An Open Letter from the Israeli Ambassador to UC-Irvine Students

A very special Hat Tip to Fousesquawk

On March 8, 2010 Israel's Ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, attempted to open up dialog on the Middle East.  Needless to say such a dialog was made impossible that evening by members of the Muslim Students Union and other children's groups.  It is a shame that in this day and age a handful of ignorant fools can dictate what speech is permitted on US campuses and what speech is not permitted.

Needless to say while the anti-Semites and their supporters attempted to destroy the evening as the video shows:



It was not totally successful.

Dr. Oren has written to the students and faculty of UC Irvine and open letter explaning his positition and calling for an open dialog with the students.  He is willing to return to the campus of the school to do so.

March 8, 2010

An Open Letter to the students of UC Irvine from Dr. Michael Oren, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States

"Several weeks ago, I was invited to your university to provide my perspective on the Middle East peace process, the question of Iranian nuclearization and U.S.-Israel relations. Prior to assuming the role of ambassador I taught at several American universities – Harvard, Yale and Georgetown – and greatly enjoyed interacting with the students. For this reason, I chose to visit a number of campuses during my first diplomatic trip to California. I know that today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders and believe keenly in the need to provide these future statesmen with an Israeli perspective of Middle Eastern affairs.

I was fully aware that the climate on many American campuses is critical and sometimes even hostile to Israel, and that the University of California, Irvine could arouse debate. Yet for precisely that reason, I wanted to speak at UCI. While it would have been far easier to engage students who agreed with Israel’s policies, I much preferred an exchange with students of opposing viewpoints. I came not just to lecture, but to listen and to learn.

Unfortunately, my remarks were repeatedly interrupted by a group of students that declined my invitation to dialogue and instead assaulted me with cries of “war criminal” and “murderer.” Repeated urgings by Chancellor Michael Drake and Professor Mark Petracca for civility and respect for the freedom of speech went ignored. University administrators were finally forced to arrest a number of the hecklers, and I was able to finish my speech. The remaining rabble-rousers stormed out to the applause of the many other students and community members who had come to hear me out. But I did not applaud. Rather, I was saddened by the loss of this opportunity to exchange ideas with those who disagreed with me and, at the very least, to introduce them to different perspectives.

Since then, videos of the incident at Irvine have proliferated on the Internet and attracted significant media attention. I have received heartfelt apologies from UC President Mark Yudof and Chancellor Drake. The response has been overwhelmingly favorable in defense of my right to free expression on campus and the students’ right to hear those remarks.

Still, I am not satisfied. I came to UCI for the opportunity to exchange ideas — a reasonable intention that was hijacked by a minority of students. The disruptive measures exhibited by these students only underscore the importance for dialogue, especially on the frontline of higher learning. The tragic fallout from this lecture is that those impassioned individuals most needing exposure to the Israeli perspective — and also needing to address their concerns in an appropriate manner — chose not to listen but rather to disrupt the event. Their methods, though championed by some, undermine the democratic principles on which the university system rests.

I have not given up hope on Irvine. I would willingly return to your campus and meet with those individuals whose views may not agree with mine as long as we respect the decorum of dialogue and free speech. Middle East issues are not devoid of emotion or nuance. Only with respect and sensitivity from all sides can we attain the conditions necessary to tackle one of the great issues of our time and realize the vision of peace."

If those who support the Palestinian cause truly want peace and not just use such an idea to promote anti-Semitism, then they will extend their hand to Dr. Oren and open up a dialog.  But if all they are is a smoke screen for their hatred and bigotry, then no matter what Dr. Oren or any one says to these groups will be of no use.  For in their minds they know everything, there is no room for compromise, and no place in this world for any opinion other than their own.

It is up to UC Irvine to make the next move.

JEW!---Repost

Although our dear friend Roger W. Gardner departed from us last December, those of us who post here on Radarsite promised Roger to repost some of his more memorable posts every so often.

This week many Universities in the US and Canada are sponsoring their annual (and in some cases bi-annual) Israel Apartheid Week.  In response I thought this article originally posted on January 25, 2008.  I hope you agree with my choice.

-Findalis

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Cross posted to Wake Up America - January 25, 2008
http://wwwwakeupamericans-spree.blogspot.com/2008/01/jew.html

What a great explosive word!
Jew.
Think about it. What other proper name for a people contains its own epithet?
For every other people and nation we have had to create a special, derogatory slang word to express our disdain or contempt. For the Italians we created Dagos and Whoops, for Blacks we came up with Niggers (yes, Al Sharpton, I'm actually saying the N-word. Why should you be an exception?), for the fickle French we've got Frogs and for the Spanish, Spics.

But the Jews are a special case, aren't they? So special are they that we don't even need to create a new word to insult them. Their name alone does the trick. We're still having trouble saying the word aloud. We prefer to ask, Are you Jewish? We simply can't bring ourselves to ask, Are you a Jew? It sounds like an insult, doesn't it? But why should the name itself sound like an insult? Is it that loaded with ulterior meaning? Is the word itself that dangerous?
Evidently the answer is Yes.

For more than two thousand years this world's been trying to come to grips with that powder keg of a word. And it seems to me that we're no closer now than ever to comprehending its vast impenetrable mystery.
Jew.
Just one little word.
Just one little people.
Yet, such power, and such agony...

Today, January 25, 2008, in the latest edition of the Chesler Chronicles posted at Pajamas Media, the inimitable Phyllis Chesler details, with characteristic incisiveness, the latest evidence of the ongoing "Hate Israel follies". With unassailable authority, Dr. Chesler delineates the undeniable growth of these great disturbing truths. These great old disturbing truths.

But why? That's the seemingly eternal question that still haunts our Twenty-first Century Western World.
Why now?
Why the Jews?
Why the Jews again?

And why, for heaven's sake, Israel? Can anyone in the West in their right mind justify denying support to our only reliable ally in this whole bloody hate-filled region? How is it possible -- after the horrors perpetrated on us on September 11, 2001 by those nineteen unrepentant Arab Muslims -- that we can still embrace these moral monsters and side with them in their never-ending onslaught against the tiny democratic Fortress Israel?

How the hell can we continually ask our imperiled and vastly outnumbered ally to give up yet more land for yet more cynical empty Arab lies? More land for more rocket-launchers? Yet we do ask, don't we? Every day we ask Israel for more. Endure, we say, endure and give up more.

And why should you give up more? You should give up more, we say, because you're in the wrong. You're in the wrong by existing, and as long as you continue to exist we can not in good conscience defend you.

Am I wrong in thinking that the only possible answers to these troubling questions are the obvious ones: oil and anti-semitism? Are there perhaps other more abstruse and complicated reasons of statecraft that are simply beyond my limited comprehension? Can it be that this ancient evil presence is still slithering amongst us after all these years? After all these bloody pogroms and endless persecutions? After the unspeakable horrors of the holocaust? And the unspeakable shame of our despicable present-day holocaust deniers?

It seems to this particular student of Western history that the descent of decent civilized societies into chaos then anarchy or fascism is almost invariably attended by a disturbing rise in that society's gradual but unmistakable acceptance of anti-semitism. It is an almost perfect bellwether.

Take note. Look around you now and what do you see?

With the undeniable and alarming rise of militant Islam throughout all of Europe and Scandinavia and Britain, and the growing empowerment of the secular left, we can plainly read those same old unmistakable signs of a resurgent anti-semitism -- the hastily-scrawled Swastikas and the over-turned tombstones, the hate-filled rhetoric, the crude propaganda and the relentless demonizing.

Wake up everyone! It's here right now. It's all around us. It's undeniable and it's evil and it's growing.

Get ready World, here we go again!

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In the 2 years since Roger published this article the world seems to have grown more anti-Semitic, more anti-Israel.  While Muslims killed millions in Darfur, Tutsis and Hutus killed each other in the thousands (up to a million killed) in Rwanda, and Kosovo descended into madness, these are ignored by the UN.  The victims were not Arabs (Palestinians to be exact) and the perpetrators were not Jews (Israelis to be exact).

There is only one people on this planet who are true victims (Palestinians) and the only villain allowed to be named in the world is Israel.

Thus the old hatred resurfacing with a new strength, a new voice.  And the old cry of dirt and anger: JEW! is acceptable once again.

Were You Raised In A Barn?

 My mother (Of Blessed Memory) would ask me that question when I displayed bad behavior or bad manners or both.  In other words, she would remind me that how I act in public is a DIRECT reflection on my parents.  Thus bad behavior, bad manners would show the world that my parents (especially my mother) were people of the lowest rungs of society (usually associated with prostitution). Good manners, good behavior reflected the message that my family were pillars of the community.

One of the most important lessons I was taught is politeness.  Remembering to say the 3 Magic Words:  Please, Thank You, and Your Welcome.  These open many doors.  The other lesson is to allow a person to speak their piece before you have your say.  To interrupt a speaker with an outburst is not only rude, but shows a lack of maturity on the part of the person who shouted out.  That is why Joe Wilson was wrong when he interrupted President Obama's address to Congress on Health Care.  And that is why this is just as bad:

This evening, the Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, spoke at the University of California at Irvine. I attended the event. I wish I could say it was a good evening. Unfortunately, I cannot. While Ambassador Oren comported himself with great class and dignity, the same cannot be said for the campus Muslim Student Union. What happened this evening was a black eye and embarrassment for the university where I have taught for over 11 years (part-time) and cemented the reputation of UCI as one of the worst campuses in the nation for radical MSU activity and anti-Semitism.

There were several hundred people in the audience, most of whom were from the local Jewish community. They were mostly older folks. The speech was sponsored by the local Jewish Federation, Hillel and several other organizations. As expected the Muslim Student Union also showed up. It was obvious even before the start of the speech that they were going to stage some sort of protest. Half of them sat on the left and half on the right.

A few moments into Ambassador Oren's speech, an MSU protester stood up and began shouting insults at the ambassador. He was removed by campus police. And so it continued. After the first interruption, the moderator, a UCI political science professor, took the microphone to admonish the disruptors. Yet, it did not stop. After about the 5th such disruption and removal, the ambassador left the room and Chancellor Michael Drake addressed the audience pleading for civility.

When the ambassador returned, the disruptions continued. Each time, a protester was removed, the audience become increasingly angry and voiced their displeasure at the disruptors. They also voiced their displeasure at Chancellor Drake and demanded to know what was going to be done to the disrupting students. (Of course, at this point, there is a question as to whether the disruptors were actually students who could be disciplined.) The audience was clearly not pleased with Chancellor Drake's pleas for civility. Cries of "what are you going to do about it?" were heard in the audience.

After the 10th such interruption, the MSU got up as a group and left the hall, screaming insults at the ambassador, who nevertheless managed to complete his speech as the MSU gathered out on the street outside and continued their protest, their chants barely audible inside the hall. The disruptions and delays precluded any hope of having a Q&A, which was the original plan.

You can read the whole report and view the pictures of the event at Fousesquawk written by Gary Fouse.

Check out the end of this video.  Did anyone else hear a facility member threatening to fail the MSU group on their finals?  If that happens, then the members of that particular group will not only fail that class, but could be thrown out of school for such behavior.  The MSU could be thrown off-campus if the Administration got over their leftist attitude and dhimmitude.  But coming from UC-Irvine, that would qualify as a miracle.

Check out the rest of Fousesquawk for detailed background on the jihad being conducted on the UC-Irvine Campus with the approval and consent of the school's Administration.

The Politics of Genocide

In the old days (before the collapse of the Soviet Union), the first week in May (especially 1 May) the leftists would march down city streets and on campuses shouting: Solidarity with the workers.

Those days are long gone, today the campuses of American schools are not silent, they now hold the annual Kill All The Jews WeekIsrael Is A Nazi State Week.

This is especially true of the University of California at Irvine. The incidences of attacks on Jewish students during and after these events skyrockets. The level of hatred during this event each year soars.

This isn't just some students talking, it is been and continues to be well documented by Gary Fouse of Fousequawk. And also Stand With Us.

The massive "Apartheid Wall" display shows egregious photos that accuse Israel of imprisoning Palestinians and deliberately killing children.

In the Spring of each year, the Muslim Student groups at UC Irvine organize extremist programs that create hatred against Israel, at UC Irvine. This year is certainly no exception, and it begins with the title of the Spring weeks in progress: Israel: The Politics of Genocide.

Photo of Anne Frank, to make the offensive comparison that what happened to Anne Frank by Nazis is happening to the Palestinians today.

UC Irvine has become a testing ground for some of the most hateful programs across North America, contrasting the Palestinian unfortunate experiences in Gaza with the Holocaust,
blaming Israel for all their suffering, never once pointing a finger at the racist doctrine of
radical Islamic groups like Hamas, which calls for the murder of Jews and which has led the Palestinians backwards instead of into the future.

The organizers of anti-Israel events at UC Irvine will never discuss the rockets being launched into Israel from Gaza, or the use of Palestinian human shields by the terrorists in Gaza.They wont tell the student body that they are concerned about the role that Hamas played in forcing Israel into a war last December and January.

Everything is 100% Israel's fault as the story is told by the Muslim students at UC Irvine. They talk about Israel's alleged racism, when they should really be talking about the clearly written racist goals in the charters of Hamas, Hezbollah and Fatah. But they don't.

This year there was a new display, this time of a tank, covered with accusations against Israel as a "Goliath," which helps to abdicate any possible responsibility that the Palestinians (or their poor leadership) might have in the ongoing conflict.

What a shame that students who are not familiar with the history or the facts on the ground in Gaza, will be fed one-sided lies and exaggerations. Too bad that the students at UC Irvine are being poisoned in this manner, and may fall into the trap of believing one-sided, out of context extremist information.

Muslim students used street theater this year to cast one-sided blame on Israel for the death in Gaza during the war that was brought on by the continuous rocket launching from Gaza into Israel.

And too bad, that the UC Irvine administration does not stand up and say, "You have a right to all of this hateful rhetoric, it is your opinion, and falls under the rules of free speech. But this administration condemns the hateful nature and misinformation you are promoting." Too bad. But sadly, that's the way it has been(and still is) at UC Irvine.

This years pro-Israel counter-campaign was designed to remind UC Irvine's students of the racist doctrines of Hamas. StandWithUs congratulates the students at UC Irvine who are working hard to stand up to anti-Semitic lies and misinformation. Yes, they are anti-Semitic lies because the stories being told at UC Irvine allege that Israel deliberately targets Palestinian children and women for death.

StandWithUs is proud to have partnered with the students of UC Irvine to make sure that Israel's voice is heard on campus.

If Israel has been committing genocide, they are doing a very bad job of it. There have been more Arabs born in Gaza and the West Bank in the years between 1967 and today who live past their 5th birthday. For true genocide you need to look at what the Turks did to the Armenians, the Germans did to the Jews, Roma, Homosexuals and anyone else they did not like., the destruction in the Congo, and the ongoing horror that is Darfur. Those were and are examples of true genocide.

Every Muslim is taught that Anne Frank never existed, that the Germans never systematically killed anyone and the Holocaust is a lie. The government of the Netherlands spent millions to
authenticate the diaries she left behind. So for the MSU to use her image is not only wrong, it it is in bad taste. Since all those who knew Anne Frank have died, they will get away with this. It is too bad that her image isn't protected the way Albert Einstein's is.

UC Irvine will continue to hold these hatefests until it is no longer in their best interests to do so, ie. contributions dry up due to them. If you are considering UC Irvine chose another school and let them know why. If you are an Alumni don't donate to the school and let them know the reason why. If we can dry up their funds they will stop these weeks of hate on their campus. It is after all your money, you can chose to donate to the causes you feel best serves your interests.

Does Anti-Semitism serve your interests?

UCU Boycott of Israel - Take 2

Great Britain the nation that gave the world the Magna Carta, Chancer, Shakespeare, Shelley, and Winston Churchill is now the center the center of Multiculturalism and Political Correctness. The latest round of this craziness has resurfaced its head.

No it is not the recent official harassment of Lionheart. Nor is it the placing the rights of minorities above those of the majority.

It is the second try of the anti-Israeli, anti-Semitic University and College Union.


The University and College Union, the largest trade union for academics and academic-related staff in further education in the UK, voted on a motion at their annual conference in Manchester on Wednesday that will reintroduce an academic boycott of Israel.

The motion passed without debate and by a show of hands and asks members "to consider the moral and political implications of educational links with Israeli institutions, and to discuss the occupation with individuals and institutions concerned, including Israeli colleagues with whom they are collaborating."

Again they will try and get this passed. This time they didn't allow discussion or debate of the issue.

But then one cannot but remember that Great Britain is no longer a free nation. It is a nation where anti-Semitism is an open policy by the government. A nation where Jews are attacked and Synagogues are vandalized with impunity. The police will give lip service to the Jewish community while encouraging the very criminals to repeat the crimes. Civil rights laws apply only to Muslims and to no other people.

The last time this body of bigots got together to do this, the US academic community made it clear that a boycott of this kind would result in a boycott of British academics in kind. And that worked. The rank and file of the UCU voted against a boycott. But they didn't go far enough. They didn't get rid of the ultra-leftist that have hijacked their union. These bigots are still in their positions of power. And it is now time for Take 2.

"This motion in effect gives license to harassment and discrimination within academic institutions - the very thing the UCU is supposed to protect its members from," said Lorna Fitzsimons, co-chair of the campaign group. "As a trade unionist myself, I find it astounding that the union is prepared to contradict its founding principles of protection in the workplace. Ferocious and free debate is of course vital within all aspects of society - but only if there is no threat attached to individuals."

The UCU's own legal advice on the matter says that a boycott would be illegal. But that doesn't matter to bigots. They will push this onto their members whether it is legal or not, whether the members want it or not. The UCU is no longer a viable union. It is a hotbed of Communist, Anti-Semitic, Left-Wing zealots who have an agenda they want to implement.

Before we just blame the UCU, we must look at academia in general. What was once a domain of education and learning has become a stronghold of left-wing indoctrination. The situation with UCU is also here in the US at places like University of California at Irvine. UCI has become a hotbed of anti-Israel, anti-Semitic activity in the tradition of UCU and now it seems British Universities.

If this rally for a boycott succeeds, then any semblance of racial equality in Great Britain will go out the window. And we will see calls for similar boycotts coming out of the Universities and Colleges of America.