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A Timely Conversation

Dershowitz to discuss Israel and the Trump administration.

DON COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

O

COURTESY ALAN DERSHOWITZ

The JN caught up with Dershowitz between
n the eve of President-elect Trump’s
media appearances where he spoke out against
inauguration, who better to address
the recent American abstention that allowed
the relationship between American
passage of U.N. Security Council Resolution
Jews and Israel than Alan Dershowitz, the
2334 calling Israeli settlements illegal and all
high-profile, straight-talking jurist and author
disputed land beyond Israel’s pre-June 1967 bor-
of The Case for Israel?
ders “Palestinian territories.” He also criticized
Dershowitz will speak Thursday, Jan. 19,
Secretary of State John Kerry’s speech express-
at Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township.
ing support for Israel while blasting Israeli
Don’t expect him to lecture, as he will sit
Prime Minister Netanyahu and his coalition
with Beth El’s Rabbi Mark Miller to address
government.
“Looking Ahead: What Do the Next Four
Alan Dershowitz
Amid these weighty topics, he expressed
Years Mean for American Jews and our
excitement about coming to Detroit.
Relationship with Israel?”
Dershowitz will welcome questions during
COMMON GROUND
and following the free community program, co-spon-
“American Jews have much more in common regarding
sored by the Jewish Community Relations Council/AJC
Israel than we have differences,” Dershowitz stresses.
and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
“The vast majority of American Jews agree Israelis
The Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Emeritus, at
should be able to defend themselves and be supported in
Harvard Law School and a pro-Israel and civil rights
efforts to make peace and bring the Palestinians to the
activist for decades, Dershowitz has published more
negotiating table. They support Israel’s right to thrive as
than 1,000 articles, and 35 fiction and nonfiction works,
including the New York Times No. 1 bestseller Chutzpah
a Jewish and democratic state. In the next four years, it is
important to remember that.”
and five other national bestsellers.

SACRIFICE
NOTHING

16

January 12 • 2017

jn

But he also recognizes that American Jews have differ-
ences with Israeli policies, and he’s among them.
“I don’t try to defend settlement expansion, and I don’t
try to defend Israeli policies toward Conservative and
Reform Jews,” he says. “Israel has made a terrible mistake
by giving too much influence to the rabbinate.”
Dershowitz explained how the U.S.-Israel relationship
has remained strong regardless of who is president.
“The vast majority of Americans and the American
Congress are supportive. It doesn’t matter who is presi-
dent,” he says. “We have to have an open mind about how
Trump will deal with Israel. But Trump’s support of Israel
cannot change criticisms we might have of his domestic
policy. ”
Rabbi Miller thinks Dershowitz is the right person to
help the community grapple with their thoughts about
Israel and the Trump administration.
“Dershowitz’s idea is for all of us to support Israel in
a loving and positive way, even when we are critical,”
Miller says. “The recent U.S. abstention at the U.N. was an
incredibly difficult moment, and it made people feel like
they have to choose sides.” •

Pre-registration is required by Jan. 17. To register, visit www.
tbeonline.org/dershowitz. Doors will open at 6 p.m. with the
program beginning at 7:15 p.m. A patron pre-glow with
Prof. Dershowitz featuring wine and hors d’eoeuvres is $500
per person and must be purchased by Jan. 13. For more
details, contact Temple Beth El Program Director
Danielle Gordon, (248) 851-1100 or dgordon@tbeonline.org.

