Harvard professor discusses views on Israel, Palestine

By Akhila Kolisetty The Daily Northwestern

Harvard Law School Prof. Alan Dershowitz offered his views regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to about 300 people Thursday evening at the Donald P. Jacobs Center in a lecture titled "Defending Israel."

"Some people claim themselves pro-Palestine, but also anti-Israel," Dershowitz said. "I think that attitude lies at the root of the problem."

The event was held in Owen L. Coon Forum. Professors teaching classes nearby received an e-mail from University Police on Thursday afternoon warning them of possible protesters at the event, and UP said it was providing security for the talk.

However, no major protests were apparent during the lecture.

Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. He is the author of 20 books dealing with a variety of topics, including the origin of human rights, said Weinberg sophomore Sam Kleiner, co-president of Students for Israel, one of the event's sponsors.

Dershowitz said Palestinians have not taken advantage of chances to create a state because they do not want a Jewish state to be created.

One solution that has been proposed is to unite Israel and Palestine into one state, he said.

"What a horrible solution," Dershowitz said. "How about combining Pakistan and India and Bangladesh?"

Israel must be a democracy and has the right to be a Jewish state, he said.

"Judaism is more than a religion - it is a civilization and a culture," he said. "'Israel is as Jewish as France is French' is a better analogy than how Ireland is Christian."

Although Israel actually has one of the best human rights records, it has been unfairly condemned more than any other nations combined, he said.

"The priorities have been so distorted that human rights organizations spend more time on Israel than on Sudan," Dershowitz said. "The real victims are the victims of genocide, not the Palestinians."

He joked that human rights groups should be called "human lefts organizations" instead.

To try to resolve the issues, the European Union has imposed sanctions upon the Palestinians, he said.

"The European Union says we will not deal with a government that supports terrorism," Dershowitz said. "I think it has set back the interests of peace a little to not have the Palestinians be able to build an economy."

Some of the other options to help resolve the conflict are to try and drive out Hamas or force it through some sort of negotiation, Dershowitz said.

"I'm still optimistic, but not as long as Hamas is in control," he said.

The event was hosted by Students for Israel and co-sponsored by Hillel, Caravan for Democracy, Jewish National Fund and JCRC/Hillel Israel Initiative.

The event received additional support from Tannenbaum Chabad House, Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Hasbara Fellowships and Media Watch International.

"We decided to bring (Dershowitz) to NU because his message for the peace of Israel is important for NU students to hear," Kleiner said. "The case for Israel is a case for peace and human rights."

Weinberg sophomore Ephram Levin said he was glad that Students for Israel was able to bring Dershowitz to campus.

"He is really well known and really outspoken," Levin said. "It's good that he has a lot of contact with college-age students. … It was also good that he emphasized questions from the audience and wanted to hear from those who disagreed with him."

Music freshman Zara Teicher also said she enjoyed the lecture.

"It was good to see that this many people on campus came to hear him," she said.

Reach Akhila Kolisetty at a-kolisetty@northwestern.edu.