Olive Tree Initiative At UCI and the On-Going George Rishmawi Controversy (Cont)

As previously reported, the Olive Tree Initiative (OTI) at UC-Irvine will be hosting a speaker by the name of George Rishmawi this coming Monday. The announcements of the event from the OTI have been rather confusing since there are apparently two George Rishmawis running around in the West Bank territories, both of whom are apparently activists. One of them is a co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a Palestinian-formed organization that is solidly anti-Israel and trains young activists from around the globe. They claim they are non-violent, but there are many instances of them being connected to known terrorists including two British Muslim suicide bombers. (ISM denies terrorist links.) It appears from the announcements that the one speaking Monday is the co-founder of ISM. OTI maintains that their speaker has left the ISM.


Below is the up-to-date announcement from OTI:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=171310602897452

"George Rishamwi (sic), a Palestinian Non Violence Peace activist from Beit Sahour. In his capacity as Coordinator for Siraj, Center For Holy Land Studies, (www.sirajcenter.org) he organizes the Palestine Encounter programs which brings International visitors to Palestine for first hand experience living with Palestinian families and working with Palestinian activists.

He also has expertise in Non - Typical tourism activities includin...g (sic) cultural tours, political mission, and environmental hiking tours. Rishamwi (sic) is a former member of the International Solidarity Movement , a board member of the Network of the Christian Organizations in the Bethlehem area, and former board member of the Palestinian center for Rapprochement in Between People in Beit Sahour.

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."

Here is the wording of the original 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."

Question: Why has OTI revised their description of Mr Rishmawi?

Here is a video of Rishmawi speaking in 2007. The video appears on the ISM website. The footage is by Kathy Kamp (American Friends Service Committee).

http://palsolidarity.org/2007/06/2416/

So we know this individual is identified as George S. Rishmawi, who is associated with the Siraj Center. Let's go to their website and click "about us", where you can click George Rishmawi, which says he was a co-founder of the ISM.

http://www.sirajcenter.org/

http://www.sirajcenter.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=129&Itemid=60

Note there is yet another spelling on that site, both Rishmawi and Rishamwi.

It should also be noted that the Siraj Center site shows a link (association) with Sabeel, a Protestant organization in Palestinian territory that practices liberation theology and is a harsh critic of Israel
Below is their website:

http://www.sabeel.org/

Here is Sabeel's Wikipedia page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabeel

Here is ADL's take on Sabeel:

http://www.adl.org/main_Interfaith/sabeel_backgrounder.htm

"Sabeel, a Palestinian Christian organization based in Jerusalem with support groups in the UK and North America, is a driving force behind the campaign by mainline Protestant churches to divest from Israel. Its U.S.-based affiliated group, Friends of Sabeel in North America (FOSNA), has also supported an anti-Israel students' divestment campaign."

Here is CAMERA's take on Sabeel: (Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America)

http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=2&x_outlet=118&x_article=1409

"While Sabeel’s use of the Passion to demonize Israel – in a worship liturgy – is troubling, there is another problem – the relentless tone of irresponsible self-pity that permeates the document. The way the Arab-Israeli conflict is described in the liturgy, nothing is the fault of the Palestinians or their Arab “supporters;” everything is Israel’s fault, and ultimately, there is nothing the Palestinians can do to improve their lot except enlist Christians in the U.S. in their efforts to demonize and isolate Israel. (The only Israelis whose humanity is acknowledged are Israeli peace activists that can be used to lend credence to the notion that the conflict is all Israel’s fault.)"

2008 OTI Itinerary


Here again is the text and the link to the 2008 OTI trip which lists two George Rishmawi's, one with the middle initial "S" (OC Register). They are marked in bold.

Israel/Palestine Schedule 2008


WEEK ONE
09/01/08 MON Flight from Santa Ana to Tel Aviv
(via Atlanta)

11:52 am Departure (Delta 1782)

09/02/08 TUE DAY 1 Tel Aviv and Jerusalem

Afternoon


5:25 pm Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport

Evening Travel to Jerusalem – check in Lutheran Guesthouse


DINNER in Jerusalem (roof-top in the Old City)


09/03/07 WED DAY 2 Jerusalem
(e.g. All four quarters, Western Wall, Al-Aqsa mosque, temple mount, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, etc)
Tour Guide: Guido Baltes

Morning

9:00 am-11:00 am TALK at Hebrew University, Gilo Center - Dr. Jeff Macy (Director) and Eldad Joffe a (Executive Director) and Nijmeh Ali (Student Program)
11:15- 12:30 pm MEETING with students (Prof. Gideon Rahat)
Lunch At Hebrew University or in the Old City

Afternoon Exploring the Old City with Guido Baltes

5:00 pm TALK by Yitzhak Frankenthal (Parents Circle)

Evening DINNER and REFLECTION


09/04/07 THU DAY 3 Bethlehem

(e.g. Refugee Camps, Ibdaa Cultural Center, Old Town, Church of Nativity)

Tour Guide: Shannon Shibata (Center for New Diplomacy) and Guido Baltes


Morning (+ 1 hour Winter time)


8:00 am (9 am) Travel to Bethlehem

9:00 am (10 am) TALK Prof. Mazim B. Qumsiyeh (Bethlehem University)

TALK George Rishmawi (Rapprochement Center,
International Solidarity Movement)



TALK and TOUR George S. Rishmawi (Siraj Tours)



Lunch


1:00 pm LUNCH AND TALK with Zoughbi Zoughbi
(Wi’am Palestinian Conflict Resolution Center)


Afternoon



DISCUSSION/PANEL



Yusef (Moslem Community Representative and Islam

Professor Bethlehem University)

Yusef Thalgieh (father of a Palestinian “martyr”)


Evening

7:00 pm IFTAR DINNER in Bethlehem with Nazeer and Usama (Wi’am staff)

8:30 pm TOUR of Aida Refugee Camp with Nazeer and Usama (Wi’am staff)


09/05/07 FRI DAY 4 East-Jerusalem

(Wall, Municipality, …)

Tour Guide: Shannon Shibata (Center for New Diplomacy) and Guido Baltes

Morning

9:00 am – 12:00 pm Strategic Jerusalem Envelope tour with Yonatan Adiri

(Senior advisor to Shimon Peres)


Afternoon TALK with East-Jerusalem resident in Beit Hanina

(Friday prayer for Muslim students)


3:00 FREE TIME


4:30 pm – 5:30 pm Moty Cristal (Former Chief Negotiator for Israeli
government)

Evening

6:00 pm DINNER Sabbath dinner home of Daniel Faber
(Meet at Jewish Square in Old City)


09/06/07 SAT DAY 5 Day-off: Tour to Dead Sea
(Massada, En Gedi, Beach)
Tour Guide: Guido Baltes



09/07/07 SUN DAY 6 West Jerusalem
(e.g. Yad Vashem, Knesset, …)
Tour Guide: Yamit Eriksson (Center for New Diplomacy) and Guido Baltes

Morning

8:30 am – 9:30 am TALK with Ester Golan (Holocaust survivor)

10:00 am -11:45 pm TOUR of Yad Vashem

Afternoon

12:15 pm TALK at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)
- Official Spokesperson for the MFA

2:30 pm TALK Avihu Cohen (former settler, Center for New Diplomacy)


4:00 pm TALK/PANEL at the Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel (ICCI) with Rabbi Ron Kronish, Dr. Debbie Weissman, Mr. Isa Jaber and Rev. Samuel Fanous



Evening Reflection meeting at the Lutheran Guesthouse



WEEK TWO



09/08/07 MON DAY 7 Ramallah
(e.g. Birzeit University, Government Complex, City Center tour)

Tour Guide: Sawsan (Center for New Diplomacy) and Guido Baltes


Morning/Afternoon 8:00 – 9:00 Visiting Al-Aqusa Mosque


10:00 Travel to Ramallah


Pick up Sawsan UNRA/Guide for Ramallah across from Museum at the Seam at 10:20am – Tel: 0523433509


10:30 (Ramallah time) Meeting with OV Palestine, Nisreen Abdallah (Youth Leadership Coordinator) and Nisreen Shahin (General Director) – Betonia, Al-kharaz Building, 4th floor


11:30 TALK: Sam Bahour (Palestinian Businessman)


12:30 TALK with Diana Buttu (former Gaza Israeli Disengagement Negotiator and Gaza resident)


1:30 pm TALK: PLO Negotiation Unit – Khavier and/or Wassim Khazmo

2:30 pm TOUR Mukata (Palestinian Gov. Complex and Yassir Arafat burial site)

4:00 TALK with Dr. Mustafa Barghouti (Politician)

Evening FREE EVENING and DINNER in Jerusalem



09/09/07 TUE DAY 8 Hebron
(e.g. Abraham’s Tomb, inner city tour)

Tour Guide: George Rishmawi and Guido Baltes


Morning Travel to Hebron

9:00 am – 11:00 am TOUR/TALK George Rishmawi (Siraj Center)

11:30 am – 12:45 pm TALK with Noam Arnon (Rep. Jewish Community)

Afternoon


1:00 pm – 2:00 pm LUNCH/TALK Rabbi Menachem Froman (Chief Rabbi of
Tekoa/Westbank)


TALK Shaul Goldstein (Mayor Gush Etzion)

4:00 pm TALK Harry Hurwitz (Begin Center, Jerusalem)

TALK Yisrael Meddad (Settler)

Evening

7:00 pm DINNER in Jerusalem with Gavriel Cohen (Shalom Achshav YOUTH/ Peace Now)


09/10/07 WED DAY 9 Qalqilyah, Ariel Settlement, Nazareth, Haifa

Tour Guide: Ophir Keshet and Guido Baltes

Morning Travel to Palestinian city Qalqilyah


9:00 am – 10:30 am TALK/TOUR with Captain Shadi (Druze)

Travel to Ariel Settlement

11:00 am TALK with Ron Nachman (Mayor of Ariel)

LUNCH/TALK at Druze village in the Carmel Mountians

Afternoon TOUR of Nazareth - Ophir Keshet (guide)

Evening Check-in accommodation in Haifa: St. Charles Hospice


Free evening in Haifa


09/11/07 THU DAY 10 Haifa

Tour Guide: Ophir Keshet and Guido Baltes

Morning

10:00 am TALK with Rami Levi (Vice-Mayor)

11:30 am TOUR/TALK: Beit HaGefen Coexistence Center (Zehava)

1:00 pm LUNCH Maxim restaurant (joined Arab-Israeli restaurant that has been attacked/bombed in the past)


2:30 pm TOUR of terror victim burial site with Yossi Zur

Afternoon Tour of Haifa (old city, gardens, etc)

Tour Guide: Ophir Keshet
Evening Return to Tel Aviv/Jaffa

Check in Hayarkon 48 Hostel in Tel Aviv/Jaffa

09/12/07 FRI DAY 11 Tel Aviv/Jaffa


Morning

9:00 am – 11:00 am TALK: Roni Berger (Top Trauma Psychologist who works with traumatized/affected population of Sderot

(National Trauma Center Tel Aviv)


1:30 PM LUNCH AND TALK with Yossi Alpher
(bitterlemons.org, former Mossad)

Afternoon Free afternoon

Evening Sabbath (Synagogue) /Friday prayer

Experiencing Tel Aviv/Jaffa (modern Israeli culture)


09/13/07 SAT DAY 12 Day-off: Beach and Shopping … in Tel Aviv/Jaffa

Optional Bauhaus Architecture Tour of Tel Aviv/Jaffa

Afternoon


6:00 pm Meeting with students from Tel Aviv University (former soldier with Lebanon war experiences)


Evening GOOD BYE DINNER in Tel Aviv



09/14/07 SUN DAY 13 Tel Aviv/Jaffa

Morning TALK: Professors Muli Peleg (One Voice Israel, former advisor to Yossi Beilin) -Interdisciplinary Center at Herzliah (IDC)


FREE LUNCH and time for shopping

Afternoon Packing and Reflection (Closing Overview)

Evening Flight back to Irvine/Santa Ana: depart 11:25 pm

09/15/07 MON DAY 14 Arrive in Irvine/Santa Ana: 1:08 pm (Delta 1899)


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

So were there two George Rishmawis involved in the 2008 tour? It's a little confusing due to the middle initial and titles behind their names as well as the confusing OTI announcements. My best guess is that both are the same person speaking at UCI Monday. As for the Rapprochement Center (Between Peoples), Wikipedia states that this entity is affiliated with ISM.

http://www.microsofttranslator.com/BV.aspx?ref=IE8Activity&a=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FPalestinian_Center_for_Rapprochement_between_Peoples

"Current director-George N. Rishmawi."

Here is the link to the Rapprochement web site:

http://www.pcr.ps/

At any rate, as previously reported, the OTI is partially funded by the Rose Project, which in turn, was established by the Jewish Federation of Orange County. In addition, there is the support of the University of California at Irvine-in particular, the Social Sciences Department while the University of California is now spreading OTI to other campuses.

http://www.socsci.uci.edu/taxonomy/term/323


In light of Mr Rishmawi's coming appearance to UC Irvine, a controversy has erupted within the Orange County Jewish community. The central question is this: If this speaker is, in fact, a co-founder of the ISM, why are the Rose Project, the Jewish Federation of Orange County, and perhaps, the University of California  supporting even indirectly a venture that exposes Jewish students to elements that are devoted to destroying and/ or establishing divestment boycotts of Israel?  Those questions are being posed to the above entities as we speak. There may be a legitimate explanation for this, but the associations are troubling to many, and it is fair to ask the questions. On Monday, it will be made clear just what affiliations, if any, this speaker has or has had with the ISM.

 I should note here that if certain Jewish students at UCI or anywhere else are against Israel to begin with-and there are those- then they can go meet with whomever they want to as far as I am concerned-as long as they are not meeting with enemies of the US. But what about Jewish students who have a strong Jewish identity and support Israel?  Do they know exactly who they will be dealing with on these trips to the Holy Land? Perhaps so. Some of them too may decide it is in their interest to do so and hear the other side, which they can decide for themselves. Ditto for bringing certain speakers to campus. I am not questioning the right of this speaker to appear at UCI. But who is supporting this financially?