This month's edition of Orange County Jewish Life (OCJL) magazine is out. Its cover story addresses an issue it would normally avoid, but cannot. That is the on-going controversy within the OC Jewish community regarding the UC-Irvine Olive Tree Initiative (OTI). More specifically, it addresses the conflict over the involvement of the OC Jewish Federation, the Rose Project and OC Hillel. A community member, who I will leave unnamed, has called on the above organizations to drop their support for OTI based on the fact that many of the contacts involved in the OTI's Middle East tours are working to bring an end to Israel. In November, George S Rishmawi, a co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement, came to UC-Irvine to speak as a guest of the OTI. This appearance cause further controversy within the Orange County Jewish community. Now OCJL has featured two articles on OTI, one by editor Ilene Schneider; the second by local Rabbi Dovid Eliezrie. I would like to discuss a couple of points in each article. (I have been unable to find these articlesa as yet online.)
Ms Schneider's article is an attempt to air both sides of the controversy. There are quotes from the CEO of the Jewish Federation, a representative from the Rose Project and the community member in question. At the risk of nit-picking, I bring attention to this statement:
"In November, International Solidarity Movement co-founder George Rishmawi spoke at UCI. While Rishmawi has allegedly broken his ties with that organization, which is said to be 'vehemently anti-Israel....'(italics mine).
Ms Schneider, ISM is not "said to be" vehemently anti-Israel", it is vehemently anti-Israel. That is not even an opinion. It is incontrovertibly a fact. For any informed reader, it is not necessary to go into a litany of their activities against the state of Israel. While they call themselves "peace activists", they are dedicated to the deligitamization and end of Israel.
Then there is this misleading comment:
"While other organizations including the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Stand With Us, initially criticized the choice of Rishmawi as a speaker. Elcott (CEO of Jewish Federation) said that most of the feedback he received on the Rose Project's relationship with the Olive Tree Initiative was positive."
Very clever use of words indeed. A reader might easily conclude that the Wiesenthal Center and Stand With Us had changed their minds on their initial criticism of Rishmawi's appearance. Have they, Ms Schneider?
Finally, I feel that Ms Schneider could have written in more detail about some of the pro-Palestinian figures and organizations with whom Jewish students in the OTI trips have met and been exposed to in the Palestinian territory. Therein lies the crux of the controversy
More troubling, however, is the article written by local Rabbi Dovid Eliezrie. He describes his own skepticism about OTI and seems to be trying to play the role of mediator in this controversy. He presents the reader with the question of whether the Jewish community should support the OTI given the agendas of some of the pro-Palestinian contacts. He even states that the Federation and Hillel should apologize to the community member for their "strident response" (to that person's criticisms). He says their response was "overly harsh". That is an understatement in my view given the articles and letters published on the Federation's website OC Jewish Experience.
What I really take exception to, however, is Eliezrie's statement that the community member should "do the same" (apologize) for going public first before trying to resolve this specific issue privately and asking for a boycott of funding."
First of all, this community member does not have to apologize to anyone for anything. This person is owed an apology for being attacked. All this person is guilty of was doing what the Federation and Hillel should have been doing all along. More importantly, it is unseemly for a rabbi to call out for criticism, a private individual of the community by name in a monthly Jewish community publication. All Eliezrie has accomplished is to subject this person to community ridicule. That is wrong.
Secondly, I know for a fact that this person has had numerous conversations with "the powers that be" over the on-going issues at UCI. It was this same individual who, after the Oren event, organized the local community to turn out at the Israel Apartheid Week events in May and show the American and Israeli flags, an action that turned the tables on the Muslim Student Union and their radical speakers. That was an action that the Federation and Hillel opposed.
Here are Rabbi Eliezrie's own words from a previous article.
http://www.ocjewishlife.com/site/reality-check/
Rabbi Eliezrie, the person in question is the one who did exactly what you proposed in the above article. That person turned the tables last May. If you say nothing much changed, you are dead wrong. Those who come to speak at UCI now know that they will be confronted by strong voices.
As a non-Jew, I also regret the division in the Jewish community. Ever since I got involved in the UCI campus issues, I have shaken my head at the fragmentation that exists within the Jewish community-even on crucial issues pertaining to anti-Semitism. It actually proves the lies about the anti-Semitic canards about "Jews controlling everything" in America. How can they control anything when they can't stop fighting each other?
I am not calling for anyone to cut off funding to the Federation, Hillel or anyone else. I support Israel and I abhor anti-Semitism. Thus far, I have tried to limit my role in the OTI issue to researching and reporting on the individuals involved in meeting UCI students in the Middle East tours. If they are questionable or objectionable, let the readers decide. Make no mistake, however; I am a friend and supporter of the person involved. I will not stand by and allow this person to be attacked publicly by the high and mighty without responding.
It would be wise to remember the old story about David and Goliath. While Goliath may prevail in many of life's situations, David will always win in the court of public opinion.
Rabbi Eliezrie is deeply mistaken. Ms. Sterling and others repeatedly went to the Federation and Hillel regarding many incidents over the years, and continually received the cold shoulder, and were even mocked by the head of the Federation, Elcott, for attempting to take matters in their own hands and fight back against the anti-Semitism at UCI. When the Federation and Hillel continue to ignore concerns, at some point those concerns have to be made public.
ReplyDeleteMs. Sterling does not owe anybody an apology. However, Rabbi Eliezrie should apologize not only to Ms. Sterling, but to the entire Jewish community, as he sits on the board of the Federation which continues to support OTI and as a result is causing great harm to the Jewish people through the delegitimization of the Jewish State.
I'll drink to that, anonymous. This strikes me as a case of the Establishment ganging up on one person.
ReplyDeleteJust as Anonymous has pointed out Rabbi Eliezrie sits on the Board of the Federation let me point out that the Orange County Jewish Life magazine itself is affiliated with the Federation. It is listed on their website as a resource. While there is nothing sinister or wrong with that at all, it Is still highly unlikely you will see anything critical of the Federation in it or any suggestion that the Rose Foundation may have financed some portion of the Olive Tree Initiative without fully researching the program or they lost touch with what was happening with it. It is hard to get anything critical of UCI or it's handling of the MSU published in the OCJL. I know because I've tried.
ReplyDelete.
The response of the Orange County Jewish Federation and Hillel to Dee Sterling highlighting this important issue is fascinating. Dee Sterling has had the courage of her convictions and has stood up to the well funded vested interests of the Jewish Establishment, who are falling over themsleves to defend their position, which they must know is wrong. She should be thanked by the community and given an award for her courage in exposing the OTI as a vehicle for covert anti-semitism. Instead she has been villified and slandered. Our leaders don't appear to have the courage to admit they are wrong and openly apologize to Dee Sterling and thank her for her efforts on behalf of all Americans.
ReplyDeleteRemember that it was Rabbi Eliezrie who divided the community four years ago when he instructed people not to attend the Federation public rally for Israel, during the Lebanon War against Hezbollah, because he did not like the site of the demonstration. He is a hypocrite.
ReplyDelete"As a non-Jew, I also regret the division in the Jewish community."
ReplyDeleteWhy should Jews all agree on anything? This sounds a lot like Jesse Jackson Sr. insisting that there should be only one African American candidate for mayor of Chicago, lest a "white" or Hispanic candidate perchance might be elected.
I'm no fan of the leading "white" candidate. I don't know much about the Hispanic candidates. I'm not registered to vote in Chicago, although I understand there are ways, in a city so committed to democracy that even the dead vote regularly.
But why should Jews all unite behind much of anything, any more than anyone else should?
Siarlys,
ReplyDeleteAs I pointed out, the fragmentaion within the Jewish community in America is eveidence that they don't control the world as their haters allege. Yet, their division when it comes to issues that affect their very survival I find troubling.
Supporting or not supporting OTI is a matter of Jewish survival? Guess we can abolish the OCT, everything now leans on the Olive Tree.
ReplyDeleteMatan,
ReplyDeleteNice play with words. That is not what I said. As you know, yesterday, I commented on your blog that you had linked an article that attacked that particular community member. I have no idea who wrote that article because I could find no names attached. I asked you if you really agreed that that person should be "prosecuted". Think about that.
Note:
ReplyDeleteI have deleted a comment from an anonymous reader which singled out two individuals by name.
Matan,
ReplyDeleteThose of us who grew up listening to our parents tell of their experiences in 1930's Germany understand better than most that programs like OTI are exactly the types of programs that threaten Jewish survival. Giving a platform to anyone that demonizes a people and their right to self-determination is aiding the slow destruction of those people. Ask most survivors, they will tell you it started with propaganda, it started on a level that did not seem so threatening. Had it been stopped at that stage, however, it may have never gone as far as it did.
Will the Jewish people disappear or be destroyed today because of OTI, no. But will OTI and other programs like it, if not checked, play a part in the slow destruction of the Jewish people, absolutely.
Jews certainly don't control the world. There is a disturbing tendency on the part of American politicians to cater to Israel, regardless of the narcissistic absurdity of Israeli government policy. This occurs, in part, because of the tacit assumption that Jewish votes in some key states, plus evangelical Protestants, and some neocon Republicans, both of whom support Israel for their own reasons, would make it difficult to get re-elected after standing up to the Israeli government.
ReplyDeleteIf Beteinyu and Shas want the whole ball of wax, they can go for it on their own dime, and suffer the consequences. Preferably, the consequences will be that Israeli voters reject them, rather than that they drag Israel into disaster. However, neither one should be financed by American taxpayers. Exodus was an inspiring movie. Bibi and his party are not the Hagganah.
Siarlys, regarding your comment why should Jews stick together: Years ago, as a former soldier of the IDF’s legendary Golani Bridgade we memorized the mantra: If we don’t stick together, we will be hanged together. So you probably hate the IDF anyway, and you don’t have to subscribe to it, but to question this concept barely one generation past the Holocaust is stunning.
ReplyDeleteAnd if you are not Jewish, the fact that you do not understand it may partially explain why Christian communities are vanishing from the Middle East. Except for those in Israel, of course. But why bother with details when it is so much fun to post controversial talkbacks on some blog from the comfort of your made-in-China chair.
Regarding American foreign aid to Israel, you will be surprised by what I am going to say: It is time to cut off the umbilical chord. Israel is now a thriving economy of $220 bil. a year. There is no reason why the American taxpayer should continue to support it with money borrowed from China. As for the rest of what about you said about Bibi, etc, the existential issues facing the Israeli voters go well beyond your incoherent mumbling. But I understand where you are coming from, which gives me another reason to doubt the future of this American support.
Finally thank you Mr. Fouse for your deep understanding and support of Israel. You are a true friend. Come visit us in bubble of Tel Aviv, the city which never sleeps, and the best place on God’s earth.
Hannan, Tel Aviv Israel
Thank you Hannan. I hope to take you up on that one day. My prayers go to Israel, the only country with a democracy in the region.
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