Bret Stephens Interview at Vassar: "Why I Support Israel and Why You Should, Too"

      Bret Stephens, Wall Street Journal columnist and news commentator, was interviewed at Vassar on Sept. 20 by Steven Cook, ’90, on the topic of “Why I Support Israel and Why You Should, Too.”  The event was funded by the Office of the President as part of the administration’s “Dialogue and Engagement Across Differences” initiative.  Cook, who is a senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of two books on the Middle East, posed a series of questions to Stephens regarding his support for Israel and his views on anti-Israel activism in the US.  The audience comprised about 70 students as well as several alumni and a few professors, college administrators and some community members.  The audience was seated around tables, and interim College president Jonathan Chennette, who introduced the event, said the seating was intended to provide the audience with the opportunity to discuss the topic with each other and formulate questions to Stephens after the interview.  What follows is a summary; a video of the entire interview can be seen at https://youtu.be/t6f5PQqVV9U.