Opinion

A MIX OF IDEAS

Dry Bones

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Editorial

MSU Grows Israel Ties

M

ichigan State is one of eight
U.S. universities nationwide to
receive a two-year grant from
MASA Israel Journey to build or expand
study abroad in Israel as well as encourage
academic exchange.
It's wonderful news and an exciting ven-
ture into strengthening educational bonds
between the Jewish state and the diaspora.
MSU is on the leading edge of such bond
building.
Israel ranks 22 of the top 25 study
abroad destinations for U.S. stu-
dents, according to a 2009 Institute of
International Education (TIE) report. Only
about 2,300 American students study in
Israel each year. Despite the high caliber
of its universities, the country lags behind
many other nations in creating overseas
partnerships. Working with the ILE,, MASA
Israel Journey is striving to help turn
Israeli universities into hubs of global
higher education, a noble and practical
goal. Higher education is in the midst of a
trend toward "global universities" — net-
works of schools and branches providing
opportunities for study worldwide.
Grant recipient universities will launch
MASA study abroad programs in 2011
and 2012. MSU anticipates its first group
of sophomores and juniors studying
under its $50,000 seed grant at Hebrew

University in Jerusalem beginning the
spring of 2012. Full-credit coursework
will cover business, finance, communica-
tions, the social sciences and the arts
and humanities, not just Jewish studies,
Middle East studies or a specific curricu-
lum. The intent is to target a more diverse
array of MSU students, including those
who would not normally be interested in
studying in Israel.
This is a prestigious initiative. Ifs not a
minor upgrade. The Jewish Agency for Israel
and the government of Israel have joined
MASA Israel Journey in co-sponsoring it
— and giving it instant validation. Since its
inception in 2004, MASA has made it pos-
sible for 45,000 Jewish young adults to live,
work, study and volunteer in Israel.
The grant winners and their partner
institutions are auspicious. Others are
Arizona State University/Ben-Gurion
University of the Negev, Barnard College
of Columbia University/Hebrew U., Case
Western Reserve University/Hebrew U.,
New Jersey State College System/Ben-
Gurion U., University of Florida/University
of Haifa, Smith School of Business at
University of Maryland/University of Haifa,
Olin School of Business at Washington
University in St. Louis/IDC Herzliya.
MSU has two summer programs con-
nected with Hebrew University and has

sent 101 stu-
dents to Israel
over the past
five years,
mostly during
the summer.
Thinking
pro-actively,
Kenneth
Waltzer, direc-
tor of MSU
Jewish Studies,
and Cindy
Chalou, assis-
tant director of
Study Abroad,
conceived a
grant proposal
to potentially
expand the
pool of MSU
students
studying in Israel and the time spent.
MSU isn't playing provincial. University
students from throughout Michigan and
the Big Ten community also will be wel-
come to participate.
The grant will enable MSU to invigorate
Israel study abroad, including marketing,
recruitment, staff development and travel.
Internships for credit with agencies and
businesses in Israel also are in the works.

THE NAME GAME

ALSO
ISLAMISM, ISLAMIC
FUNDAMENTALISM,
MUSLIM EXTREMISM,
ISLA/AO-FASCISM,
AND POLITICAL
ISLA4401

DryBonesBlog.corn

MASA Israel Journey cited the innova-
tive ideas pitched by MSU in extending
the grant. That's not surprising: MSU built
a Jewish studies program virtually from
scratch and it has become a model for
such programs of similar size.
Michigan State University continues
to develop its relationship with the State
of Israel — to the immense benefit of its
students and faculty. El

Stretching Israel Reality

St. Louis

S

ince its creation in 1948, Israel
has been fighting a war against
public opinion. Although anti-
Semitism, the underdog syndrome and
misinformation have certainly worked
against it, Israel's greatest challenge actu-
ally stems from one-sided reporting. Yes
— what we read about Israel in the New
York Times or Washington Post is almost
always factual. But being factual and being
truthful are two very different things.
While facts, figures and images may be
authentic they do not necessarily result in
an honest recounting of an event. In order
for a news report to be truthful, it must
accomplish two things: provide context for
the audience and use neutral vocabulary.
Without doing so, facts can be framed in
such as way as to skew the reader's under-
standing. For instance, if in 2003 news
agencies around the globe broadcast the
United States' military campaign against
Iraq, but neglected to mention that we
suspected Iraq of possessing weapons of
mass destruction, the headlines would

seven Turkish cargo ships in
have been factual, but cer-
order to prevent them from
tainly not honest. In order
entering Gaza, the international
to accurately understand the
media wasted little time before
news, it is vital to learn the
unconditionally rebuking Israel.
context in which events occur
Headlines in the New York
— news cannot be interpret-
Times read: "Deadly Israeli Raid
ed in a vacuum.
Draws
Condemnation," while the
Vocabulary and syntax are
Washington Post reported that
also powerful tools and when
"Israeli troops raid aid flotilla
harnessed masterfully can
Michael
headed
for Gaza, killing nine
entirely change the meaning
Brodsky
When readers across the world
of a sentence. Consider, for
Special
leafed through these reports, they
example, the difference in
Commentary
were effectively able to draw only
connotation between a ter-
one natural condusion: that Israel
rorist and a militant. In either
is a brutal aggressor nation, maliciously
case, the said individual has either killed
furthering the Palestinian plight. And to
or attempted to kill innocent persons,
be fair, if I hadn't done outside research, I
citing the defense of an ideal as justifica-
would have been inclined to make a similar
tion. Invariably, however, the words mean
judgment.
different things. According to the Western
So the question that I'm left with is this:
mindset, terrorism is indisputably unac-
Why were these reports so lopsided? Why
ceptable. But militancy — well, that
didn't they write: "Israeli troops defend
doesn't sound quite as bad. The public's
blockade against terrorist-sympathizers?"
understanding of the Middle East conflict
After all, the Egyptian and Israeli govern-
hinges on the vocabulary that our news
ments dually administered the block-
media chooses to invoke.
ade — a fact that was strikingly absent
When in June 2010 Israel boarded

from all reports. Moreover, the blockade
was only instated because weapons and
ammunition had been constantly smug-
gled into Gaza by international vessels just
like these. The weapons were then used
time and again by the terrorist organiza-
tion Hamas, as they wreaked havoc on
both peaceful Israeli communities and
bustling urban centers in Egypt. Israel had
repeatedly announced to the flotilla that
they would be allowed to transport their
cargo into Gaza if only they would submit
to security inspections. Such is standard
protocol to ensure that no military sup-
plies were hidden amongst the food and
medical provisions. The flotilla captains
all refused, responding to Israeli requests
with only expletives and anti-Semitic
denunciations.
Israel had little choice but to board the
ships. And even still, they sent in their
marines armed primarily with non-lethal
weapons. Only the small handguns tucked
away in their uniforms contained live
ammunition. Their orders were unequivo-
cal: no action other than self-defense
would be tolerated. As soon as the first

Stretching on page 31

JI4

September 30 • 2010

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