Tikvah: Students for Israel

Anti-Israel Resolution Passed in UCSA

noreply@blogger.com (Avi Levine) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 06:02:00 +0000

A troubling development has occurred in the University of California Student Association (UCSA), a system-wide student organization with representatives from each campus. On this past Saturday, a resolution was passed condemning HR 35, a California State Assembly resolution. Accusing Israel of “racism,” the UCSA urged the UC Board of Regents to divest from companies aiding Israel in alleged human rights violations. The planning of this initiative was purposely kept secret until the day of the meeting. With no agenda published in advance, and no engagement from anyone in the organization, there was no way for opponents of the measure to have their voices heard. Meanwhile, leaders of Students for Justice in Palestine were given an opportunity to convey their message at the meeting. This represents a coordinated effort to shut out pro-Israel voices from your student government.

Our exclusion was intentional. If present, we would have revealed the libelous nature of this measure. Because the resolution has no basis in reality, it was passed in premeditated secrecy in order to avoid a factual discussion on the issue. The Daily Californian reported: “According to UC San Diego External Affairs Vice President Olamide Noah, the board had been working on the resolution since its congress in August.” What this means is that the discussion on this issue was not spontaneous; we were purposely left out of the conversation. Moreover, the reprehensible timing of passing this resolution the day before the first night of Rosh Hashanah impeded the ability of the Jewish community to mount any sort of immediate response. This timing, and secrecy was no doubt on purpose, and this injustice must be exposed.

The UCSA truly is not an accurate representation of our Berkeley community, or even the rest of the UC System. We need to expose this measure for what it is: an unabashedly deceitful attack on the Jewish State.

The sole representative from UC Berkeley is Shahryar Abbasi, the External Vice-President of the ASUC (email- eavp@asuc.org).

10 Tips for Zionist Activists

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Maissy) — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 07:08:00 +0000

Dear Zionist activists everywhere,

For the last four years I was an active member and leader of Tikvah: Students for Israel. We worked to teach about and advocate for Israel and Zionism on the UC Berkeley campus. That experience helped me grown and learn a lot, and contributed to my decision to make aliya and serve in the IDF.

Since I'm stepping out of the advocacy world, I wanted to take a moment here to write a letter to my colleagues in Tikvah, and to my fellow activists around the globe.

First, and most importantly, thank you for what you do. I know it's hard, whether you're facing hostile anti-Israel activists, a Jewish establishment that doesn't support you, apathy or ignorance about Israel, or financial and practical obstacles to your work. But stay strong, and remember in the moments of difficulty that what you are doing is important, just, meaningful, and worthwhile. Israel, the Jewish people, and the world at large are better off because of your hard work and dedication.

I'd like to leave a few pieces of advice, in the hope that others can learn from my experience and my mistakes:

Know the difference between being Zionist and pro-Israel. Israel is a state, with all the realities and complexities that come with it. Zionism is an idea: pure, simple, and beautiful. Zionism is a movement of national liberation and national renaissance, the idea that the Jewish people should live as a sovereign nation in their homeland. Zionism is the real message; supporting the state of Israel is a natural conclusion of Zionism.
Stay focused on the message of Zionism. The peace process, territorial compromise, democracy, cell phones, and terrorism all have their place in the discussion, but without the foundation of Zionism, none of it will make sense. Explain why Israel is important in the first place, and only then explain the situation and threats it faces. Sometimes the best message is the simple line of Hatikvah: "to be a free people in our land."
Educate yourselves, and educate your peers. Read books, read the Israeli news, discuss and debate issues among yourselves. Know when to use the sound bites, but understand that they are not enough. You will be respected by your audience for your erudition.
Being intellectually honest requires constantly questioning your own beliefs. This is a strength, not a weakness, because the truth is on our side. If you are diligent, educated, and intellectually honest, you will find truth and you will find confidence in your conclusions.
Know when to make compromises and when to stand fast to your beliefs: there is a time for war and a time for peace. Sometimes a compromise is worthwhile to maintain an ally, but if the compromise requested is too great, that alliance is probably not worthwhile anyway.
Remember that most importantly of all, Jews are your target audience. This is true for its own sake, and also because where there is a strong Jewish pro-Israel community, others will hear your message louder.
Sometimes the Jewish establishment makes mistakes. When it does, you must not follow it blindly but you must not give up on it. It is better at fundraising than fighting, and shies away from controversy; don't expect it ever to be good at activism.
Know what works for you. The atmosphere, interests, and values of each campus or community are different. Break out of the mold of middle aged white Jewish men lecturing about the danger from Israel's enemies. Be creative, try new things, and learn from experience.
For those of you on college campuses, four years is a short period of time, and allows for little institutional memory. Discuss what works and what doesn't, and write down the lessons learned. Educate, inspire, and equip younger activists to take your place when you leave.
Remember that what you do is about your personal growth and the growth of your community as much or more as it is about convincing the outside world.

Good luck and success in all of your endeavors.

לחרות ציון
For the freedom of Zion,
Brian Maissy

Upcoming Antisemitic Event at UC Berkeley

noreply@blogger.com (Jacob Lewis) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 08:37:00 +0000

This Saturday, Louis Farrakhan will deliver the keynote address of the Afrikan Black Coalition Conference at UC Berkeley. Throughout his career, Farrakhan's hateful rhetoric has targeted Jews, the LGBT community, and Israel. From referring to the Jewish people as "the Synagogue of Satan" or "bloodsuckers" to asserting that "the real anti-Semites are those who came out of Europe and settled in Palestine, and now they call themselves the true Jews," Farrakhan consistently espouses antisemitic conspiracy theories while negating the Jewish people's right to their religion and their land.

Organized by the UC Berkeley Black Student Union, an ASUC sponsored group, Farrakhan’s visit directly attacks Jewish students on this campus. Farrakhan’s hatred cannot be tolerated. It is unfathomable that the BSU has no issue in inviting such an abjectly offensive speaker to campus.

As recently as last week, Farrakhan delivered a speech described by the Anti-Defamation League as “a textbook example” of contemporary antisemitism. According to Abe Foxman, the director of the ADL: “In the past few years Farrakhan has turned his message and the mission of the Nation of Islam into a wide-ranging campaign to demonize and scapegoat Jews.” Just days after declaring, “The government of America is owned lock stock and barrel by those Zionists that love Israel above the United States of America,” Farrakhan will speak on our campus.

But Farrakhan’s bigotry is nothing new, nor reserved solely for Jews. His prejudiced outbursts include such statements as “murder and lying comes easy for white people” and “the Jews don't like Farrakhan, so they call me Hitler. Well, that's a good name. Hitler was a very great man.” Whether accusing Jews of controlling American politics, demonizing Jewish people, or proclaiming his friendship for Moammar Gadhafi, Farrakhan’s ideology serves only to promote hate.

Please take the time to let the BSU and campus leaders know that this event is unacceptable; relevant email addresses are listed below. More information about our response to this event will be forthcoming.

Salih Muhammad, Chair of the Black Student Union
Jonathan Poullard, Dean of Students
Vishalli Loomba, ASUC President

A Statement Regarding JStreetU

noreply@blogger.com (Jacob Lewis) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 06:07:00 +0000

Last month, the Berkeley chapter of JSTreetU failed to gain entrance to the Jewish Student Union. At the meeting, Tikvah argued that JStreetU’s actions have not substantiated their claims of being both pro-Israel and pro-peace. As a committed pro-Israel organization, the Jewish Student Union has the responsibility to ensure that those claiming to represent our community support the Jewish State. Because JStreetU has a history of acting outside of these goals, the organization fell far short of the votes needed to gain the JSU’s support.

A number of recent opinion articles have accused Tikvah of having disproportionate control in the JSU. Tikvah, however, is allotted one vote. That means nine other student leaders, JSU officers, and member student groups were opposed to JStreet's inclusion. Members of organizations as diverse as the Jewish fraternity and the group for Jews in engineering spoke against JStreet. Instead of acknowledging that their actions are not acceptable for the Jewish students on this campus, JStreetU leaders have attempted to paint themselves the victim.

It wasn’t lost on the many students who oppose JStreet that the JSU already has an organization that claims to be a progressive Israel group. Leaders of that organization, Kesher Enoshi, have used their position as a “progressive” voice in the Jewish community to speak in favor of divestment and to organize campus-wide events demonizing Israel. Now, the leaders of that very same organization are requesting that yet another group they lead--one that exists primarily for the purpose of criticizing Israel--be included as part of the pro-Israel umbrella Jewish organization on campus.

As an organization, JStreetU can be judged only by its actions. In its short existence here at Berkeley, those actions include sponsoring speakers such as Assaf Sharon who referred to Israel’s capital as “a symbol of violence.” Nationally, JStreet continues to be “pro-Israel” solely through being critical of Israel. The organization is rarely able to say something positive about the Jewish State while refusing to put any of the onus for the conflict’s perpetuation on Palestinian leadership. Until JStreetU shows us something different, until their support for Israel extends beyond pressuring its leaders to take actions they believe are against its interests, JStreetU cannot be counted as part of a pro-Israel student organization.

But I hope I’m proven wrong about JStreetU here on campus. I hope they serve to be more than an another arm of Kesher Enoshi’s thinly veiled Israel bashing. I hope they live up to their tag-line and take steps that are honestly in support of the Jewish, democratic state. On that day, I’ll save them a seat in the Jewish Student Union.

Pro-Israel and Pro-Peace?

noreply@blogger.com (David Sverdlov) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:00:00 +0000

I am an active member in the Jewish Student Union at the University of California Berkeley. I am pro-Israel and pro-peace, an adamant supporter of the State of Israel and a believer in the future establishment of a Palestinian State at its side. All the actions I take as a student activist conform to these principles. Which is exactly why I lobbied and voted against the inclusion of JStreet U as a member student organization in the union.

On Wednesday night, member student organizations of the Jewish Student Union gathered at the Berkeley Hillel for our last meeting of the year, and possibly one of its most controversial, as JStreet U was seeking membership into union. Representatives of member Jewish student groups, many of whom had previously been unaware of JStreet, found themselves embroiled in a vociferous debate between two sides. Serving to complicate the debate even further was the fact that both sides presented themselves as pro-Israel and pro-peace. Opposing JStreet U’s membership into the union thus meant exposing the duplicitous character of the organization.

Proponents of JStreet U argued that there could be no doubt in regards to the principles of the organization, seeing that its constitution clearly expressed the group’s commitment to both a Jewish and democratic state. Their actions however have shown otherwise.

Among the most shocking actions taken by JStreet on a national level have included the organization’s decision to lobby in opposition to sanctions against Iran, despite the country’s decision to continue expanding its nuclear program and repeated calls by its leaders for the destruction of Israel. JStreet has also said that it is against Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions, a movement that does not recognize Israel as a Jewish state. But it has hosted various supporters of the campaign.

On the Berkeley campus, JStreet U’s actions have not deviated from its national model. Last year, the JStreet U affiliates hosted Assaf Sharon, an organizer of the Sheikh Jarrah Solidarity Movement, who referred to Jerusalem as a “symbol of violence” during his lecture. To stifle any confusion, Sharon was referring to Jerusalem itself, not the terrorist attacks happening within the city. Calling the capital of Israel and the holiest site of the Jewish people such a phrase can hardly be labeled as either pro-Israel or pro-peace.

The member student groups of the Jewish Student Union decided that this must be the case as well. With a vote of ten against, nine for, and two abstentions, the petition for admission failed momentously, as a two-thirds majority was necessary for it to pass. Not allowing JStreet U into the union was not a means of silencing the views of students who conform to the group’s principles. It was a way of ensuring that the actions undertaken by those claiming to be pro-Israel and pro-peace stayed true to those words. And in order to guarantee that true pro-Israel and pro-peace voices would be neither distorted nor silenced.

Happy Birthday Gilad Shalit

noreply@blogger.com (David Sverdlov) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 05:03:00 +0000

Happy Birthday Gilad Shalit,

On August 28^th, Israel and the international Jewish community marked your twenty fifth birthday, and with it, over five years of your captivity at the hands of Hamas. Like every other year that you have spent in captivity, we continue to hope that Hamas will drop its adamant and unjustified demand for Israel to release Palestinian murderers in exchange for your freedom. Freedom for you is one of our greatest hopes, but it would mean some reciprocation, on the part of the Palestinians, to the many steps towards peace taken by Israel in the recent past.

This is difficult to envision, however, as Israel’s myriad actions for peace over the years have received little reciprocation from the Palestinians. An even more difficult fact to stomach is that some of Israel’s most daring steps towards peace have actually taken place at the same time as your past birthdays.

Although you didn’t understand it at the time, your seventh birthday was one of Israel’s most hopeful moments for peace. The year was 1993 and Prime Minister Rabin took an unprecedented step in the peace process, courageously recognizing the Palestinian’s right to self-determination, and creating a plan to establish a Palestinian State. Sadly, this courage was met with duplicity from Yassir Arafat, who shook Rabin’s hand with his right hand, while funding terrorists with his left hand, ultimately resulting in the Second Intifada and the deliberate murder of over one thousand Israeli civilians.

On your nineteenth birthday, in 2005, the Israeli government was in the process of forcibly removing over eight thousand Israeli citizens from their homes in the Gaza strip. Despite the unpopularity of this action and no guarantee of peace, Israel still moved forward with the removal, offering a goodwill gesture to the Palestinians in hope of a long term peace. But instead of achieving the long sought after peace, Israel was bombarded with ten thousand rockets and engaged in a full scale war.

Your birthday has consistently been a day on which Israel has taken the initiative for peace. Unfortunately, the Palestinians have never responded in kind. But now the Palestinians have an opportunity to take their own major step towards peace by fulfilling your wish for freedom, as well as the yearning of the Jewish people for peace. Peace can only happen if both sides desire it. Israel has proven time and again that it wants peace; now is the time for the Palestinians to do so as well.

A Moment of Silence

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Maissy) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 07:39:00 +0000

Last Thursday, Palestinian terrorists targeted and killed innocent Israeli civilians in cold blood in a series of attacks in southern Israel. Since then, Palestinian terror groups in Gaza have fired over one hundred and fifty rockets and mortars into Israel, killing and injuring civilians, and sending one million Israelis fleeing to bomb shelters.

The Israel Air Force responded in self defense, killing leaders and members of the terrorist group in the Gaza Strip which orchestrated Thursday's attack, as well as striking weapons production facilities.

Tikvah: Students for Israel mourns for the victims of the attacks, stands in solidarity with the Israeli people in their time of distress, and salutes the Israel Defense Forces for protecting the homeland of the Jewish people.

Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha'atzmaut 5771/2011

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Maissy) — Wed, 11 May 2011 02:10:00 +0000

Today is Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel's Independence Day. Sixty-three years ago, the leaders of the Jewish community in Palestine declared the establishment of a Jewish state, the State of Israel. After two thousand years of exile, the Jewish people were once again sovereign in their own homeland.

The Zionist dream was far from achieved, however. The fledgling Israel still had monumental tasks ahead of it: to build up the state, to absorb immigrants from all over the world, to revive the Jewish people after two thirds of their numbers and the majority of their communities in Europe had been destroyed in the Shoah, and to restore the Jewish nation to an ethos and consciousness of sovereignty.

These goals would have to wait, however, because immediately after declaring independence, Israel was invaded by armies from seven Arab countries, and was forced to fight for its very existence.

Sixty-three years later, Israel has much to be proud of. It has become the center of world Jewry and risen to the top of the ranks among the nations in all measures of political, economic, intellectual, cultural, and social achievements. It has established a sense of self-determination and security for the Jewish people, both in Israel and in the diaspora, which was only a dream the century before. And it has successfully defended itself from repeated Arab invasions as well as terrorist attacks against its civilians.

But on a day when we celebrate what we have accomplished, it is strikingly obvious what we have yet to achieve: peace and security. And not for lack of trying. Israel has been aggressively pursuing peace with its neighbors since 1948 when it announced in its Declaration of Statehood:

"WE EXTEND our hand to all neighbouring states and their peoples in an offer of peace and good neighbourliness, and appeal to them to establish bonds of cooperation and mutual help with the sovereign Jewish people settled in its own land."

Unfortunately, even today, Israel still has to fear for its security. And Jews, because we so deeply desire peace, are often quick to believe that we ourselves have not done enough to achieve it. But the sad reality is, that no matter what we do, we will never have peace until our enemies accept the fact that the Jewish people is indigenous to the Land of Israel, that we have returned to our land and to our sovereignty, and that we are here to stay. There will be peace when our neighbors and the world accept peace on the terms we offered in 1948, peace "with the sovereign Jewish people settled in its own land."

Unfortunately, even today, the Palestinian Arabs are unwilling to accept this. The terrorist organization and governing body of the Gaza strip, Hamas, believes that "Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it." It also believes that "there is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors." (Hamas Charter) And the Palestinian Authority has just signed a unity deal with Hamas, shattering the facade that it was moderate and dedicated to peace.

Yesterday was Yom Hazikaron, the Israeli day of remembrance for soldiers who have fallen and for victims of terrorist attacks. On this somber day, we reflect on the heavy cost that sixty-three years of war have taken from us: sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers. Every Israeli is aware of this cost, and wants to be free from it. But they understand that surrender is not an option. To surrender means the end of the Jewish state.

When the Zionist leaders of the Jewish community in Palestine called for the creation of a Jewish state and a Jewish army, they knew what the cost would be. The state was not given to the Jewish people on a silver platter, and it persists and thrives by our own sweat and blood. On this Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha'atzmaut, we should be proud of what we have accomplished, dedicated to continue the work, and cognizant that the price is worthwhile, because the martyrs of Israel have not died in vain.

Launch of the Berkeley Institute for Jewish Law and Israeli Law, Economy and Society

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Maissy) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 11:32:00 +0000

Last Wednesday, UC Berkeley saw the formal launch of the new Institute for Jewish Law and Israeli Law, Economy and Society. The Institute is "an interdisciplinary initiative coordinated with a 15-member faculty advisory committee from units across campus, including law, economics, business, political science, history, sociology, and Jewish Studies."

The launch event, held in the Morrison library, was well attended by undergraduate and graduate students, members of the community, professors, and administrators.

The keynote address was given by former Israeli Supreme Court Justice Dalia Dorner. She spoke about the challenges of balancing national security with human rights in Israel. It is often difficult and costly in times of war to preserve the high standard of human rights that Israel does, and Dorner spoke about the role of the Court in that process, and some of the landmark decisions that were made in defense of human rights during her tenure.

There was a great deal of excitement and optimism at the event about the future of the young Institute. Chancellor Birgeneau said that "it will make a measurable contribution to scholarly inquiry and discourse across our campus."

Especially here at Berkeley, where there are so many voices of bias, propaganda, and hatred against Israel, it is meeting a certain and visible need. Professor Bamberger, faculty director of the Institute, commented, "We’re working to support broader discourse on campus around Jewish and Israel-related scholarship." Many hope that this Institute will provide a safe forum for the respectful and honest study of Israel, for the mutual benefit of the State of Israel and the University of California, Berkeley.

Berkeley Institute for Jewish Law and Israeli Law, Economy and Society
New Institute to Expand Jewish and Israel Studies at UC Berkeley

Itamar

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Maissy) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 04:54:00 +0000

[A poem written by Matt White, a member of Tikvah: Students for Israel. He read it last Wednesday at a candlelight vigil in memory of the victims of the murders in Itamar.]

Blessings
and
thank you to Suheir Hammad for your words to inspire me
Sweet and acidic like a perfect grapefruit
like
a blood orange

Gentlemen, let us bless

“May it be your will, Hashem, our G-d,
that there be no distress, grief,
or lament
on this day
of our contentment”

Red rooftop white wall blind sunlight bright
soft skies in haze on Shomron
hilltops and pine groves dot this
village cautious advanced upon by shrubs and bushes
fennel, sage, thistle, za’atar
shimmy in a circle around Itamar
cactus soldiers in a wild common battalion
fragrant handful clutch soil realization belonging
Homeland herbs

Desert wind you carry the spices of Solomon
Desert sand you twirl and strangle
Desert veil you shroud a beloved
Desert eyes made now of glass

Shabbat queen
Shabbat mother Shabbat bride
Her garments torn on jujube thorn
Her gullet roars no sound to mourn
Dare break the silence day seven shorn
Children are dead no hero was born
Massacre you shalom ’aleikhem
Butcher you yedid nefesh
Shabbat woman
Cannot wail cannot tear her hair
Her sleep was robbed her bed invaded her joy drained of fluid her
Prayers jewels treasures nightmares
Sleep is robbed of Shabbat woman she cannot
Sleep again cannot give herself in
To rest cannot
Sleep no more
Crystal shrapnel on challah cover

How can she seek to give comfort
because Jew father
in bed with Zionist entity baby girl
Her purple tiny custom-made hoodie embraces his
blue jacket with white striped sleeves
trying to sleep
Because in her three months she
could but cry out that she
demanded to grow
can never say a first word because
slashed throats don’t speak
they only bleed
only bleed

Shabbat woman how can she seek to give comfort
mother is cut open on the bathroom floor
because she hid her hair in her tikhel for the world to not see
her grace
just as in Ramallah
a doppelganger hides her hair in her
hijab for the world to not see
her beauty
because sour iron ruby pool surrounds and soaks this crumpled kippah
because preteen boy child is slapped down on his back
with holes in his flesh
a criminal for being indigenous
did you know that a heart can boil

did you know that doves have dirty infected wings
that three year old has a knife enter his heart twice to stop it
that three year old neck must be racist
because it was designed white
that three year old neck was hacked apart
because
vocal cords already
know how to dare speak
“’am yisrael khai”

because it ain’t no disgusting accident
ain’t no human shield
ain’t no clear and present danger
ain’t no violent threat
ain’t no combatant in a war which has sides
ain’t no terrorist with bombs as a breastplate

Shabbat woman what power have you
against Gush Katif evacuation catastrophe
against orange groves being chopped down and used as space for
Hamas rocket launchers
against a retreat with hands held steady above our heads
that translated into metal rain for a decade in the life of southern Israel
that introduced civilians to the words Katyusha, Kassam, Grad
what power have you to weep
when refugees from ethnic cleansing
find themselves converted to corpses in the wilderness of Itamar

Shabbat woman please try to caress the face of
the survivor Yishai
because he’s two years old
and he has blood caked and spattered on his legs
and he screams for his parents to wake up
because he screams and cannot be quieted
try to caress his face
because his mother will never again be able to do just that

tell Tamar and Roi that there is no justification for terrorism
that their lives are a miracle
that were they found they would have been murdered too
one
two
eight
a family of Jews

Dalaal al-Mughrabi
hijacks a bus in the second week of March 1978 Israel
murders thirty seven
murders from them thirteen children
murders credibility to the Palestinian cause
and in the second week of March 2011 Israel
while Itamar weeps until salt claws at its eyelids
al-Bireh devotes
its largest town square
to Dalaal al-Mughrabi
to her name
to her memory
to her hate
and the children of the family Fogel
are stabbed in the heart again and again

Salam Fayyad
Mahmoud Abbas
you whisper in my ear that you want peace
you tell me on your government-controlled TV idiot box bullshit that you want peace
My peace has no knives
My peace has no shrouding of the map of Israel
My peace has no networks broadcasting glorifying a previous batch of Itamar murderers
My peace has no political party of my own design claiming responsibility for murder
My peace has no Fatah lies
My peace gauges no party as moderate just because the alternative is worse
My peace has no incitement to murder
My peace has no terrorists

To the people the world has sent into damnation such to be “settlers”
who CNN and Al-Jazeera would rather call “settlers” than human beings
who Western media can’t see as innocent victims in their homeland but rather the fact that they had it coming to them
that this was an “alleged” terror attack

People who stand in defiance to a world that no longer cares about slaughtered Jews

I dare you to live

And I shriek out to the lone few of you who
pour tar and kerosene and feces on peace negotiations
and you’re craven enough to do it
in the name of Judaism and Israel and Zionism
I shriek out to you
My Judaism has no reprisal attacks
My Israel has no threatening the lives of innocent Palestinian townsfolk
My Zionism has no smashing car windshields
No invasion of property to throw stones in a third racist intifada
No demonstrations with signs saying “death to Arabs”
My Zionism burns with pride and kisses the cheek of the
Civilian in the neighboring town of Awarta
Who speaks in Arabic
and declares the injustice of killing babies

Give me your hand as I look into your eyes I don’t care what color they are because to me they are beautiful they are gorgeous because they and I thirst to be loved my Muslim Christian agnostic atheist Arab raceless brothers and sisters

Palestinian people I want to dance to the beat of your darbuka
I beg you to listen when I say
My peace has no pastries and candy passed out on the streets of Rafah
To celebrate an infant having the breath sliced out of her

Hamas of Gaza your candy tastes like Iranian warheads
Your candy tastes like shells and mortars
Your candy tastes like a crown of thorns
Your candy tastes like charred bones and howling blood
Your candy tastes like the murder of my people
And your residents tell me joy is a “natural response” to the murder of Israelis

I’m sick I’m so sick I want to vomit I surf on waves of nausea I
spill my words like Tishbi wine into internationally deaf ears I
can’t process my thoughts when the United Nations is controlled by maniacs I
feel so abandoned when evil tyranny anti-Semitism can thrive

I light my candle for Rabbi Udi
for Ruti
because they now have no tikhel no blue jacket with white striped sleeves
because they now are clothed in black and white tallitot
I
I light my candle for Yoav
for Elad
for baby Hadas
because there are three tiny coffins in Givat Shaul
that the world doesn’t give a fuck to see

I light my candle because nobody is going to do it for me

I don’t want no houses built in their honor
I don’t want martyrdom to be answered with human growth I don’t want martyrdom to be used for political purposes even if it makes us seem weak maybe we don’t always have to have muscles maybe the desiccated byproduct of a jihadist genocidal mentality can’t be in dialogue with concrete maybe I want their souls done tangible justice I’ve given up on humans for the time being I want to see olive trees and rotem flower bloom in their name I want to see pomegranates fresh fragrant in their memory I want to see lemon blossoms sticky with nectar in their love I want to see the children in Nablus and Jenin given books explaining with truth how we’re cousins in genes and phantasms all of us and how resplendent this friendship alone on our ship our ship bamidbar in the wilderness of our land isolated vessel how children have futures in medicine art healing for all the times they were told to strap magazines pregnant with bullets across their small frail chests and denied life to others and in so doing were abused denied dreams themselves because knife tangible knife silver blade cutting throats equals knife invisible indoctrination hungry devouring brains intellect hope future washed away in milk in chalk in plasma screen violets scream in suicide

I hold gingerly between fingers limp a natural growth
With a drop of blood
A white cyclamen
With a drop of blood
I’m scrubbing I’m scrubbing oh G-d they’re trying to make out of me
Lady Macbeth
I scrub and scrub until my hands fall off and I go insane

The dolls children left on the floor and did not tidy up
Are frozen with their beatific smiles
They cannot play without a partner

Shabbat queen
Shabbat mother Shabbat bride
Shabbat woman
close
your eyes
because next Shabbat
I want peace

Richard Goldstone Lecture at Berkeley

noreply@blogger.com (Jacob Lewis) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 21:29:00 +0000

Last Thursday, Justice Richard Goldstone spoke on campus at an event entitled “International Law and Human Rights: The Search for Justice,” sponsored by the Institute for International Studies. Two points Goldstone made—that Israel is not Apartheid and the sanctions do not work—stood out. Goldstone’s report was the lynchpin of the argument in support of divestment at UC Berkeley last semester. Integral to the argument for divestment was that it is either untrue or irrelevant that a double standard is being applied to Israel, and that divestment had the possibility to put pressure on Israel.

Goldstone claimed that sanctions are not effective and it seems impossible that divestment could make a difference either. Goldstone also admitted that a double standard is applied to Israel. He defends his report with the following metaphor. To him, the situation is analogous to a city where 14 murders are committed in one day; however, the police department is only able to prosecute three of the murders. Goldstone asks, shouldn’t the police still complete their investigations even if not every murderer can be brought to justice? The analogy has a major flaw, the same flaw in every argument supporting singling out the Jewish State. In Goldstone's city, what if the suspects in three of the murders are Jewish, and the other eleven from different ethnic groups. Wouldn’t there be something wrong if only the murders where Jews were suspected are investigated and prosecuted while the other eleven are ignored?

While there is much criticism of the methods and assumptions Goldstone made to complete his report, Goldstone still makes it clear that Israel is not Apartheid and does not speak of the nation as pariah in the same way as those who have embraced his report. Even more appalling than the shoddy investigative methods Goldstone used is his continued tacit-approval of people using his report to support claims that he does not make, like the claim that Israel is an Apartheid State. Furthermore, his lecture made it clear that the divestment movement is happy to pick and choose whom they find credible based on what is being said. To them, Goldstone is credible when he says Israel commits war crimes, but despite what he said on Thursday, Israel Apartheid week is sure to be held this year.

Delegitimization of Israel: the New Antisemitism

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Maissy) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 01:24:00 +0000

Yesterday evening, David Olesker spoke to us about delegitimization of Israel. He introduced Natan Sharansky's 3-D heuristic for assessing when anti-Israel arguments become anti-Semitic. Legitimate criticism of Israel is fine, but it crosses a line if it holds Israel to double standards, demonizes Israel, or delegitimizes the Jewish state.

Like every country, Israel has political, social, and economic issues which its citizens struggle with. They debate the wisdom and morality of actions taken by the government. But no matter what that Israel does, it does not undermine the right of the Jewish people to self-determination in their homeland.

Here in Berkeley, we frequently hear arguments which deny the historical Jewish connection to the land of Israel and the right of the Jewish people to a sovereign state, deliberately take facts about Israel out of context to make Israelis out to be monsters, or hold Israel to a different standard than any other country. And all too often, they are defended in the name of dialogue. These arguments are bigoted and fail the 3-D test. Tikvah strives to educate the campus community that this type of discourse about Israel is not acceptable criticism, it is antisemitism.

Bigotry, racism, and discrimination against Jewish students at Rutgers

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Maissy) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 07:29:00 +0000

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but our Jewish friends at Rutgers are once again the victims of antisemitic hatred. BAKA: Students United for Middle Eastern Justice, an anti-Israel group at Rutgers with a history of using hateful tactics to defame Israel and intimidate Jewish students, has shocked us again.

On January 29th, Jewish students came out to protest an antisemitic BAKA event "comparing Israelis to Nazis" called "Never Again for Anyone." Aaron Marcus, one of the organizers of the protest, said "We came out because the mere accusation that Israeli acts of self-defense are in the smallest amount comparable to the systematic genocide of more than 11 million people is deplorable."

To make matters worse, the Jewish students who were speaking out against the hateful rhetoric were harassed and intimidated. An admission charge to the event was unequally applied to the Jewish students, while the event organizers set out to "pompously and racially find anyone looking like an anti-Israel supporter and give them green wristbands, telling the Jews huddled together that they were event staff and security."

After publishing a column in the school newspaper, the Daily Targum, expressing his disgust with the hateful BAKA event, Marcus himself was threatened on facebook by a fellow student, who posted the status: "As I was reading the Aaron Marcus column this morning I realized how Im a pretty angry person. Id be happy to see him beat with a crowbar. Violence doesnt solve problems but it shuts up people who shouldnt speak". The post was 'liked' by at least seven others, including one who commented: "Or makes them martyrs, furthering the strength behind their beliefs. And skinning them alive so they see the afterlife."

This incident is another disturbing reminder of the growing antisemitism on American college campuses. Anyone who claims that the Jewish people do not have a right to self-determination and self-defense in their historic homeland is applying a bigoted double standard to the Jews. While publicly calling oneself an antisemite has fallen out of fashion, hatred of Jews is back, this time masquerading as anti-Zionism.

Jewish students at UC Berkeley have witnessed similar hateful anti-Israel rhetoric, as well as harassment and intimidation. Tikvah: Students for Israel, the Zionist voice on campus, is a student group which speaks out against the defamation of Israel and stands up for Jewish students.

In solidarity with our colleagues at Rutgers,

Brian Maissy
Co-president
Tikvah: Students for Israel

BAKA must end hateful tactics, Daily Targum
Admission changes cause controversy, Daily Targum

Website renovated

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Maissy) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 01:47:00 +0000

Hey everyone, I just finished doing some renovations on our website, tikvahsfi.berkeley.edu. Additionally, we have a new facebook page. Please head on over there and "like" it to stay connected!

Extreme Antisemitism in the Daily Cal

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Maissy) — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 22:42:00 +0000

Today, Friday November 19, a shocking and unacceptable op-ed appeared in Berkeley's student newspaper, the Daily Cal. In the article, entitled "War With Iran: New Excuse, Same Conclusion", Matthew Soldad makes the claim that American Jews "aligned with Israel" with a "lust for domination" are behind a scheme involving "subversion of the Republican party" and "baiting American leadership" into going to war for economic gain.

This type of language draws directly from classic antisemitic blood libel, tapping into the themes of subversion, dual loyalty, and control of the economy.

The author, Matthew Soldad, has apparently been at work contributing antisemitic articles to school newspapers before, with an article about Hitler being a Jewish Zionist in the CSUN Daily Sundial in September of this year.

It is absolutely deplorable that the student newspaper at the University of California, Berkeley would print such bigoted dribble. The Daily Californian must immediately apologize to the Jewish community, ensure consequences for the editor responsible, and take steps to ensure that this kind of blatant racism is never published again.

Please email a letter to the Daily Cal at dailycalifornian@dailycal.org, and clearly make your voice heard that this is completely unacceptable.

Israeli civilians murdered; Peace talks not looking promising

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Maissy) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:21:00 +0000

This past Tuesday, Hamas terrorists shot to death four Jews who were driving in a car at the Bani Naim junction in Judea. While this massacre would be a tragedy at any time, it is especially troubling on the eve of the peace talks scheduled to begin between Israel and the PA.

Hamas opposition to peace talks of any kind is stated explicitly in its charter, which claims that the only road forward is violence with the aim of obliterating the Jewish state. Any peace deal with the PA will not speak for Hamas, which currently controls the Gaza region.

The American-backed PA is often referred to as more moderate, but many question its commitment to peace as well. A couple of days ago it honored a mother for raising children who became terrorists and killed Israeli civilians. PA television recently aired a broadcast that told Jews to leave Israel (their ancient homeland), and to return to Europe and Ethiopia. And PA president Abbas said that if the upcoming peace talks fail, Israel will be to blame unless it meets the preconditions that the PA demands.

The nation of Israel waits eagerly and prays that after 62 long years, the Palestinian leadership will finally be a sincere partner for peace.

First General Meeting!

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Maissy) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:01:00 +0000

Join us for our first general meeting as we kick off the new school year! If you are new, this is a great opportunity to meet us and learn what Tikvah is all about. If you are a returning member you can reunite with your Tikvah friends and meet new members.

We will be introducing our group and its mission, discussing the topic: "Pro-Israel at Berkeley", and getting to know you, our new and prospective members!

Free drinks and snacks will be served.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010
7:30pm
185 Barrows Hall.

If you have any questions, please contact us!

New website!

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Maissy) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 03:36:00 +0000

Welcome to the Fall 2010 semester!

We have exciting news! In addition to this blog now being active again, Tikvah will soon have a website up! A real website! The url will be tikvahsfi.berkeley.edu.

Right now that address redirects here, so please be patient as we work out the technical details.

Stay tuned, and check back soon.

Update: the website is up at its permanent location, tikvahsfi.berkeley.edu

Natan Sharansky is Coming to Cal!

noreply@blogger.com (jmoghtader) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:59:00 +0000

Natan Sharansky Speaks at Cal!

Hosted by Tikvah: Students for Israel, Jewish National Fund, Caravan for Democracy, and Media Watch International

Tuesday May 5, 2009 at 7pm in 155 Dwinelle (Doors open at 6:30)

To reserve a seat, please visit:

http://support.jnf.org/site/Survey?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=7004

When Natan Sharansky was denied the right to an Israel exit visa in 1973, he joined other Soviet Jews in their fight for freedom, as well as the Soviet Union's human rights movement. He soon became an unofficial spokesperson for both causes and was accused of conspiracy with the US government in 1977. After serving 9 of the 13 years he was sentenced to prison, he was released with the help of his wife's international campaign, and he emigrated to Israel on the very same day.

Sharansky has since been an integral part of increasing Jewish emigration to Israel, specifically from Russia - he founded the political party "Yisrael B'Aliya" in 1996. Sharansky also co-founded Peace Watch in 1994 and has served as Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in 4 Israeli governments. He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1986 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2006.

Sharansky has written 3 books. His first, "Fear No Evil," is autobiographical and details his years in prison. "The Case for Democracy" is a New York Times bestseller arguing his views on freedom. His most recent book, "Defending Identity," was just released last June.

For more info: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=81262590867

A New Post! Finally! This time, with some updates...

noreply@blogger.com (Yoni W) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:28:00 +0000

Sorry we haven't posted anything in a while. It's been a busy time and more regular posts are soon, to come. In the meantime, here's a quick runthrough of some of our latest events:

Israeli Peace and Diversity Week (March 2 - 6)

Monday, March 2: LGBT Rights in Israel

Tuesday, March 3: 8-10 pm in 242 Dwinelle - film screening of "Live and Become"

Wednesday, March 4: Refugee Day, 11-2 pm
LAVON MERCER, 8:00 pm, East Madrone Room - Former professional basketball player speaks about his experience as an African-American living in Israel and volunteering in the IDF.

Thursday, March 5: PEACE RALLY at noon on Savio Steps

Friday, March 6:Path to Peace, 11-1 pm on Sproul.

On Thursday, May 23 we screened the film "The Case for Israel," a documentary based on Alan Dershowitz's best-selling book. 60 people came to the event and there was a discussion/Q and A session afterwards. Thanks to all who came, and we hope you learned a lot.

**We'll try to post some pictures from the events on the blog soon, too.

We'll keep you updated on more exciting events to look forward to. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at tikvahsfi@gmail.com

"Why the Media Get the Middle East Wrong" with Jeff Jacoby

noreply@blogger.com (Yoni W) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 02:34:00 +0000

Last Tuesday night (12/2) Tikvah hosted Jeff Jacoby, columnist of the Boston Globe, to talk about "Why the Media Gets the Middle East Wrong." It was a fascinating talk with about 45 people in attendance. Jacoby began the evening by reading news stories from various American newspapers and pointed out how when it comes to the Middle East, publications like to leave certain facts out. For example, when UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on Palestinians to stop firing rockets into Israel and for Israel not to respond with excessive, a respected newpaper reported the story as saying: "Ban Ki-moon tells Israel to stop using excessive force on Palestinians" without making any mention of the rest of his statement. There was another case with Newsweek Magazine when on the cover the face of a female suicide bomber was placed next to a picture of a female victim of the bombing. Their two stories were profiled equally and their faces were the same size. This sort of imagery creates a sense of moral equivalence between the murderer and the murdered. There are countless other similar examples.

Jacoby then went into why such a bias exists. Logically, it doesn't make sense that such a tiny region with such a relatively small conflict (compared to ones in Darfur and Congo with MUCH more violence) gets so much coverage, and negative coverage at that. The reasons are as follows: First, access to Israel is much easier for international journalists than it is to many other places. Tel Aviv is very hospital to reporters and there is a thriving free press in Israel. Reporters are much more likely to spend months posted in a beautiful hotel by the beach in Tel Aviv than they are to stay in Sudan or Congo. The next reason is fear. In the Islamic fundamentalist countries around Israel, journalists are threatened and intimidated by the government for writing anything critical. In Israel, it is more than OK to criticize the government -- Israelis do it more than enough! Another reason is the media's general leaning towards the left side of the political spectrum. While the Left and Right in this country are supportive of Israel, it is a trend of late for the Left to be more critical of Israel. Because most major media outlets in this country are left-leaning, this tendency to be critical of Israel is apparent. Lastly, there is often reporting based on nonfactual information. When a reporter goes to the Middle East and doesn't know the local language, they depend on translators and guides to give them the story of what's going on. The translators/guides in Palestinian territories often work for the government and take journalists to staged scenes of children throwing rocks that are not genuine at all. Reporters don't have any other options so they run with the fake story and photographs and people in the rest of the world take them to be true. Following his talk, Jacoby took questions from people in the audience, some journalists themselves and some just interested students.

Overall it was a great evening and a wonderful way to end the semester. Thanks to all of you who showed up! We look forward to seeing you for more events after the break.

Address the Real Problems at Berkeley

noreply@blogger.com (Yoni W) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:57:00 +0000

The following is a statement made by ZFA Director Yehuda HaKohen. We are posting it here because of its relevance to issues affecting Zionist students at Cal.
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B"H
Address the real problems at Berkeley
by Yehuda HaKohen

As director of the Zionist Freedom Alliance and one of the organizers of Israel Liberation Week at UC Berkeley last month, I was disturbed to learn some of the things being said about the ZFA not only by the “Students for Justice in Palestine” and their supporters but also by the Bay Area’s organized Jewish leadership. For readers unaware of recent events at Berkeley, the ZFA hosted Israel Liberation Week on campus from November 10th-14th. On the afternoon of Thursday November 13th, we brought Jewish, Black and Mexican performers together for a concert advocating Jewish national rights. A series of unnecessary events that began with a disruption of the concert by the SJP and ended in a violent confrontation between Arabs and Jews has since become the focus of media attention.

Rather than address the underlying tensions at Berkeley that led to the unfortunate incident, the Jewish community leaders have placed the blame for the violence on the ZFA, labeling us as an “extreme right-wing” group and accusing us of brainwashing impressionable Jewish students towards confrontational behavior. But this libel holds no water when one looks at what we stand for and what we stand against. The ZFA message carries absolutely no anti-Arab or Islamophobic sentiment. ZFA has never brought speakers like Daniel Pipes* or Walid Shoebat to any campus, nor have we ever screened alarmist anti-Muslim films like Obsession. To the contrary, genuine efforts were made to dialogue with members of SJP and the Muslim Student Association. I even personally invited SJP leaders to an Israel Liberation Week event called “Moral Dilemmas Confronting the State of Israel Today” that deals with certain problematic areas of Israeli government policy. Although similar efforts to engage in genuine dialogue with Muslim and Arab students on other campuses have been well received, we encountered only a hostile atmosphere at Berkeley to anything that could be labeled Zionist.

In truth, the perception that Zionist students at UC Berkeley are “confrontational” is simply the most recent outgrowth of an obvious intolerance on campus for any individuals or groups who appear supportive of the Jewish state. In all my years working on university campuses, I have never encountered a climate of hate towards Israel like that at Berkeley. During the week I spent on campus, I witnessed pro-Israel students incessantly mocked, taunted and ridiculed by their peers. The Zionist students justifiably feel discriminated against by the university. The dean of students, Jonathan Poullard, told me following the concert that these Zionist students (most of whom are members of the Tikvah organization) have been making trouble on campus for the last year. But such “trouble making” simply means that these students have been assertive in their opposition to the anti-Zionist bigotry and SJP propaganda that has flourished unchecked at UC Berkeley for years. Before Tikvah, the activities of anti-Israel groups went unchallenged and no one contested the erroneous narrative that Zionism is akin to racism or that Israel is an oppressive colonial regime. But now Jewish students at Berkeley proudly proclaim their national rights and anti-Israel groups know that they no longer have free reign.

Marginalizing any ideological group is dangerous, yet this is precisely what the UC Berkeley administration, dean of students, Jewish Student Union and campus Hillel have done to the leaders of Tikvah. If the administration is truly interested in calming tensions on campus, the first step is making pro-Israel students feel that their political views are valid and that Zionism has a legitimate place among the many other just causes at UC Berkeley.

The ZFA’s overall message is one of Jewish rights. We unapologetically assert that the Jewish people, like all other peoples, enjoy national rights – specifically the right to self-determination in our homeland; without denigrating anyone else. Even though some Jewish leaders and groups are curiously afraid to vocally assert such rights, these are mainstream views within the Jewish community. Just because we promote the Jewish people’s legal, moral and historic rights to our country does not justify labeling the ZFA as a “right-wing” group. And neither does defending oneself from physical attack. It was the assertion of our own people’s legitimate rights that prompted the regrettable disruption of our concert by the SJP and the physical confrontation that ultimately followed.

The ZFA leadership fully understands that the deplorable incident at our concert has justifiably alarmed many in the Bay Area community. We understand that it has brought long standing tensions to the forefront and forced Jews and non-Jews alike to deal with deeply rooted problems that have in the past been swept under the rug. But rather than seek a convenient scapegoat to deflect blame from local Jewish leadership, why not work together and address the real difficulties confronting pro-Israel students at Berkeley? Why not take advantage of ZFA’s experience and expertise in making the Berkeley campus, and the Bay Area in general, a more accepting place for those who speak of Jewish rights?

*NOTE: Tikvah has hosted Daniel Pipes in the past because we feel that it is important to bring speakers of many viewpoints to this campus. Again, it was a Tikvah event, not a ZFA event. These are two separate organizations who have worked together in the past but don't necessarily share the same viewpoints on everything.

Members of Students for Justice in Palestine Attack Jews at UC Berkeley Hip-Hop Concert

noreply@blogger.com (jmoghtader) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 22:17:00 +0000

While the event referenced below was not a Tikvah event, we want to express solidarity with the Jewish students who were attacked by members of Students for Justice in Palestine after the Jewish students made a civil request for illegally draped Palestinian flags to be taken down. The Zionist Freedom Alliance statement is below. Dozens and dozens of eyewitnesses, some of which are Tikvah members and others who are not, attest to this statement.

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Members of Students for Justice in Palestine Attack Jews at UC Berkeley Hip-Hop Concert
(Berkeley, CA- November 13, 2008)

We, the Zionist Freedom Alliance student group at Cal, are deeply concerned by the latest in a series of attacks on Jewish and pro-Israel students at UC Berkeley perpetrated by members of Students for Justice in Palestine. On the night of November 13, 2008 at around 6:00 PM, members of Students for Justice in Palestine disrupted our hip-hop concert that celebrated the Jewish connection to the land of Israel. Then they attacked students who asked them to stop their disruption.

Three members of the Students for Justice in Palestine illegally draped large Palestinian flags behind the stage of the concert, which was part of Israel Liberation Week. Yehuda De Sa (one of the performers), Cal alumnus Gabe Weiner, and current ASUC Senator John Moghtader walked to the balcony from which the flags were hanging and asked the students to remove the flags as they misrepresented the concert's message. The SJP members immediately became hostile at this request and current SJP leader Husam Zakharia instigated a physical altercation by striking Weiner on the head. As Weiner and the performer tried to defend themselves, Moghtader stood away from the scuffle and then made a successful effort to break up the fight.

Members of Students for Justice in Palestine shouted anti-Semitic epithets referencing the Holocaust throughout the ordeal. Zakharia and others from SJP were detained by the police and charged with battery. Citizens' arrests were filed against SJP members who took part in the altercation.

The violence, intimidation, and harassment exhibited by members of Students for Justice in Palestine at the concert is only one act in a pattern of similar behavior that they have exhibited towards Jewish and pro-Israel students on this campus. Last year, multiple charges were filed against SJP and some of its members citing harassment, violence, intimidation, and violation of numerous other campus rules. These charges all went ignored by Dean of Students Jonathan Poullard.

We call on state officials, the President of the University of California, the Chancellor, the Dean of Students, faculty, and the student body to take a unified stand against the continued harassment of Jewish and pro-Israel students on this campus, particularly by members of Students for Justice in Palestine.

The Zionist Freedom Alliance Student Group at Cal

Contact: ZFAatUCB@gmail.com

Tikvah on the Finkelstein Event

noreply@blogger.com (jmoghtader) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 09:41:00 +0000

Tikvah: Students for Israel held a peaceful protest outside the Finkelstein event on Wednesday, October 15, 2008. Many students took part in the protest, which sought to highlight Finkelstein's notoriously dangerous and racist views.

The speaker- Norman Finkelstein- is a vocal and adamant supporter of Hezbollah (considered a terrorist organization by the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Israel, Australia, and many others). Beyond that, and most hurtfully, he is a Holocaust revisionist. The Washington Post on December 3, 2002 wrote, “Norman Finkelstein [is] a writer celebrated by neo-Nazi groups for his Holocaust revisionism and comparisons of Israel to Nazi Germany.”

Following the protest, a group of students (some from Tikvah and others not) decided to speak out within the actual event.

Those who spoke out respect the right of groups to bring speakers of their choosing to campus in the name of free speech and exercised their right to free speech in response.

None of the protesters used any profanity at the event.

Members of my community and I made sure that our voices would not be silenced in the face of these indescribably hurtful messages.

So long as terrorist supporters and Holocaust revisionists like Finkelstein voice their extremism and hatred on this campus, there will be a louder voice in response.

Antisemitic Vandalism at Berkeley

noreply@blogger.com (Tikvah: Students for Israel) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:41:00 +0000