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Birthright a chance to explore

In print | October 5, 2006

To the Editor:

STAFF EDITORIAL

While I am saddened by the suffering of Shadi Rohana’s relatives in Lebanon, I respectfully disagree with his views on Birthright Israel. Birthright is an umbrella organization that offers a variety of trips to Israel, and few of them focus on the complex political situation in the Middle East. Most Birthright trips, including the Hillel Birthright trip I advertised, focus on touring the holy land’s many sites of historical and cultural interest, such as Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, as well as places of natural beauty, such as the Dead Sea and the Negev desert.

If students are interested in learning about the complexities of the Arab-Israeli conflict, then they should look into one of the few more politically-oriented Birthright trips, or trips such as the one mentioned by Shadi. Students may also be interested in participating in programming run by student groups such as Speak for Peace.

I have known Shadi for over five years, I have a great deal of respect for him, and I have learned much about the Palestinian perspective on the conflict from him. We met through a program dedicated to peace and dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis called Seeds of Peace. I first traveled to Israel on a free year-long program similar in many ways to Birthright, and it was through this program that I became involved with Seeds of Peace and met Shadi. Were it not for my free trip to Israel, I would not have spent three years working for peace in the region, and I would not have developed friendships with Shadi and the dozens of Israelis and Palestinians who have enriched my understanding of the region.

My hope is that Jewish Swarthmore students will use Birthright’s incredibly generous offer of a free 10 day trip as a springboard to exploring the rich history and culture of the land, to personal growth and development, and to cultivating a concern for all who live in the region. I trust that the critical thinking and intellectual independence of Swarthmore students will enable them to form their own opinions on the political situation.

Jethro Berkman
Swarthmore Jewish Advisor

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