The Olive Tree Initiative and George S. Rishmawi (Cont.)

Next Monday, the Olive Tree Initiative (OTI) at UC Irvine is hosting George S Rishmawi, a co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) to speak on campus. As previously explained, the OTI was created three years ago to afford Jewish, Muslim and other students the chance to travel to Israel and the Palestinian territory and be exposed to both sides of the conflict from a variety of sources. The OTI travel is at least partially fiunded by the Rose Project, which was established by the Jewish Federation of Orange County. The UC system has now spread the OTI program to other campuses. Below is from the OTI announcement:

"George S. Rishmawi is a leader and co-founder of the ISM, the International Solidarity Movement, and the head of the Siraj Center for Holy Land Studies (http://www.sirajcenter.org/), a Palestinian NGO that operates in the West Bank to lead educational tours about Palestine and the Israeli Occupation.


Born in Beit Sahour, a city known for non-violent resistance, George S. Rishmawi is coming to UC Irvine as a guest of the Olive Tree Initiative, and for those of you interested in becoming part of OTI 4, George is one of our primary contacts in the West Bank.

2pm - 3pm

Palestinian Non-Violent Resistance (Student Center, TBA)

330pm - 430pm

Water Shortage in the West Bank, Founders Circle, Aldirch Park

5pm - 6pm

Palestinian Diplomacy & Rapprochement, SBSG 1517

There will be a short presentation and ample time for Q/A and group discussion at each event!"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So who is George S Rishmawi? We know that he is a co-founder of ISM, which portrays itself as a peaceful organization, but, in reality, is devoted to the destruction of Israel and has been linked to violent Palestinian elements. Rishmawi, however, is portayed as a peaceful moderate, and according to one representative of OTI, is no longer a member of ISM.

Here is what the Jewish Federations of North America has to say about ISM:

http://octaskforce.wordpress.com/2010/11/17/more-on-the-internatational-solidarity-movement-from-the-the-jewish-federations-of-north-america-web-site/

Here is what the Anti-Defamation League has to say about ISM:

http://www.adl.org/israel/israel_int_solidarity.asp

And here is what Stand4Facts (Stand With US) has to say about George S Rishmawi:

http://www.stand4facts.org/bin/access.cgi?Action=Display&user_id=computer&AuthCode=20fnCgEGpRopc&Area=researchers&cs=1&Request=Speakers&SpeakerID=AIS-20050523-42&SpeakerInfo=Overview

In addition to all that, here is the itinerary for the 2008 OTI trip:

http://collegelife.freedomblogging.com/official-itinerary-for-uci-olive-tree-initiative-student-trip-2008/

Two other names of persons involved in that program that jump out are Mazim Qumsiyeh and Diana Buttu.


Here is what Discover the Networks has to report on Mazim Qumsiyeh:

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=933


Diana Buttu is a Palestinian-Canadian lawyer and anti-Israeli activist, who strongly supports the Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement (BDS) against Israel (as does Qumsiyeh).

So there are questions about Mr Rishmawi, and there are questions as to why the Jewish Federation of Orange County and the Rose Project would want to be even remotely or indirectly involved with persons whose goal is the destruction of Israel.

I recognize that the stated objective of the OTI is to expose both Jewish and Muslim students to both sides of the conflict. Yet, the question must be asked on the Jewish side; does that include those who support BDS and the destruction of Israel as a Jewish state?

Just a question.