By: Natalie Milstein

As Tufts University students prepare to return to campus, Tufts Friends of Israel eagerly awaits its kick-off event for the year with Hillel Neuer, the executive director of the Geneva-based NGO UN Watch on Thursday, September 15^th at 6:30 p.m.

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As Tufts University students prepare to return to campus, Tufts Friends of Israel eagerly awaits its kick-off event for the year with Hillel Neuer, the executive director of the Geneva-based NGO UN Watch on Thursday, September 15^th at 6:30 p.m. Tufts Friends of Israel is the umbrella organization at Tufts dedicated to promoting and advocating for the State of Israel.

At an event entitled “Israel at the UN: a Nation that Dwells Alone?” Mr. Neuer—who regularly appears before the UN Human Rights Council, intervening for the victims of Darfur, the rights of women, political prisoners in Cuba, Russia and Zimbabwe and the cause of Middle East peace—will discuss the impending Palestinian statehood debate.

Mr. Neuer’s organization is a watchdog of the United Nations and holds the international entity to the values and ideals of its founding charter. Mr. Neuer will provide an insider’s account on how the UN’s targeting of Israel undermines its mandate to uphold international law and human rights worldwide.

Tufts Friends of Israel (FOI) intends to provide the Tufts community with some context and insight approaching the Palestinian plan to declare statehood in September. The group’s objective is to demonstrate Israel’s abundance of human rights and morality and to discuss whether the Palestinian leadership is a true partner for peace in light of its plan to seek unilateral action. FOI firmly believes that only through direct negotiations can final-status issues be resolved, and rash unilateral decisions by the Palestinians will serve to damage the credibility of the peace process and erode trust between the two parties.

In order to achieve their aforementioned goals, Friends of Israel will employ the Hasbara Fellowships campaign to illustrate that Israel is willing to compromise with the Palestinian leadership for peace and is waiting for the Palestinian leadership to make and commit to the same decision.

Shira Shamir, a Hasbara Fellow and Tufts University sophomore, displayed excellent leadership in spearheading this initiative! Please join us on the evening of September 15^th to learn more about the UN’s role in the future of the relationship between Israel and the Palestinian leadership and to introduce an atmosphere of dialogue and understanding on the Tufts University campus.

For more information on "Friend Request Pending" and to order the campaign, please click here.