Harvard students told Arafat's grave to be moved to Jerusalem
In an earlier post, I reported on a pilgrimage by Harvard University students to Yasser Arafat's grave, which was financed by the Boston Combined Jewish Philanthropies. A couple of the students have posted blogs about the trip, which make clear some of the things the students 'learned' in Ramallah. Here's the
first one (both blogs came from
Truth Revolt).
The Israel-Palestine conflict is urgent for my green-sweatered friend in
Ramallah whose house had been destroyed twice. Ambassador Dore Gold and
Col. (res) Dr. Eran Lerman spoke to us about security at the Jerusalem
Center for Public Affairs. One map after another filled the screen in
front of us as our speakers turned geographic boundaries into calculated
threats, like the range of rockets, or the time needed to mobilize
troops from A to B. For them, Israel’s fight is urgent. The man who
spoke to us at Yasser Arafat’s grave emphasized the grave’s temporary
location, to be moved to Jerusalem when (not if) Palestine
reclaims the city. The conflict, for him, is urgent.
Here's the
second blog.
The amazing organizers of this trek are all Israelis. Five of them are
Jewish and one of the is Arab Israeli. Was it easy for them to see the
grave of Arafat, who is responsible of the death of so many Israeli
civilians, their beloved ones specifically? But does that dispute the
fact that the same person is also the founder of the PLO, hero of so
many Palestinians symbolizing their fight for independence?
It is not at all easy to understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
That is exactly why we listened to speeches at Harvard by Ari Shavit,
the author of the book ‘The Triumph and Tragedy of My Promised Land’ and
Ami Ayalon, the former head of the Shin Bet, Israeli National Security
Agency, who was appointed to the position right after the assassination
of the Prime Minister Ytzhak Rabin. Then, during our tour in Israel, we
were lucky enough to hear from Jodi Rudoren, the editor in chief of New
York Times Jerusalem, Danny Siedemann, an attorney very much involved
with the negotiations process, Dore Gold, foreign policy advisor to the
Prime Minister Netanyahu, Nadav Tamir, senior policy advisor to the
President of Israel Simon Peres, Eran Lerman, Deputy National Security
Advisor for Foreign Policy and International Affairs, Dr. Rachel
Korazim, a Holocaust educator, a Rabbi from Jewish settlements in West
Bank and an Israel Defense Force officer along with those two
Palestinian leaders.
Actually, out of the named speakers, there are a lot more people of the Left than of the Right. I've added some links that explain why.
Was there an agenda here? Did the pilgrimage to Arafat's mausoleum fit in with that agenda? I leave that to the reader to decide.
Labels: Ami Ayalon, Ari Shavit, Dore Gold, Harvard University, Jewish Federations of North America, Jewish philanthropy, Jodi Rudoren, liberal Jews, Nadav Tamir, Palestinian incitement, Palestinians, Yasser Arafat
So what if he apologized?
I trust that many of you have been following the saga of the Harvard students who visited Yasser Arafat's grave, and had a smiley group picture taken there, as part of a trip to Israel funded by the Boston Combined Jewish Philanthropies (that's the picture above). For those who have not followed the story, a web site called Truth Revolt broke it
here. Barry Schrage, the President of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Boston, attacked Truth Revolt as a bunch of 'extreme' bloggers with an agenda, and as being on the 'fringes' of the pro-Israel community
here. When the issue wouldn't go away, Schrage apologized and said he was 'shocked' by the visit
here. Ronn Torossian says
that apology is not good enough.
Imagine if a black leader led a group of students in a trip
where they took a picture in front of the grave of a KKK leader who had
lynched African-Americans?
Instead, try to imagine
that an American Jewish leader (who is paid $482,000 by a Jewish
philanthropy) took a pilgrimage to the grave of Baruch Goldstein and
explained Goldstein’s “narrative.” When challenged, imagine said leader
defended his action.
Do you think in either scenario said leader would remain employed?
Now,
stop imagining. Barry Shrage, the president of the Combined Jewish
Philanthropies - Greater Boston's Jewish Federation - chose to defend a
visit by a group of Harvard students to pay tribute at Palestinian Arab
leader Yasser Arafat's grave. Arafat was an arch-terrorist, a mass
murderer - of course, much revered by the PA - and despite it, Shrage
apparently had no problem with participating in the glorification of his
memory, opting instead to attack those who called out the visit. Awful and despicable behavior.
...
The extremist is Shrage, whose actions and behavior are well beyond
the pale. Even those Jews and Israelis who support the peace process do
not believe that Arafat was someone whose grave they can visit, let
alone someone to admire.
While students blog on the Harvard College Israel Trek blog that “Our intention was not to honor Arafat, but rather to learn about the Palestinian narrative, of which Arafat is an important part,” donors
to the Federation and Hillel are paying for young people to smile in
front of the grave of a mass murderer. What, exactly, did they learn?
Just what Aunt Annie must have in mind when writing her annual check to
the UJA.
I'll go a step further. In the aftermath of Oslo, the Israeli government spent a fortune trying to teach Israelis to 'understand the 'Palestinian' viewpoint.' The 'Palestinians' spent zero on trying to teach 'Palestinians' to understand the Israeli viewpoint. Instead, the 'Palestinians' did just the opposite: They incited their population to believe that if they murdered Jews they would reach a paradise.
We don't have to go that far. But I don't believe that Jewish federation money ought to be spent on understand the 'Palestinian' viewpoint at all - let alone on visits to the grave of a mass murderer - at least until such time as aid money to the 'Palestinians' from the international community (and not just from Israel) is specifically earmarked and used for understanding the Jewish narrative - the bible, the Holocaust and everything in between. Until then, all we are doing is making ourselves vulnerable while strengthening our enemies. And yes, the 'Palestinians' are our enemies.
Read the whole thing.
Labels: Boston, Harvard University, Jewish Federations of North America, Jewish philanthropy, liberal Jews, Palestinian incitement, Palestinians, Yasser Arafat
Guest op-ed: Looking back to the future of Jewish philanthropy
I received the following op-ed by email and was asked to publish it:
Looking Back to the Future of Jewish Philanthropy
By Johanna Arbib Perugia
When we inquire about the future of Jewish philanthropy, we are really asking about the future of the Jewish people. This is due to the fact that since Biblical times, the two have been immutably interrelated. Then as now, philanthropy played an integral part in shaping Jewish life, values and society, it was not merely a question of helping the poor.
One of the most beautiful expressions of this can be found in the tacit agreement between the tribes of Zevulun and Issachar, where one tribe would study while the other provided for their material needs. Though this relationship was not viewed as philanthropy, but rather more as a partnership or a means of dividing tasks to achieve a common goal, it is clearly rooted in the patently Jewish philosophy of philanthropy.
And it is clear that this philosophy has passed the test of time with flying colors. It can be discerned in the philanthropic endeavors of such modern giants as Edmund de Rothschild and Sir Moses Montefiore, who supported their fellow Jews in Israel, building institutions, industry and Jewish settlements as a means of implementing their vision for the establishment of a Jewish homeland.
John Gardner, an American public figure who did much to promote social philanthropy in the United States, once claimed "Wealth is not new, neither is charity. But the idea of using private wealth imaginatively, constructively, and systematically to attack the fundamental problems of mankind, is new." Perhaps for society as a whole, Mr. Gardner. But the Jewish people have been doing just that for thousands of years.
So where are we falling short? Certainly not in social vision, nor in the generosity department. Jews are still among the world's most generous givers. The issue is that they are not giving to Israel or Jewish causes. By far, the greatest portions of Jewish mega donations today are directed towards non-Jewish causes outside of Israel.
In the same vein, the younger generation identifies with being Jewish in a very different way than their parents. Their identification is built on the fluid sense of self-identity which characterizes their generation. For many young Jews, 'Tikun Olam' is as much about global issues as it is about Israel or the Jewish people.
Our answer to this way of thinking and the message we must set by example should be: "Yes, Jews should give to all causes, but Israel and the Jewish people must remain our number one priority." In the words of the Mishna: "If I am not for myself who will be for me."
Ultimately, philanthropy of all kinds is about concern for the 'collective', the wider community. It is about identification, optimism and faith. I believe our greatest challenge and mission as Jewish leaders today is to educate the younger generation to identify with and care for the future of the Jewish collective, which relies entirely on the continued existence of Israel, the homeland of the Jewish people. This is not merely the key to the future of Jewish philanthropy – it is the key to our future as a people. The only way we can expect to achieve this is through massive and concerted educational efforts to reach the hearts and minds of our younger generation.
The Jewish people and Jewish philanthropy are inextricably intertwined. As long as Israel and the Jewish people exist, Jewish philanthropy will continue to exist. As long as Jewish philanthropy continues to thrive, so will Israel and the Jewish people. This is because Jewish philanthropy reflects simply, in its purest form, our will and determination as a people to survive and flourish.
Johanna Arbib Perugia is the Chairman of Keren Hayesod – United Israel Appeal's World Board of Trustees. Ms. Arbib Perugia will discuss the future of Jewish Philanthropy alongside a panel of other experts later this month at the third Israeli Presidential Conference: Facing Tomorrow 2011 in Jerusalem.And I even agree with her....
Labels: Jewish philanthropy
