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Alternative Perspective

U-M professor gives EMU students a pro-Israel view on the Middle East.

was "translated into the modern European context.
Zionism said Jews are a people and a nation, just like
Special to the Jewish News
England or France."
Outlining various Zionist approaches to Arabs in the
vi Gitelman brought compassion, complexity and
Middle East, he argued that the most powerful group of
common sense to Eastern Michigan University- in
Zionists — the Labor Zionists — desired "cooperation,
Ypsilanti last week in his discussion of "Why
coexistence and cultural cross-fertilization," but the Arabs
There is No Peace Between Israelis and
rejected these efforts.
Palestinians."
"Israel is an imperfect democracy, just like all the others.
Gitelman, professor of political science and Preston Tisch
Democracy is a spectrum: Put the nations on a continuum,
Professor of Judaic Studies at the University of Michigan in
see if they have greater or less democracy," he urged, con-
Ann Arbor, spoke to 150 people packed into the EMU Halle
trasting Israel to the Arab nations
Library auditorium on Dec. 4.
where "[most] discriminate against any
Sponsored by several EMU academic
religious or ethnic minority." He
departments, his talk was seen as provid-
reminded the audience that in America,
ing some balance after the controversial
women couldn't vote until 1918.
speech given on campus in October by
Dismissing ultimate military victory
than Pappe, a Haifa University political
by either side or a bi-national state, the
science professor. -
professor gave a detailed examination
Gitelman's wide-ranging talk offered
of proposals to divide the territory, all
an alternative perspective on the Arab-
of which the Jews accepted and the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict from the
Arabs rejected. In this context,
message offered by Pappe, who says
Gitelman termed Arafat's rejection in
Israel should be boycotted because the
2000 of a Palestinian state on 97 per-
Jewish state and Zionism are solely to
cent of the land "a historically consis-
blame for the problems.
tent response."
Jamie Jones, a Jewish freshman from
Gitelman pointed out "there are his-
Cincinnati, experienced two anti-
toric
conflicts as bitter and longer than
Semitic incidents after she attended
this one that have been solved." But, as
Pappe's talk.
of now, "it is an open question
"[Gitelman] did a good job of pre-
whether [this one] can be.
senting both sides," she said. "Unlike
Professor Zvi Gitelman
"As long as Palestinians continue the
Pappe, he didn't play it off as if he was
political
tradition of refusing compro-
the expert. It was good that he came."
mise,
there
will
be
continued
misery. The question is not
Gitelman began by assessing the current situation with
the way, it is the will," he said.
the Palestinians and Israelis.
Rachel Daien, an EMU junior from Livonia, called
"The Palestinian Authority is on a life-support system,"
Gitelman's talk "very beneficial."
he said, citing its reliance on foreign aid, 50 percent unem-
"It makes me feel more comfortable. Since 9-11, I've felt
ployment and Yasser Arafat's plummeting approval ratings
singled out as a Jewish student on campus. There is a focus
among his own people and internationally.
on trying to make EMU more diverse, and I'm happy they
Likewise, "in Israel, foreign investors have fled, unem-
are
recognizing the Jewish community," she said.
ployment has risen to 11 percent and poverty is increasing.
Adam Pilder, a senior from West Bloomfield, was also pleased
Normal daily life is not possible," he said.
with Gitelman and with the university for bringing him.
Gitelman also spoke of the nearly 700 mostly civilian
"My father wrote a letter to EMU. We both agreed if
Israeli deaths, the nearly 5,000 wounded and the "life-
you are going to have one side, you needed to have anoth-
altering damage to the human body and the psyche."
er. In three years, we never had a Jewish speaker on the
He then provided a history lesson to counter claims that
-
Middle East here. It's about time."
"Zionism is at fault" and "Israel is a colonial-settler state."
Professor Daryl Hafter of Ann Arbor ; who has taught
Grounding the Jewish state in biblical times, he argued
history at EMU for 30 years, was impressed with
that the state survived assaults by the Assyrians and
Gitelman's "flexibility."
Babylonians until-the Romans destroyed it. They exiled the
"It is a situation fraught with emotion," she said. "But
Jews as an "ancient example of ethnic cleansing." In contrast,
we need pragmatic people to rise above the situation. There
he claimed that the Arabs never had a state in Palestine.
must be a solution. It's hard to think of peace with this
Modern Zionism "was not a new idea," he said, "it was
type of thing going on." ❑
encapsulated in Jewish religion and Jewish history," but it

DON COHEN

Z

From the pages of the Jewish News for
this week .10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60
years ago.

1
The Men's Clu,b of Cong. Shaarey
Zedek and the Social Action
Committee of Cong. Beth
Abraham Hillel Moses team with
the Salvation Army to feed 1,000
homebound persons in Detroit on
Christmas Day.
A record 500 entries are submit-
ted for the Jewish News' annual
Chanukah art contest.

:
;IMMI111111.11111111111.111
A memorial to Holocaust victims
has been erected in Rochester, N.Y.

Jerzy Kosinski, winner of the
National Book Award for writing
The Devil Tree, is donating royalties
from the Hebrew and Yiddish pub-
lication of his novels to the ORT
scholarship fund.
A Beit Cafe Yisrael, an Israeli-
style coffeehouse for high school
students, opens at the Jewish
Center in Oak Park.

:196A1.11111.11.111111111

Local psychologist Henry Feinberg
of Jewish Family and Children's
Service retires after 30 years.
Martin Citrin of Detroit and
Frank M. PolaSky of Saginaw are
two Michigan men involved in
forming the United Jewish Appeal's
New Young Leadership cabinet in
New York City.

1952

Hasofer Society for the
Advancement of Jewish Music pres-
ents a collection of Jewish music to
the Detroit Public Library:

1942

Detroiter Henry Lapides is elected
president of the House of Shelter,
succeeding Max Silver, who served
eight years.
Fresh Air President Alex
Schreiber is elected president of the
Old Newsboys' Goodfellows Fund
— the third Jewish citizen of
Detroit to be so honored.

— Compiled by Holly Teasdle,
archivist, the Leo M Franklin
Archives, Temple Beth El

12/13
2002

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