Sharon aide rides in on Caravan

By Janis Siegel
Transcript Correspondent

Dr. Ra’anan Gissin says the Israeli government welcomes a new Palestinian government. That was Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s senior advisor and the lead spokesperson’s message when he came to Seattle as a part of Caravan for Democracy on May 1.

As Gissin took the podium in the Husky Union Building Auditorium at the University of Washington, thunderous applause welcomed the seasoned communicator.

Gissin was not the distracted by the anti-Israel rhetoric directed at him from jeering protestors relegated to the back of the room during his remarks. He landed systematic and punishing verbal blows against anti-Semitism in general, and ultimately dominated the agenda by returning to his message about the possibility of achieving peace with the Palestinians.

“I always expect lively opposition to my presence,” Gissin said. “There are always other people who have different views, but we always believe that it’s possible to reason and reach a compromise. This is our message. We welcome very much the establishment of a new Palestinian government and a new Palestinian prime minister. It’s a step in the right direction. It’s intended to replace the nexus and rule of terror and intimidation of Yasser Arafat.”

Gissin recalled the five generations of his family that were born in Israel that laid a foundation for Israel’s right to remain a Jewish state.

“The problem, my friend, is not the territories,” Gissin said. “The problem is not the settlements. The problem is my existence and the existence of my people in the land of Israel in their ancestral homeland. We have never denied the right of any Arab nation, the right of the Palestinians to live in their ancestral homeland. But continuously, Palestinians deny my 4,000-year birthright to live in my ancestral homeland. As long as one side is denied its right and you’re not accepting it as an entity that has a right to live there, then there’s no basis for a termination of the conflict. ”

Caravan for Democracy, a campus-based national touring program aimed at educating students about Israel, attracted an overwhelming majority of supporters and modest protest from local anti-Israel demonstrators during the group’s first event.

The event was hosted by Huskies for Israel, the only specifically pro-Israel group on the university campus. The Jewish National Fund, Media Watch International and Hamagshimim, the campus organization of Hadassah, support Caravan for Democracy.

Eric Hasson, current and outgoing president of Huskies for Israel, was not surprised by the attempts of protestors to disrupt the evening, but he believes the atmosphere for pro-Israel students and on-campus events has improved.

“A year ago it was a lot worse,” said Hasson. “There used to be a pro-Palestinian writer at The Daily [campus newspaper], and he’s no longer writing for them. Then the Middle East Center brought the film Jenin, Jenin to campus, which is a film about [alleged] war crimes and ethnic cleansing in Israel.”

Hasson also noted that this this event wasn’t without its own controversy. “The Jewish Studies department originally agreed to be a co-sponsor of this event,” he said, “but I got an email the day before saying ‘unfortunately the Jewish Studies Department will be withdrawing our support for Mr. Gissin today.’ For me it creates resentment and disappointment.”

One of the groups participating in the protest outside of the event was the newly formed Seattle office of the Council for American-Islamic Relations, a self-described organization of moderate Muslims. Representatives expressed their hope for a continued dialogue about these issues.

“We have to tone down our rhetoric and be sensitive to other views,” said Riaz Amin, spokesperson for the media group of CAIR. “Our aim is also to make things more peaceful than they have been. Every community has to do its part to tone this down. It’s our job to tone things down.”

Other protestors said they felt shut out by what they claimed were exclusionary online registration questionnaires designed to eliminate potential dissenters from Gissin’s appearance.

“Absolutely not,” said Leor Sinai, director of the College Activities Department at the JNF national office in New York and liaison for the campus tour. “Online you filled out the pre-registration form with your name, email address for future updates and I believe we ask if you’ve ever been to Israel. These events are geared to invite all aspects of the community and invite dialogue.”

Sinai felt the event was very successful and believed the week he spent on campus prior to the event talking with students from many backgrounds was also positive.

“After taking the time to discuss all of the issues with some of the students, we ended up agreeing on all the issues they had been criticizing Israel for before we talked,” he said.