FTI ANALYSIS OF THE VASSAR COLLEGE INTERNATIONAL STUDIES 110B FIELD TRIP TO THE JORDAN VALLEY WATERSHED
MARCH 8-23, 2014
INTRODUCTION
The trip by 28 Vassar students to Israel and the West Bank in March 2014 has been described as a model for learning about contentious issues, through engagement and exposure to diverse groups of people and organizations working on those issues. However, after examining various materials, it is obvious that this trip did not provide a complete and fair examination of the complex problems surrounding access to water in areas plagued by geological issues and social divisions, but in fact quite the opposite. Students were offered a perspective that was almost always heavily critical of or biased against Israel and sympathetic to the Palestinians. The overriding message of the trip appears to have been that Israelis are responsible for the Palestinians' difficulties in managing their water supplies. We believe it is important to analyze this trip as it highlights both the obvious and often subtle ways in which students are exposed to a one-sided, anti-Israel analysis of matters being studied.
The material reviewed includes the following (as well as other materials cited below):
· The field trip itinerary to the “Jordan River Watershed (and beyond).”
· A March 4th report about the campus March 3 “open discussion” meeting called to discuss limits on protesting and the ethics of traveling to Israel on an International Studies field trip. This report was based on personal attendance at this meeting.
· Prof. Schneiderman’s Earthdhama blog page, accessed on March 23, 2014.
· The comments of several students participating in the trip, published in the Vassar Chronicle, Volume XXV, Issue 4, April 15, 2014, in an article entitled, “Controversial Class Trip Promotes Critical Discussion: Students Reflect on Their Time in Israel.”
ANALYSIS
Framing of the Issue in Terms Used by Israel Critics
The trip was framed as an exploration of the issues of "water and justice" in the Jordan River Water shed. The phrase "water and justice" is often used by those accusing Israel of stealing water from the Palestinians and restricting their access to water.
The trip was designed largely by individuals known for their anti-Zionist views. At the March 3 “open discussion” meeting, Professors Schneiderman and Friedman (who led the field trip) defended the fact that the students would be visiting Israel by noting that Vassar professor Tim Koechlin, Director of International Studies, Vassar professor Joshua Schreier, Director of Jewish Studies and Berkeley professor Judith Butler had advised them during the planning of the trip. In this context, it is relevant that:
· Prof. Koechlin was one of the 39 Vassar professors who signed an "openletter" supporting the ASA boycott of Israeli academic institutions. This letter claims (falsely) that even Israel's most ardent supporters cannot "deny theongoing systematic dispossession of Palestinians, the destruction of their homes and livelihood, the expansion of illegal settlements beyond the 1967 borders and the general humiliation and hardship Palestinians must endure as walls, checkpoints, apartheid legislation, and control of movement deny Palestinians self-determination, freedom, and basic human rights" -- among other inflammatory accusations against Israel.
· Prof. Schreier, head of Jewish Studies, has made clear that he does not believe there are different valid views of the Israel/Palestinian conflict. In a syllabus for his history course on The Roots of the Palestine-Israel Conflict he warned: “Students should keep in mind that this course is NOT designed to present ‘an objective’ account of a ‘two-sided’ conflict.” In his lecture of April 3, 2014, on the “Origins of Zionism,” Prof. Schreier described Israel as an imperialist and colonialist country and asserted that Jews have no historical connection to the Land of Israel and has also denied that they are a people as opposed to a religion. He views the Palestinians as helpless victims, the indigenous population of the area, a colonized and dispossessed people, denied basic human rights. (“Israeli Policy and Culture Oppresses Palestinians and Arabs," Vassar Chronicle, Volume XXV, Issue 4, April 15, 2014). Like Prof. Koechlin, he signed the Vassar faculty letter supporting the ASA boycott of Israeli academic.
· Judith Butler is a prominent anti-Israel and BDS (Boycott, Divest and Sanctions) supporter and has labeled recognized terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah as “social movements that are progressive, that are on the left, that are part of a global left.”
Use of pro-Palestinian tour company and tour guide
The tour company has significant influence over the touring experience and the perspective offered the tourist. In addition to making basic arrangements and suggestions to the itinerary, a tour company provides guides. As anyone who has traveled on a guided tour will confirm, the guides influence not only what you see but also what you think about what you see and select the people you meet. Their political, historical and technical perspectives significantly color and affect the opinions you form. Not only does the guide make formal presentations, but he also has the opportunity to talk with students informally, one on one, and many impressions are made through such give and take.
The Vassar trip used the services of a tour company called Green Olive Tours. Fred Schlomka, the owner, says Green Olive Tours offers tourists “the opportunity to benefit from my experienced guides/ knowledge, and witness the impact of the Occupation” and many tourists “are motivated to become politically active when they return home.” Schlomka also admits “[o]ur brochures and flyers are rejected by the mainstream hotels for political reasons, and we are restricted to marketing through the smaller and Arab-owned hotels.” (Interview published by Jews for Justice for Palestinians, a British pro-Palestinian lobby group). In other words, this tour company provides an unabashedly Palestinian narrative about the conflict and all issues relating to it.
Yaniv Mazor served as the Green Olive tour guide on this trip. Mazor was imprisoned by the Israeli military for 20 days for refusing to fulfill his military reserve service duties in what he called “the occupying army.” While in prison, he went on a hunger strike that he said “was a show of solidarity with Palestinian administrative detainees.”http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israeli-reservist-goes-on-hunger-strike-in-solidarity-with-palestinian-prisoner.premium-1.436912 [subscription required, or use the first link here]
Mazor writes for Ir Amim, a Palestinian organization that, among other things, runs highly politicized tours of Jerusalem and the security barrier. According to NGO Monitor [link], an organization that provides information and analysis, promotes accountability, and supports discussion on the reports and activities of NGOs (non-governmental organizations), Ir Amim promotes the Palestinian narrative on Jerusalem. An Ir Amim official said that the group was “seeking to advance a political agenda, and was not an organization geared to promote coexistence.”
David Horovitz, then editor of the Jerusalem Post, wrote that the Jerusalem Moments film series, produced by Ir Amim, “contained just about every imaginable one-sided, context-deficient, unbalanced misrepresentation of Israel rolled into one nasty package…a relentless Palestinian Israel-bashing.” In addition to having guided the students on the Vassar trip, Mazor conducts tours for Ir Amim into what is referred to as “neglected” Arab neighborhoods around Jerusalem. Mazor's writings for them and his postings on the Internet are vitriolic in their hatred for Israel and Israeli institutions. It is logical to assume that this guide would not be giving students a balanced view about Israel, water issues and the Palestinians.
Use of Pro-Palestinian NGOs
The NGO Shoruq hosted the students in the Dheisheh Refugee Camp. (See “Students Reflect on Controversial Class Trip to Israel,” April edition Vassar Chronicles). Shoruq is a pro-Palestinian refugee NGO whose advocacy program emphasizes what they believe to be the blatant deprivation and denial of legal, civil and political rights to Palestinian refugees. According to Vassar student Alicia Robinson-Welch (Vassar Chronicle article), a Shoruq student guide told stories of Israeli “settlers” firing upon residents of the camp, killing a guide’s brother. The student guides informed her that on the very day that they were visiting the camp, there were already five “martyrs,” five people “killed by the IDF.” They pointed out stenciled faces of other “martyrs” on a wall they were passing, telling her their names. From her comments, Robinson-Welch seemed to be very moved by this information and impressed with what she was being shown. Since she related this information without comment as to its accuracy, she obviously believed that she had been given the whole story. She never indicated that she felt it was necessary to question any of this information, given the source.
An examination of the other NGOs (non-governmental organizations) who participated on this field trip expedition to explore and analyze water issues between Israel and the Palestinians reveals that they either have a pro-Palestinian bias or do not offer students a pro-Israel narrative:
· Emergency Water Sanitation and Hygiene in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (EWASH) was mentioned in Prof. Schneiderman’s March 4th blog on earthdharma.org as one of the NGOs assisting with the trip and an EWASH tour was listed on the itinerary. This NGO has been evaluated by NGO Monitor (link), which remarks, “Allegations regarding water rights and availability are often used as part of the delegitimization campaign against Israel. NGOs, such as EWASH and its partners, present a distorted narrative – ignoring the negotiated agreements (i.e. Oslo Accords) that determine the water arrangement, internal Palestinian dynamics, and other complexities- in order to falsely accuse Israel of violating international law on water rights…. EWASH plays a major role in promoting this issue and the related distortions, which are then repeated by other NGOs, UN bodies, and the media.”
· The Vassar group spent two full days with Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME). As a tri-lateral organization that brings together Jordanian, Palestinian and Israeli environmentalists, its primary objective is the promotion of cooperative efforts to protect a shared environmental heritage. However, its website emphasizes the needs of the Palestinians without equal sympathy for Israel and does not address the complex legal and political issues surrounding water and environment. It is critical of Israel regarding water issues saying, “the Israeli authorities have a single minded focus on security that goes beyond any test of reason.”
FoEME proudly mentions that it is endorsed by Jimmy Carter (who referred to Israel as an apartheid state), Desmond Tutu (who accused Israel of apartheid against the Palestinians) and Mary Robinson (who presided over the 2001 Durban conference where Zionism was equated to racism). FoEME appears to have conducted a tour that focused on Jordan River water diversion by Israel, Jordan and Syria and the pollution of the river.
· The Vassar trip itinerary indicated that the students interacted with Combatants for Peace (CFP). CFP believes that the so-called occupation is the main source of violence between Israelis and Palestinians and its immediate goal is to end Israeli “occupation.” It asserts that the Israelis are more powerful than the Palestinians and, therefore, more responsible for the current situation.
· Tent of Nations is listed on the itinerary. Tent of Nations is located southwest of Bethlehem. The organization claims that its land is under threat of confiscation by the Israeli military and, as such, it orchestrates projects that reflect solidarity with the local Arab population. It criticizes Israel for constructing “settlements” and “the Wall” around Bethlehem, claiming that it has turned the previously vibrant city into an isolated town. There is no mention that the Christian population of Bethlehem has fled because of rising Islamism. There is no mention of Palestinian terrorist actions that have made the security fence a necessity to preserve civilian life. Rachel’s tomb, one of the most holy sites for Jews, is located on the outskirts of Bethlehem. Before the explosion of Palestinian terrorism, visitors could access this site in an open area, without guards and a security wall. After the two intifadas waged against Israel, in order to protect Israelis and Jewish and Christian tourists wishing to visit this site, tall walls, barbed wire and much security is needed to insure the visitors’ safety.
· The Applied Research Institute Jerusalem (ARIJ), another Palestinian NGO founded in 1990 and based inBethlehem in the West Bank, was included on the trip. According to NGO Monitor [link], one of the main projects of ARIJ is “monitoring Israeli colonizing activities in the Palestinian West Bank and Gaza." Members of ARIJ participate in political warfare against Israel, seeking to further BDS, offer false accusations of Israeli “apartheid” and “racism,” and support a Palestinian “right of return” which is inconsistent with a two-state solution and the continued existence of the Jewish state. They employ anti-Israel rhetoric including “ethnic cleansing,” “transfer,” “land grab,” “colonialization activities” in their publications and claim that Israel is guilty of “excessive and disproportionate violations of every existing humanitarian code.”
ARIJ activities belie their claims to be an organization evaluating needs and promoting sustainable development in Palestinian areas. Together with Kairos Palestine, a central actor in promoting BDS in churches and Christian organizations, they published a 2012 Christmas alert that invoked classic anti-Semitic deicide themes, casting Israeli Jews as “evil tenants” who killed Jesus and are killing the Palestinians. In January, 2013, they co-authored a submission to the Human Rights Council accusing Israel of violence, verbal and physical abuses, inhumane and degrading treatments, forced evictions, land and property grabbing, destruction of property and housing. In May 2013, they joined a radical group in opposition to “the Apartheid Wall Israel” in the Cremisan Valley near Beit Jalla, a town adjacent to Bethlehem. In December 2008, they called Jerusalem’s mayor a “racist” who supports “ethnic cleansing.” This anti-Israel organization is very upfront with its antagonism to Israel, and yet it was included on this trip’s itinerary.
Lack of Exposure to Israeli Water Experts
Gavin P. Swann, writing about “field science” in his book, “Putting Econometrics in its Place,” argues that “The only way we can know something is by hearing what can be said about it by persons of every variety of opinion, and studying all modes in which it can be looked at by every character of mind.”
Unfortunately, it is evident that despite being portrayed as a balanced examination of complex and contentious issues, the Vassar College field trip offered students a perspective on water and justice that was heavily critical of and biased against Israel, while offering no real critique of the handling of water issues by the Palestinians. The critical point to understand is that there was no effort made to offer the students the Israeli perspective on these issues. Had the goal been to expose the students to the full range of opposing views of these complex issues, the trip could have and should have included meetings with Israeli academics and water experts while the students were in Israel.
In fact, at the March 3rd "open conversation," Professors Schneiderman and Friedman stressed that they would not be meeting with Israeli government officials, academics or water experts. Her statement was confirmed by the trip's itinerary.
Had this trip truly been designed to examine the full range of views on these issues, the students could have visited (among other places):
· The Dan Region Sewage Reclamation Plant, the Aryeh Pools and Tifrah Reservoir, to learn about a major and successful Israeli enterprise to purify sewage for use by farmers, as well as the professional cooperation with the Palestinian Authority which desired to introduce these reclamation techniques into Gaza;
· The Besor Research and Development Station whose purpose is to find new species of flowers and vegetables for Jewish and Arab farmers to grow in an arid land; and
· The Ashdod Desalination Project or the desalination plants in Soreq or Hadera to learn about Israel’s major contribution to eliminate water shortages, both in Israel and around the world.
The students also could have spoken with experts at the Israel Water Authority about Israel's efforts to rehabilitate the Jordan River. Yet when I asked Prof. Schneiderman at the March 3rd "open conversation" whether students on their 16-day trip were going to learn about the ground-breaking, unique Israeli water desalinization technology, she dismissed the question saying, “We don’t have time for that.”
Had the students met with Israel academics in the field of water, they would have learned the facts from an Israeli perspective. For example, had they spoken with Professor Haim Gvirtzman, a respected professor of hydrology at the Institute of Earth Sciences at the Hebrew University and a member of the Israel Water Authority Council, he would have told them that any examiner of water issues must be informed of the following basic facts:
· Israel, after taking control of the West Bank, installed modern infrastructure that allowed water supplies for Palestinians to double by 1995 and double again since then.
· If the Palestinians were to drill in all 40 sites in the Eastern Mountain Aquifer as permitted by the Oslo agreements, they would have completely solved their existing water shortages in the Hebron hills region.
· The Palestinians have not fixed water leaks in city pipes and up to 33% of water is wasted.
· Upkeep on Palestinians’ urban water infrastructure has been completely neglected by the Palestinians.
· Despite being offered the funds to do so, Palestinians refuse to build water treatment plants as per their obligations under Oslo and let their sewage run into local streams.
· Palestinians refuse to irrigate their agricultural fields with reclaimed, recycled water as Israelis do.
Had the Vassar students been exposed to the Israeli perspective, they would have learned that in Israel, including the West Bank, sufficient, safe, drinkable tap water exists in 96% of households. And Gvirtzman and other Israeli experts would have presented their view that the Palestinians could have significantly improved the quantity and quality of water available to them had they used for those purposes the vast sums of money provided by European countries and the US. Indeed, according to Israeli water experts, the Palestinians have the ability to solve their existing water problems if they start taking responsibility for fulfilling their commitments under international law.
CONCLUSION
In an opinion piece in the Miscellany News (4/9/14), Professors Schneiderman and Friedman quoted Sulaiman Khatib, from the NGO Combatants for Peace who served 10 years in an Israeli prison for armed resistance as saying that “Every stone has at least two stories. In the same article, they wrote,
“We feel confident that as a result of traveling to the region and talking with Arab and Jewish Israelis, Jordanians and Palestinians, our students can now speak knowledgeably about the complex realities of this conflict-ridden place. Our trip epitomizes the methodology of the field sciences, as well as the “go to the source” approach that has long been a defining feature of a Vassar education.”
Unfortunately, we have no such confidence. In field research regarding water issues between the Palestinians and the Israelis, “going to the source” surely demands hearing the Israeli story. It requires accessing Israeli water experts, including academics and organizations involved in dealing with the water problems faced in the region. After exposure to different, often conflicting narratives and factual statements, the students would have learned that there are truly many sides to a story, and would have been in a real position to draw their own conclusions. This trip did not offer that critical learning experience.
President Hill, in her April 11, 2014 letter to the Vassar community, referring to this field trip to the Jordan River Watershed, commented, “There can be no better learning experience.” We understand that the trip has been portrayed this way by some of those involved. But surely Vassar can and must do much better than this.
May 26, 2014
