Princeton cancels speech by ex-terrorists
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Posted by David on 18:12:08 2006/01/18
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NEW JERSEY JEWISH NEWS
Jewish activists trade charges as Princeton cancels speech by ex-terrorists
by Marilyn Silverstein
NJJN Staff Writer
On the face of it, the story of what happened at Princeton University on the evening of Thursday, Dec. 8, is simply a story of what did not happen: Three former terrorists who had been invited to the campus by members of a pro-Israel undergraduate student organization did not speak.
But the back-story behind the university's cancellation of the program a move fully supported by the sponsoring organization, PIPAC, the Princeton Israel Public Affairs Committee is far more complicated.
The university and PIPAC say the event was "postponed" because outside organizers had not adhered to Princeton's guidelines for student-run events, and that its representatives were abusive and even anti-Semitic in their conversations with students.
The foundation representing the former terrorists, however, says the university "didn't want to have a pro-Israel speaker on campus," and that the pro-Israel students succumbed to "pressure" to cancel the event.
The proposed event surfaced in early December with a press release headlined, "Three Former Terrorists to Speak at Princeton University." It announced a Dec. 8 appearance at the McCosh 50 Lecture Theater by former Palestine Liberation Organization operative Walid Shoebat and two other former terrorists, Zak Anani and Ibrahim Abdullah all of them represented by the Newtown, Pa.-based Walid Shoebat Foundation (see sidebar).
According to its Web site, www.shoebat.com, the privately funded foundation seeks to expose "Jew hatred" on American campuses and in the mainstream media through presentations by Arabs who advocate for Israel. Keith Davies serves as foundation executive director.
On Dec. 1, however, the university postponed the program as part of what a spokeswoman characterized as "a routine process."
"It's very straightforward," media-relations manager Cass Cliatt said in a telephone interview. "It's been blown out of proportion."
Cliatt ticked off several reasons for the cancellation of the Dec. 8 program: The students never received final approval on the funding for the program, she said. The foundation began publicizing the program nationally before the students had received final approval. The students had not satisfied the logistical requirements, such as parking, signage, a simulcast room, media services, and security. And, Cliatt added, the director of the Walid Shoebat Foundation had become abusive to the students, using abusive language and making anti-Semitic remarks.
At the same time, Cliatt said, PIPAC became concerned that the publicity material generated by the foundation failed to mention the fact that students not the university were sponsoring the program.
"The students were planning one type of event, but it turned into a different type of event," Cliatt said. "This had nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with content. It's really frustrating, because the students were excited about the event. The campus was excited," she said. "It's a very intriguing subject."
PIPAC's version of the events jibes with Cliatt's. On Dec. 5, PIPAC issued a statement saying that the foundation had misled the student organization over its publicity plans, mischaracterized the talk as a university-sponsored event, and used "intimidation tactics" that included "vicious anti-Semitic remarks." The students affirmed that the program had been called off "due to procedural and logistical considerations rather than as an attempt to suppress speech on campus."
The PIPAC statement describes events from the time, early in the fall, when the leaders of the student organization contacted Davies, inviting Shoebat and the other former terrorists to speak at Princeton about their decision to renounce terrorism and to advocate for peace.
"The goal," the students wrote in their statement, " was to bring a pro-Israel voice to Princeton's campus and further the campus discussion of current issues in the Middle East."
But things began falling apart soon after, according to the statement. "The Foundation intentionally misled PIPAC concerning their plan to generate national media attention," it asserted. In addition, it charged, "The Foundation's advertising incorrectly gave the impression that the University had invited Walid Shoebat directly. At no time was PIPAC consulted concerning this publicity, nor were we mentioned as the sponsoring organization of the Shoebat lecture on campus."
Perhaps most seriously, the PIPAC statement charges that the representatives of the foundation "made unsparing use of intimidation tactics, rudeness, and foul language. The Foundation's manager and his associates often cursed at and insulted the members of PIPAC, including hurling vicious anti-Semitic remarks. This appalling and rather unprofessional behavior chilled the relations between the Foundation and PIPAC."
Those factors, coupled with growing concerns about the logistics of preparing for the program proper security, proper contractual arrangements, parking accommodations, media attention, etc. were at the heart of the university's decision, the statement asserts.
"Given all the factors discussed above," the students wrote, "PIPAC completely understands the reasons behind the University's decision to postpone the event and wholeheartedly supports their decision in this matter."
Princeton senior Deborah Arotsky, president of the student organization, declined to discuss the matter with NJ Jewish News. "Outside of this statement, none of the members of PIPAC will be commenting on this issue, and I would appreciate it if you could kindly direct any questions you may have to the University Office of Communications."
Princeton freshman Zvi Smith, who is in line to take over the helm of PIPAC next fall, did not respond to telephone or e-mail requests for an interview.
Rabbi Julie Roth, executive director of Princeton's Center for Jewish Life, endorsed the PIPAC statement. "I'm in full agreement with the PIPAC statement," Roth said in a telephone interview. "This was a complicated situation that involved the university as well as the agent of the Walid Shoebat Foundation.
"Our PIPAC group is really strong and active," the rabbi added. "It's a shame that they put as much effort into the event as they did and it didn't work out."
The three former terrorists did speak to an audience of about 50 at the Radisson Hotel in South Brunswick on Dec. 8.
'Judenrat'
The Shoebat Foundation's Davies, who identified himself as Jewish during a telephone interview with NJJN, said he is considering suing the university for violating his First Amendment right to free speech. He charged that Cliatt, the university spokesperson, had told him that the use of the word "terrorist" in his publicity for the program was "inflammatory."
"Now the students, because of pressure, have sided with the college because of fear," Davies said, his anger clearly simmering near the surface. "It cost $30,000 to make this event happen. I used some improper language with one of the students, and I think you can understand why I'd be pretty upset $30,000 going down the drain because the students have no backbone. At least they could have stayed silent, but they actually sided with the university.
"Mr. Shoebat and the other two gentlemen are risking their lives," Davies said. "It's very discouraging for Jewish people to actually just turn tail and collapse. It's cowardice. There's no other word for it.
"The only thing the students had to do was to distribute the leaflets and follow the directions of the professional activists we had brought in," he said, in essence confirming the students' position that he had sought to sideline them. "They had to put up posters and hand out flyers," he said. "That is the only thing we wanted them to do."
As for charges that one of his associates had hurled an anti-Semitic remark at one of the students, Davies said, "How could that be even near the truth? Our organization is fighting for the justice of Israel and the Jewish people. Why would the people who fight the hardest for Israel be anti-Semitic? It's mad."
He did acknowledge, however, that one of his associates had used the word "judenrat" during an altercation with one of the PIPAC students. The epithet, to some synonymous with "traitor," refers to the Jewish councils whom the Nazis put in charge of round-ups during the Holocaust.
"That's what they're regarding as an anti-Semitic remark," Davies said. But then he added, referring to the students, "They're willing to cower to the Princeton authorities and sell us down the drain, so 'judenrat' was a pretty accurate remark."
The term also appears in the title of a lengthy account of the matter posted on a Web site, www.israpundit.com. The author, Lee Kaplan, is one of the activists hired by the Shoebat foundation to organize the Princeton event. Kaplan's piece includes personal attacks on Arotsky and Smith.
Davies acknowledged to NJJN that this is not the first time a campus-based program featuring Walid Shoebat has been cancelled, although the former terrorist has appeared at Harvard and Columbia and San Francisco State universities.
"This is the 10th time we've been sold out by Jewish students," Davies said. "The Jewish students on campus are the worst. They are apathetic and fearful, and they have no strength. Not to be proud Jews, not to fight for the cause of Israel it's a disgrace."
He had warned the students that they would come under pressure to have the program cancelled, Davies added. "Princeton University gets millions of dollars from the Arab lobby," he charged. "The reason why Princeton cancelled us is they didn't want to have a pro-Israel speaker on campus."
But Thomas Dunne, associate dean in Princeton's Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students, strongly denied that charge.
"It's never been a question of the content of the speech. That's never been raised," Dunne told NJJN. "It's really a question of: Are students in a position to work with the university and be in charge of the event? The students are committed to the free exchange of ideas, and that's something we support them in."
Marilyn Silverstein can be reached at msilverstein@njjewishnews.com.
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