By: Natalie Milstein

Tufts Friends of Israel has provided its campus with ample information about Israel and has engaged a wide array of campus leadership in the past two months by bringing distinguished speakers Professor Guiora and Dr. Tal Becker and by planning a cultural event to bring the sundry ethnic tastes of Israel to Tufts University.

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October and November served as two productive months for pro-Israel programming at Tufts University. As previously posted on Hasbara’s Campus Pulse, Tufts Friends of Israel launched the Fall 2011 semester by hosting Executive Director of UN Watch, Mr. Hillel Neuer. In front of an 80-person audience, Mr. Neuer discussed the differential treatment of Israel in the UN and whether the Palestinians would benefit from a unilateral bid for statehood. Soon after, Friends of Israel (FOI) welcomed the new President of Tufts University, Anthony Monaco, by inviting him to discuss the nature of pro-Israel programming at Tufts and the role of Friends of Israel in engaging and informing the campus.

The subsequent two events were intimate and exclusive, engaging select student leaders on the Tufts Campus. First, FOI invited its extended membership and Hillel Leadership to hear from Amos Guiora, an Israeli-American professor at the University of Utah who is an expert on the legal aspect of counterterrorism, terror financing, international law, and morality in armed conflict. He addressed a highly knowledgeable group and spoke frankly about the Israeli government’s heart-wrenching decision to free 1,027 prisoners—including notorious terrorists—for one Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit. Professor Guiora also discussed the security implications of the prisoner swap for the State of Israel. FOI worked with the Consulate General of New England to bring this distinguished speaker to speak with Jewish leadership on campus.

Then on November 3^rd, Friends of Israel reached beyond the Jewish community to host the student leaders of all major student organizations on campus in FOI’s semi-annual Student Leadership Dinner. Senior representatives from the Tufts Community Union Senate, Democrats, Republicans, and 50 student leaders were in attendance and were addressed by the esteemed Israeli negotiator, Dr. Tal Becker. A key negotiator in the Camp David and Annapolis peace processes, Dr. Becker provided intimate and off-the-record details about his role in negotiations, drafting agreements, and the complex and delicate nature of diplomacy.

The final event for November will take place on Thursday, November 16^th and will engage the entire Tufts Community. Friends of Israel is showcasing a “Taste of Israel” by bringing food from the diverse ethnic groups represented in Israel—including the Moroccans, Persians, Eastern Europeans, Ethiopians, Druze, Yemenite, and more! A special thanks to Hasbara Fellow and Cultural Committee Chair, May Igawa, for spearheading this initiative. The purpose of this event is to illustrate Israel’s thriving multiculturalism and how each of these groups has integrated into the Israeli melting pot. If you find yourself in the New England region on the evening of November 16^th, please stop by Tufts for some delicious Jachnoon, Falafel, Bedouin Tea, and more!