Spring Break
Discussion on resolution to honor Israel's 60th birthday postponed
by Miranda Neubauer
Senior Writer
News | 3/18/08
Posted online at 2:30 AM EST on 3/18/08
/ Last updated at 11:10 AM EST on 3/18/08
Last week, the Student Union Senate indefinitely postponed discussion on a resolution sponsored by five senators to wish Israel a happy 60th birthday.
Many senators argued that it was not the Senate's place to discuss such an issue and that such a vote might unintentionally hurt some students' feelings. Because of the diverse makeup of the Brandeis community, "anything kind of having to do with Israel sort of automatically becomes somewhat controversial," Senator for Massell Quad Andrew Litwin '11, who voted against the resolution, said.
"We're really there in my opinion as a student government to work and discuss issues directly pertaining to the functioning of Brandeis University," Litwin said, saying that the Senate's discussion on the resolution drifted towards personal politics, distracting from the issue at hand and the correct focus of the senate.
However, Senator for the Class of 2008 Asher Tanenbaum, one of the resolution's sponsors, said the intention was not to express support for political policies of the Israeli government, but rather to express "the general feeling on campus that students want to wish [Israel] a happy birthday [and that] they understand that there is a deep connection between the school and themselves and Israel."
The resolution's sponsors hoped to fulfill suggested goals for college campuses set by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and express the interests of their constituents, according to Tanenbaum, also the president of the Brandeis Israel Public Affairs Committee and Senator-at-Large Andrew Brooks '09, Campus Curriculum Coordinator for BIPAC.
During the Senate meeting, Noam Shouster '11, a Jewish Israeli from a mixed Jewish-Arab town, spoke out against the resolution. "I think it doesn't represent the whole Brandeis community," she said. The Senate is a place to discuss housing and dining ... and I was really proud to see how some of the Senate members were able to distinguish between their feelings and what to do on Senate professionally."
Many senators argued that it was not the Senate's place to discuss such an issue and that such a vote might unintentionally hurt some students' feelings. Because of the diverse makeup of the Brandeis community, "anything kind of having to do with Israel sort of automatically becomes somewhat controversial," Senator for Massell Quad Andrew Litwin '11, who voted against the resolution, said.
"We're really there in my opinion as a student government to work and discuss issues directly pertaining to the functioning of Brandeis University," Litwin said, saying that the Senate's discussion on the resolution drifted towards personal politics, distracting from the issue at hand and the correct focus of the senate.
However, Senator for the Class of 2008 Asher Tanenbaum, one of the resolution's sponsors, said the intention was not to express support for political policies of the Israeli government, but rather to express "the general feeling on campus that students want to wish [Israel] a happy birthday [and that] they understand that there is a deep connection between the school and themselves and Israel."
The resolution's sponsors hoped to fulfill suggested goals for college campuses set by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and express the interests of their constituents, according to Tanenbaum, also the president of the Brandeis Israel Public Affairs Committee and Senator-at-Large Andrew Brooks '09, Campus Curriculum Coordinator for BIPAC.
During the Senate meeting, Noam Shouster '11, a Jewish Israeli from a mixed Jewish-Arab town, spoke out against the resolution. "I think it doesn't represent the whole Brandeis community," she said. The Senate is a place to discuss housing and dining ... and I was really proud to see how some of the Senate members were able to distinguish between their feelings and what to do on Senate professionally."
Viewing Comments 1 - 7 of 9
ICare about Israel
posted 3/18/08 @ 5:34 PM EST
Shameful that the Brandeis Senate cannot even wish Israel a happy birthday. This Litwin character sounds like a classic Jewish anti-Semite.
Irrational Comment
posted 3/18/08 @ 9:34 PM EST
I'm really tired how anyone who criticizes Israel is an anti semite? Since when can't people critize a state for their policies? And I don't think that's what Andrew Litwin was doing. (Continued…)
Alex
posted 3/21/08 @ 5:02 PM EST
I am a Brandeis alum. I was born and grew up in the former Soviet Union. Even there, I always felt as a proud Jews. It was dangerous to express it out loud or say good things about Israel/Jews. (Continued…)
DB
posted 3/21/08 @ 11:59 PM EST
I'm an alum, and I'm aware that the student senate has made its voice heard on countless much more controversial issues over the years, such as divestment from South Africa. (Continued…)
Mort Reichek
posted 3/24/08 @ 3:07 PM EST
I am astounded that an innocent resolution wishing Israel a happy birthday can turn into an ideological dispute. Who are those students whose "feelings might be hurt" by such a bland resolution. (Continued…)
Nelson Rutrick
posted 3/25/08 @ 8:46 AM EST
The people who presented the Israel resolution did a poor job as presenting it as something that is non-partisan. As I recommended to the five co-sponsors - if you had asked anyone to present this resolution other than the 'most hated' members of the Senate it would have easily passed. (Continued…)
Ollie the Owl
posted 3/25/08 @ 12:17 PM EST
On behalf of the Mods, I would like to extend our own Happy Birthday wishes to the state of Israel. I also would like to offer solidarity as it struggles to deal with the humiliation of being dissed up by the Brandeis student body, which it always considered a reliable friend. (Continued…)
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