Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Olive Tree Initiative Event at UCLA October 2011



On October 25th, the Olive Tree Initiative held an event at UC-Irvine for those UCI students who had recently returned from the OTI 2011 trip to Israel and the disputed territories. Below is my report on that event, which I attended.

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2011/10/olive-tree-initiative-sticks-it-to.html

The following evening, a similar event was held at UCLA, in which UCLA students who had attended the trip reported on their experiences. I did not attend that event, but people I know did. Below is what they have reported. I should note that this posting concerns the statements of one of the Jewish participants of the trip.

According to my contacts who attended the event, one of the student members of the panel was a Jewish male student wearing a yarmulke. He told the audience that he had been raised as an Orthodox Jew and had attended a Yeshiva in Israel, but that his experience with the OTI trip had caused his commitment to Judaism to "crumble". (I am, of course, paraphrasing, but my contacts state that the word "crumble" is accurate.) He thanked the OTI for allowing him to see a different point of view and for allowing him to form friendships with Palestinians.He described his views as having evolved from Judaism to "Humanism".

Of course, this young man is entitled to his conclusions. Yet, from a pro-Israel point of view, questions have previously been raised as to whether the Olive Tree Initiative is really designed to sway Jewish student participants to the pro-Palestinian point of view. Is it worth pointing out that more than one Jewish student participant in OTI trips is also a member of the Students for Justice in Palestine?

Is it also worth pointing out that the Orange County Jewish Federation and its subsidiary, the Rose Project, are major funders of the Olive Tree Initiative? Both had representatives present at the UCLA event. Might not the young student's words give them pause as to what they are funding?

Just a thought.

* Update-11-20-11: I was requested on this comment thread to take this posting down by a person connected with the Olive Tree Initiative, who stated that the above account of the Jewish student's statements was not accurate, and that I should check the tape of the event itself. Based on that, I did take this post down for a few days until I could check one of the tapes that were produced at the event. Today, I listened to an audiotape, and in the spirit of fairness and accuracy, I think that a slight clarification is in order. At times, the tape is less than one hundred percent clear, which as I was told, is due to which way the speakers were facing when they spoke.What I heard was the student describing how (after he entered UCLA), he "saw his commitment to Judaism crumbling" (exact words). He also mentioned turning (from Orthodox Judaism) to a more humanistic form of Judaism (paraphrased). In short, I don't come away with the impression that this student has turned his back on his Jewish faith, rather he has adopted a less rigid form of it. 

However, the point is not this or that student who goes on an OTI trip. The point that remains of concern is the fact that the OC Jewish Federation and the Rose Project continue to support the Olive Tree Initiative and expose students to professional activists in the West Bank, who are involved with or allied with the International Solidarity Movement, an organization devoted to the destruction of Israel.  

6 comments:

  1. The OTI deceivers seem to always get one or two converts to express their disdain for Judaism, or the (fake) oppression of the (not so poor) Palestinians. Seems that these speakers forget about the southern Israel murder squads and the rocket attacks.
    How about a balanced field of speakers who can debate the OTI experience and expose this travesty.

    Squid

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  2. If someone who is firmly convinced of the truth of one point of view is moved to abandon it by life experience and exposure to new facts, perhaps there is something false about the old point of view. It is not credible to claim that something is wrong with OTI, because someone who used to agree with you changed their mind.

    That said, the young man may find as he grows older and wiser that he does not have to choose between the Jewish faith OR having Palestinian friends. He could be an orthodox Jew AND recognize the fallacies of current Israeli government policy. I've change loyalties, affiliations, labels, a few times in my life, but I can look back and see a consistent core of principles that did not change -- only the allegiances that seemed the best way to live by those principles changed.

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  3. The OC Jewish Federation leadership is so omniscient and compassionate that they know with absolute unyielding certainty that paying for Jewish students to go hear the Palestinian propaganda is such a good idea that they must be surprised nobody ever thought of it before.

    The blacks didn't think of having their children go hear the other side of the issue by KKK spokesmen. Holocaust survivors just don't have the imagination to think of sending their children to hear the Holocaust Deniers. Nobody in history ever thought of this brilliant concept ! Hard to imagine. They thought of it first!

    Actually, it is one of the most lame brain idea ever. Did they think that these students would just talk it out and solve the Israeli/Palestinian conflict right in the UCI Student Union lounge?

    This UCLA student has now joined the enemies of his brethren in Israel. How do they fix it now? It's hard to believe they didn't anticipate this would happen. The only reasonable explanation is that this is the orientation they wanted the students to adopt.
    .

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  4. Miggie,

    That is the result that the Fed and Rose project are funding.

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  5. I can say on 100% certainty that is NOT what the student in question said - this is complete slander and to take an Orthodox Jewish student and write that he is questioning his devotion to Judaism is far beyond the norm.

    Gary I ask respectfully you remove this post because the student, who will remain nameless, is extremely upset.

    I also know for a fact the person that wrote this slanderous email also video-recorded the entire UCLA event - perhaps you can ask her for a video copy to prove that he said that before posting a blog on it.

    Thanks

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  6. Matan,

    I am aware that the entire event was audio-taped, but I am not aware of any video.

    I do not regard the statements I made as slanderous, but if he is arguing the point, then I will take this down until the point is resolved.

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