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vote at the U.N. would not create a
Palestinian state. And he said the
Hamas-Fatah reunification pact repre-
sents an enormous obstacle to peace.
"No country can be expected to
negotiate with a terrorist organization
sworn to its destruction:' Obama said.
"We will continue to demand that
Hamas accept the basic responsibili-
ties of peace: recognizing Israel's right
to exist, rejecting violence and adher-
ing to all existing agreements. And we
once again call on Hamas to release
Gilad Shalit, who has been kept from
his family for five long years."
So what is the Obama administra-
tion's game plan for the next few
months?
Obama declared in both his
speeches that the United States can-
not impose a settlement upon the
parties; they must decide on their
own to reach accord.
But with events rapidly reshap-
ing the neighborhood around Israel,
from regime change in Egypt to the
violence in Syria to the recent recon-
ciliation between Fatah and Hamas,
is it enough for Obama merely to lay
out his vision?
"For us to have leverage with the
Palestinians, with the Arab states and
with the international community,
the basis for negotiations has to hold
out the prospect of success:' Obama
said Sunday.
With no sign of Israeli-Palestinian
negotiations getting back on track,
however, the prospect of success
appears far off. fl
See related opinion piece on page 29.
Birthright Calls
New campaign going well despite
tough economic climate.
*Offer applies for in-state subscriptions only
Stewart Ain
on a free 10-day trip to Israel. Major
funding has come from a partnership
of a small group of mega-donors, the
t's been hailed widely as a way to
Jewish federations and the govern-
keep the younger generation of
ment of Israel.
Jews in the fold, so to speak. And
Outreach to alumni for fund-
ifs been panned by some as a thin
ing may not be as fruitful as hoped,
exercise in Jewish solidarity, long on
according to Leonard Saxe, director of
party atmosphere and short on sub-
Brandeis University's Cohen Center for
stance.
Modern Jewish Studies as well as its
But one thing is certain: Birthright
Steinhardt Social Research Institute.
Israel is shaping up to be something of He co-authored a study examining the
a philanthropic outlier.
impact of Birthright Israel on alumni
At a time when
five to nine years after
fundraising by non-
their visit and said, "This
profits continues to
generation has a different
decline — the Jewish
connection to money.
Federations of North
"They see it as neces-
America reported a
sary; however it is not a
$13 million drop last
goal but rather a means:'
year compared with
Saxe said. "They don't
2009 — contributors
want their relationship
appear to be flock-
with the Jewish com-
ing to the new cam-
munity to be defined in
paign launched by
terms of money."
the Birthright Israel
Jesse Silver, 25, who
Foundation.
is engaged to a woman
The number of donors has
he met on a Birthright Israel trip last
increased nearly four-fold — to
summer, agreed that it is "a slow-
12,500 — as the campaign has begun
moving process for people to not view
reaching out to alumni and their par-
Birthright as simply a free trip to
ents over the last three years. The goal
Israel."
is to increase the number of annual
But he said he has two friends who
Birthright Israel participants world-
are doing a bike ride to raise money
wide from 32,000 this year to 51,000
for Birthright.
for 2013.
"It's an introduction to the Jewish
The program, begun in 1999, has
community that one pays back over a
sent nearly 300,000 youngsters 18-26
lifetime of service, either philanthropi-
New York Jewish Week
I
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24 May 26 2011
Birthright
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donations big
and small.