Washington-area students on higher education. "This is going to make many prospective students and families uncomfortable with Duke, and they're going to look at other colleges."
Jewish students at Duke, meanwhile, have planned a series of pro-Israel events, both during the same weekend and throughout the school year. On Wednesday, representatives of Hadassah, a national Jewish women's group, presented Duke Jewish groups with a check for $10,000 to help pay for the programs. Hadassah plans to mobilize its members from across North Carolina to attend events at the Freeman Center for Jewish Life at Duke.
"We want to show them we care about what they're going through and show our support," said Debra Friedman of Richmond, Va., chairwoman of Hadassah's Southern Seaboard region.
A roster of 80
The Palestine Solidarity Movement is finalizing its conference plans. About 80 organizations and campuses will be represented at the Duke event, said conference organizer Fayyad Sbaihat. The group has 40 active divestment campaigns across the nation.
"We want to see a very peaceful, just and lasting resolution to the conflict in Palestine," Sbaihat said.
Duke officials applaud the flurry of programs that will focus students on the Israeli-Palestinian situation.
"We are trying to use this as a real teachable moment," said John Burness, senior vice president for public affairs and government relations.
In a letter to a concerned Duke parent, Brodhead wrote: "I deplore the violence in the Middle East and the historic inability of the Israelis and the Palestinians to find a workable solution to their longstanding and awful conflict. But I truly believe that the long-term solution to these issues will come more from open and honest discussion and the education it produces than from squelching discussion."
It will be an expensive teachable moment. Duke estimates security costs for the weekend could reach $40,000 to $50,000. Duke police are working with other area law enforcement agencies to plan their strategy.
Protests have arisen at previous conferences by the Palestine Solidarity Movement, though no violence has been reported.
Duke police aren't taking chances, though. Participants will have to pass through metal detectors, and their bags will be searched.
So far, about 150 people have registered. All are asked to sign a code of conduct pledging not to engage in disruptive behavior or hate speech, said conference spokesman Rann Bar-On, a Duke graduate student in mathematics.
Campus Jewish groups have formed the Joint Israel Initiative to set up programs to counter the Palestine conference, though they say they don't oppose Duke's decision to allow the conference. The Jewish groups are planning a concert, workshops and guest speakers.
"We don't want to raise tension on campus," said coordinator Mollie Lurey, a Duke junior.
The initiative has called on the pro-Palestinian conference organizers to sign statements that they condemn the killing of innocent civilians and support a two-state solution to the conflict.
Bar-On said the group could not sign such statements.
"A solution to the conflict has to be determined by the Palestinian and Israeli people in a democratic manner," he said. "It's clear from our guiding principles we only endorse nonviolent action."
Conservative response
The event has drawn the attention of conservative activists, both locally and nationally. The Duke Conservative Union took out a full-page ad in the campus newspaper, The Chronicle, taking Brodhead to task for approving the conference. Organizers of previous conferences, the ad said, "have publicly advocated terrorist violence, including suicide bombings."
Internet chatter has focused on claims that previous conference participants chanted "Kill the Jews." But Burness said those claims have been disputed by administrators at other universities. A campaign of misinformation has spread about trouble and hate speech at previous conferences, he said.
"I do believe it is a fact of American political life that to win is to energize your base, and the facts become somewhat irrelevant," he said. "That's what is happening here."
Goodman, the Duke alumnus, wrote a column about the Duke flap in Washington Jewish Week. He called the event a hostile propaganda conference. "If this was an academic conference, I would wholeheartedly support it," he said.
Whatever term is used, the conference will put Duke in the spotlight Oct. 15.
"The Jewish community is watching this very closely, not just in North Carolina but across the country," Goodman said.