RUTHFULLY YOURS

http://www.hudson.org/events/1292-what-does-the-latest-wave-of-violence-in-israel-portend-a-conversation-with-george-deek102015

The latest eruption of violence in Israel has left many worried observers wondering whether a third intifada will soon get underway. Mass shootings, random stabbings, and other deadly attacks on Jewish civilians have again become commonplace—and are being celebrated not just by extremist groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad, but by senior officials of the mainstream, U.S.-allied Fatah movement. Worse yet, some of the perpetrators have been Arab citizens of Israel. And not all the victims have been Jews—as this month’s “mistaken identity” mob-reprisal attack on an Eritrean asylum seeker made clear.

Can the violence be contained? Does a two-state solution with the Palestinians remain possible in its wake—and can Israel preserve its political and social coherence as a nation in which Jews and Arabs live together peacefully?

On October 29, Hudson Senior Fellow Lee Smith and his special guest, George Deek—a man uniquely positioned to address the current situation from a multi-layered point of view, discussed these and other aspects of the conflict. Attorney George Deek is a Palestinian Arab from a Christian Orthodox family; a native of Jaffa and Israeli citizen; and a veteran diplomat, having served his country throughout the world, with postings as Israel’s Chargé d’Affaires in Norway and Deputy Chief of Mission in Nigeria, among others. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign affairs named Deek its outstanding diplomat of the year in 2014, and he has since become a frequent and celebrated public speaker—and a postgraduate Fulbright Scholar in international law at Georgetown University.

Dale Carpenter is the Distinguished University Teaching Professor and Earl R. Larson Professor of Civil Rights & Civil Liberties Law at the University of Minnesota Law School. He teaches and writes in the areas of constitutional law; the freedoms of speech, association, and religion; and sexual orientation and the law.

On Tuesday afternoon an Israeli academic was shouted down by two dozen protesters as he tried to begin a lecture before about 100 students and faculty at the University of Minnesota. The speaker was Moshe Halbertal, a professor at NYU Law School and a professor of Jewish thought and philosophy at Hebrew University. He was invited to deliver the Dewey Lecture in the Philosophy of Law, which is organized annually by the law school. That the freedom to present a lecture is threatened in this way at a public university is appalling, calling not only for punishment of violations but for a clear statement by university officials defending the free exchange of ideas.

The lecture, which I attended, was delayed half an hour as one by one the protesters stood up to shout denunciations of Israel and were escorted from the hall by university police. One young woman came screaming back into the lecture after having been ejected. Outside the hall, the protesters chanted so loudly that it was difficult to hear Halbertal, much less to concentrate on what he was saying, until 45 minutes after the lecture was to have begun.

Palestinian leaders, including the Palestinian Authority, have done a lot to whip up this violence and little to stop it. They may refer to peace and co-existence on some diplomatic occasions, but they preach and practice non-stop hatred and violence against Israel and the Jews.

It would have been more helpful if President Mukherjee had stressed his gospel of peace in the Palestinian territories, not Israel. Ever since its creation in 1948, Israel has believed in peaceful co-existence with Palestine. The successive offers of peace from Jerusalem have always supported this policy.

In contrast, not only has the Palestinian leadership never believed in peaceful co-existence, but it has constantly indulged in racist incitement, and often violence, to try to eliminate Israel.

After a reception at the presidential palace in Israel in Mid-October, India’s President, Pranab Mukherjee, said: “We are distressed at the recent violence [in the region]. India condemns all forms of terrorism. We have always advocated a peaceful resolution of all disputes.” Later, the President told Israel’s Leader of the Opposition, Isaac Herzog, “Violence is not a solution to any crisis. Violence achieves nothing but more violence. We in India believe in a principle of live and let live.” What great new ideas!