Morton Klein, the National President of the Zionist Organization of America, proclaimed Israel's importance in the Middle East and denounced the legitimacy of Israel's neighbors, drawing audience controversy, during his speech in Collis Common Ground on Thursday, given in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Israel's independence.
Klein, a Zionist activist in Washington D.C. and the son of Holocaust survivors, related his pro-Israel stance on terrorism in the Middle East. His speech incited some audience opposition, and an adult audience member stood up in the center of the room immediately following the speech and attempted to counter Klein's address, contending that the venue must support an "exchange of different views" because the event was hosted by a liberal arts institution. Members of Dartmouth Hillel, which sponsored the speech, forcibly escorted the man from the room after he ignored their repeated requests for him to leave.
"I was disappointed that he felt the need to use an event that we organized as a forum for his ideas," Victoria Fener '08, president of Hillel, said.
Another questioner debated many of Klein's points and argued that some of his facts were false. The questioner disputed Klein's claim that schoolchildren in Palestine are educated with maps of the Middle East that do not include Israel. Fener terminated the questioner's comments by requesting that another audience member be given the opportunity to speak.
Klein argued that Israel has the right to exist in the Middle East, explaining that the region experienced similar controversy before Israel became a Jewish state. He also said that since Israel is a small country, he does not believe that the land is the true reason Arabs are unhappy with the Jewish claim to the state.
"Texas is 36 times the size of Israel," Klein said. "It's important to have a sense of how tiny Israel is."
Klein also emphasized that Israel should have worldwide support, not only because it is home to most of the world's Jewish community, but also because the people there are content. He cited a study that reported 91 percent of Israelis claim they are happy living in Israel.
In order to reduce the violence in the Middle East, Klein argued, Israel must strengthen its resolve in persecuting terrorists. The barrier to peace can be found in an Arab culture that embraces terrorism, he said.
"They name school streets and sports teams after terrorists," he said. "You can't get peace if you're teaching hatred."
Celebration of Israeli independence at the College continued with a showing of the film, "I Have Never Forgotten You: The Life and Legacy of Simon Wiesenthal," a documentary that traces the life of Wiesenthal, who survived a number of Nazi concentration camps and worked to bring former Nazi officers to trial for their war crimes. The event, sponsored by the John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding, Chabad at Dartmouth and the Jewish Studies Program, was more highly attended than the afternoon's lecture.
"The Nuremberg trials really wouldn't have been held if it wasn't for [Wiesenthal]," Nadine Moezinia '11, who organized the event through Chabad at Dartmouth, said.
The Jewish Studies Program co-sponsored the event because of Wiesenthal's importance in the historical study of the Holocaust, Susannah Heschel, head of the department, said.
"He makes us ask the question of responsibility from many different sides," Heschel said.
Heschel also praised Wiesenthal for the work he did to bring Nazi party members to justice after World War II ended.
"Wiesenthal is a model of what one human being, working all alone or with only support from his family and from his conscience can accomplish," Heschel said.
Hillel also sponsored a Jewish Israeli dessert demonstration at the Pavilion. Although Hillel and Chabad did not collaborate to plan Thursday's events, Fener said, the groups made sure the event times did not conflict.
