The Fourth Palestine Solidarity Movement (PSM) Conference is scheduled to take place at Duke University this October 15-17. PSM is an offshoot of the International Solidarity Movement, which operates under the auspices of Palestinian terror organizations, according to the Israeli government. The conference features virulently anti-Semitic speakers and has in the past offered the podium to known Islamic Jihad leader Sami Al-Arian, who is now in federal prison. The conference seeks to promote divestment from Israel, a means to destroy the Jewish state's economy, while refusing to condemn basic human atrocities committed almost daily by Palestinian terrorists.
Tens of thousands of people have signed a petition seeking that Duke, a private institution, prevent this conference from happening, so people are aware of the hatred espoused by PSM; however, there exists a big problem in the Jewish community, to which not much attention has been given: Jewish campus leaders are being faced with an ironic challenge to their anti-PSM efforts by their own Hillel houses.
I have quite a bit of experience in dealing with the PSM conference, as I helped to organize the counter-demonstration when the second conference was held at the University of Michigan in the fall of 2002. I also attended the 2003 PSM hate-fests at Rutgers and Ohio State.
At U-M, the Michigan Student Zionists organization planned a counter-demonstration featuring speakers, videos, rallies and prayers. Hundreds of community members came out to help demonstrate against PSM, but Hillel refused to co-sponsor the events. The Executive Director of the U-M Hillel, Michael Brooks, went a step further when he declared Hillel's opposition to MSZ's efforts, encouraging parents of alumni not to send their children to MSZ's events, as they "fan the flames of hatred." Hillel instead engaged in a range of pro-Israel activities in the week preceding the conference, including passing out falafel in the middle of campus. Apparently, we are supposed to just pass the humus as the enemies of Judaism use universities as platforms to debate methods of our destruction.
The situation was in no way improved at Ohio State, where the bulk of the 2003 PSM met to discuss strategies for the upcoming year. The campus hosted Alan Dershowitz to speak on Israel's behalf the week before the conference, but again Hillel resisted efforts of Jewish students to demonstrate against the actual conference. The morning that the PSM conference began, I confronted OSU Hillel Director Joseph Kohane in his office. He told me that he did not want to provide publicity for the PSM and therefore rightly rejected the efforts of Jewish students to protest the conference. He then ironically proceeded to host his own press conference. In essence, his argument is that it is more important not to draw attention to the Palestinian point of view than it is to inspire Jewish students.
At Duke University, the President of the Duke Conservative Union, Jack Langer, is organizing efforts against the conference. He is hosting Daniel Pipes and Debbie Schlussel to counter the efforts of the PSM. He is justly shocked at the position that the Freeman Center for Jewish Life (Hillel) has taken. While openly endorsing the idea of promoting dialogue and interaction with members of PSM, Hillel has explicitly rejected Jewish activism in the form of protesting the conference. Many Yeshiva University students were willing to travel (10 hours by bus) to Duke in order to help the Jewish students at Duke to defeat this conference. When YU Israel Club co-president Hindy Poupko asked Duke Hillel Associate Director Ari Dubin if he wanted their help in combating the PSM, he simply responded, "You're welcome not to come."
In 2002, at Michigan, PSM conference attendees circled around a small number of Jewish protesters, and chanted "Death to the Jews" in Arabic. It's time to tell Hillel that passing out falafel in the center of campus is not enough of a response.
Hillel's ignoring of events like the PSM conferences has given rise to pro-Israel groups who operate outside of the traditional Jewish establishment. The North American Jewish Student Alliance, a student-run movement, for example, has provided material support and financing for students to engage the past three PSM conferences. Likewise, Aish HaTorah Hasbara Fellowships, sponsors of the Michigan counter-conference, has funded scores of Jewish educational events. Hillel, by far the biggest and richest of the Jewish campus organizations, is a great place for Jewish religious and social events, but when it comes to Israel advocacy, it's time to start thinking outside the box.
Tens of thousands of people have signed a petition seeking that Duke, a private institution, prevent this conference from happening, so people are aware of the hatred espoused by PSM; however, there exists a big problem in the Jewish community, to which not much attention has been given: Jewish campus leaders are being faced with an ironic challenge to their anti-PSM efforts by their own Hillel houses.
I have quite a bit of experience in dealing with the PSM conference, as I helped to organize the counter-demonstration when the second conference was held at the University of Michigan in the fall of 2002. I also attended the 2003 PSM hate-fests at Rutgers and Ohio State.
At U-M, the Michigan Student Zionists organization planned a counter-demonstration featuring speakers, videos, rallies and prayers. Hundreds of community members came out to help demonstrate against PSM, but Hillel refused to co-sponsor the events. The Executive Director of the U-M Hillel, Michael Brooks, went a step further when he declared Hillel's opposition to MSZ's efforts, encouraging parents of alumni not to send their children to MSZ's events, as they "fan the flames of hatred." Hillel instead engaged in a range of pro-Israel activities in the week preceding the conference, including passing out falafel in the middle of campus. Apparently, we are supposed to just pass the humus as the enemies of Judaism use universities as platforms to debate methods of our destruction.
The situation was in no way improved at Ohio State, where the bulk of the 2003 PSM met to discuss strategies for the upcoming year. The campus hosted Alan Dershowitz to speak on Israel's behalf the week before the conference, but again Hillel resisted efforts of Jewish students to demonstrate against the actual conference. The morning that the PSM conference began, I confronted OSU Hillel Director Joseph Kohane in his office. He told me that he did not want to provide publicity for the PSM and therefore rightly rejected the efforts of Jewish students to protest the conference. He then ironically proceeded to host his own press conference. In essence, his argument is that it is more important not to draw attention to the Palestinian point of view than it is to inspire Jewish students.
At Duke University, the President of the Duke Conservative Union, Jack Langer, is organizing efforts against the conference. He is hosting Daniel Pipes and Debbie Schlussel to counter the efforts of the PSM. He is justly shocked at the position that the Freeman Center for Jewish Life (Hillel) has taken. While openly endorsing the idea of promoting dialogue and interaction with members of PSM, Hillel has explicitly rejected Jewish activism in the form of protesting the conference. Many Yeshiva University students were willing to travel (10 hours by bus) to Duke in order to help the Jewish students at Duke to defeat this conference. When YU Israel Club co-president Hindy Poupko asked Duke Hillel Associate Director Ari Dubin if he wanted their help in combating the PSM, he simply responded, "You're welcome not to come."
In 2002, at Michigan, PSM conference attendees circled around a small number of Jewish protesters, and chanted "Death to the Jews" in Arabic. It's time to tell Hillel that passing out falafel in the center of campus is not enough of a response.
Hillel's ignoring of events like the PSM conferences has given rise to pro-Israel groups who operate outside of the traditional Jewish establishment. The North American Jewish Student Alliance, a student-run movement, for example, has provided material support and financing for students to engage the past three PSM conferences. Likewise, Aish HaTorah Hasbara Fellowships, sponsors of the Michigan counter-conference, has funded scores of Jewish educational events. Hillel, by far the biggest and richest of the Jewish campus organizations, is a great place for Jewish religious and social events, but when it comes to Israel advocacy, it's time to start thinking outside the box.