Making His Case Attorney Alan Dershowitz says worldwide attention encourages terrorism. HARRY KIRS BAUM Staff Writer 1p art lecture, part book report, part summa- tion — the Dec. 12 presentation by Alan Dershowitz brought the noted Harvard law professor far from the American courtrooms' and classrooms where he forged his career and into the arena of international politics. Using insights gained while researching his most recent book, Why Terrorism Works: Understanding the Threat, Responding to the Challenge (Yale University Press; $24.95), Dershowitz condemned terrorism and defended Israel to a crowd of about 800 at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield. The event, sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, was open to all individual contributors to Federation's 2003 Annual Campaign. As Dershowitz discussed the nature of terrorism, he dispelled some myths about why people become terrorists — and what to do to stop them. Palestinians took the road of the terrorist, he said, and the rest of the world took notice. "The Palestinian cause has leapfrogged over an independent state for the Kurds, Armenians and independence for Tibet, because there's no terror- ism," he said. "The international community forgets about people who try to achieve statehood and inde- pendence by peaceful and legitimate means. Instead they reward terrorists." If the world would have "dis-incentivized" the ter- rorists by turning their own cause against them and putting the Palestinian cause on the back burner, terrorism in the region would have ended, he added. In the case of Israel, Dershowitz said, if the Palestinians had used the civil disobedience tactics of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. instead of terrorism and appealed to the conscience of the highly moral Jewish community, they would have had a state by now. Dershowitz dismissed other myths about terrorism in his usual intense, rapid-fire way. The root cause of terrorism is not disenfranchise- ment, frustration or revenge, he said. "The vast number of people who are disenfranchised and frus- trated do not become terrorists. Some suicide bombers are more easily recruited because of frustra- tion and oppression, but the root cause of terrorism is its success. It works." The phrase, "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter" is another myth, he said. "If you ever accept that notion that there is a dif- ference between terrorists who murder children, women and elderly people and freedom fighters who murder the same people, you're giving in, because every terrorist says he's a freedom fighter," Dershowitz said. "Have you ever met or heard some- body who admitted he's a terrorist?" Dershowitz also spoke about the importance of preparing young Jewish students to resist anti-Israel propaganda on cam- puses across the United States (see Editor's Notebook, page 5). Dershowitz said he isn't sure if the threat of terrorism from apocalyptic, otherworldly, reli- giously based groups who won't stop their terrorist activity, like Al Qaida, is rising or falling. Dershowitz, proud to wear his Judaism openly, compared his feelings to those of Jewish leaders in 1935. "If you didn't know what was coming, it would be Alan Dershowitz very hard to evaluate the actions of 1935. Well, we're in 1935. We don't know what's coming." "We have to anticipate the worst, prepare for the worst, try to take preventive action for the worst and hope and do everything in our power to make sure that the worst doesn't happen." After the speech, Leonard Baruch of Southfield, called Dershowitz "very dynamic." "Generally speaking, I always agree with what he says. And I know he is a very great 1 spokesman for Israel and that's our major concern," he said. "He can speak 4 forward and think forward." Marlene Glazer of Farmington Hills came to hear Dershowitz's "take on the situation in the world," but echoed what was on most people's minds. "I was very mad at him for defend- ing O.J. [Simpson]," she said, "although I understand that he will say that everybody is entitled to a defense, even the guilty ones." Rabbi Ernst Conrad, rabbi emeritus of Temple Kol Ami in West Bloomfield, called Dershowitz "one of the leading personalities among American Jewry. "I find him not only highly intelligent but clear in his exposition, even on difficult legal issues," said Rabbi Conrad, noting he also disagreed with Dershowitz joining the "dream team" defense in Simpson's murder trial, which ended with a jury verdict of "not guility." "In general," the rabbi said, "I agree on those posi- tions on Israel and its adversaries, and maybe I'll learn a few arguments from him." t I ❑ Detroit Native On Israeli Ballot 12. Married with 14-month-old twins, Bank was elected chair of Moledet's executive council in November. native Detroiter who In an interview with the immigrated to Israel Jerusalem Post, Bank said 22 years ago is that, as an American running for a immigrant, he under- seat in the Knesset, Israel's 120-member par- stands "what it means to forsake a more comfort- liament. Uri Bank, 34, was able way of life for the sake of one's ideals. chosen by the Moledet "When I was 17, my (Homeland) party, one of parents went back to the three factions that make States, but I chose to stay, up the National Union because this is my home. bloc. The right-wing bloc Uri Bank We came here for a pur- has a joint list of Knesset pose: to change the country and candidates from all three parties make it better. And that is what I for the Jan. 28 elections. plan to do." Bank is a resident of Gilo, a In next month's elections, the Jerusalem neighborhood that has leader of the party that wins the come under repeated sniper most Knesset seats will become attacks during the current prime minister = most likely Palestinian intif:ada (uprising). from one of the two major par- His family left Detroit for ties, Likud or Labor. The Chicago when he was 2 years old National Union, a right-wing and moved to Israel when he was DIANA LIEBERMAN Copy Editor/Education Writer A bloc formed Feb. 1, 2000, is led by Avigdor Lieberman of Yisrael Beiteinu, Benny Elon of Moledet and Tzvi Hendel of Tekumah. Bank, who began his political career as founder of the Residents Committee for a Safe Gilo, has served as an aide to Elon. Israel's former Tourism Minister Rechavam Ze'evi, assassinated by Palestinian terrorists on Oct. 17, 2001, was a founder of the party. Moledet's stated goals are: "To work for the realization of Zionism in the spirit of the founding fathers, who saw our exclusive right to the land of Israel; "To act to keep the land of Israel in the hands of the Jewish people and the State of Israel, including the areas of Judea, Samaria, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights; "To act on behalf of the unity of the Torah of Israel, the people of Israel and the land of Israel." ❑ wv; AN 12/20 2002 17