Why this is a bad idea
'Palestinian' chief Erekat, along with opposition head Tzipi Livni and Jewish Agency chairman Nathan Sharansky, will address the more than 200 elected Jewish student leaders from 52 countries who have come to participate in the congress taking place through Thursday at the Jerusalem Gate Hotel.Why is this a bad idea? When will a leader of the Israeli government (not Livni or Peres but someone who is part of the government) be invited to speak to a similar 'Palestinian' forum? Don't hold your breath.
Chaya Singer, outgoing chairwoman of the World Union of Jewish Students, told the Post on Monday, “There is no doubting the Zionist content of the conference. Bringing voices such as Erekat’s opens the debate in an educational forum and this kind of diversity is the strength of Jewish students world over. It is an answer to the boycott and an opportunity to show our openness to dialogue in the face of extremism.”
Jono Lazarus, chairman of the Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS), said, “I think it is important that WUJS hosts Dr. Erekat as well as a host of Israeli representatives from the government and opposition, in our attempt to stand up for and with the State of Israel for now, as well as securing its future as a Jewish and democratic state.”
Mike Immerman, one of the delegates, said, “It is of paramount importance that we engage with alternative or even conflicting points of view. Listening to just one narrative may be comfortable to the ears, but it should be stressed that comfort isn’t what were after.”
Other speakers at the conference being hosted by the Foreign Ministry and the Knesset will include Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, Welfare and Social Services Minister Isaac Herzog, Fiamma Nirenstein, vice president of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, and former Government Press Office head Danny Seaman.
Empathy is fine but only when it's practiced by both sides to a conflict.
By the way, by the time you read this, I should be on my way to Israel.
Labels: Saeb Erekat, WUJS
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:18 AM
1 Comments:
Agreed.
Peace must be a two way street. I'm not surprised at what Livni's doing but I'm disappointed at Sharansky helping to legitimize this farce with a notorious Palestinian extremist. Saed Erakat is no "moderate."
Too bad some Jews still do not want to get it.
What could go wrong indeed
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