Should the US and Princeton divest from Israel?

The recent comments by Harvard President Lawrence Summers about an anti-Israel campaign on his campus have brought the divestment issue back into the news. Referring to the rising trend of anti-Israel activism at universities, he warned that, "serious and thoughtful people are advocating and taking actions that are anti-Semitic in their effect if not their intent." On our campus, though, supporters of the divestment campaign often find their way to the cause through ignorance. Princeton's divestment campaign is run by SPEAC, an all-purpose left-wing activist group. Students handing out divestment flyers at the activities fair readily admitted their ignorance regarding the Middle East. Since they knew little about the situation in Israel, they certainly could not explain why Princeton should divest, a move that would entail abandoning over $100 million in companies including IBM, Intel, Johnson and Johnson, McDonalds, Merck, and Motorola.

While a few uninformed students find their way to anti-Israel activism, many others remain unsure about what to make of the situation in Israel. That is precisely why it is so important to clearly state why Princeton should not divest. Perhaps most important of all, Israel, like the United States, is a pluralistic country dedicated to human rights. It is an open and modern society with freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and the press; equality for women and minorities; and voting rights for all of its citizens — all of which are frighteningly uncommon in neighboring Arab countries. This summer, "The New Republic" printed a story about Palestinian homosexuals who risk their lives to flee to Israel because of the horrific torture and degradation they suffer at the hands of the Palestinian Authority. It is curious, even hypocritical, that leftists criticize Israel when these unspeakable human rights violations abound in the surrounding countries, including the territory administered by the Palestinian Authority. Instead of supporting President Bush in his call for a democratic Palestine, these activists protest on behalf of a totalitarian regime that crushes the very liberties they claim to hold dear.

As the Middle East's only democracy, Israel has a deep sense of shared values with America. Through that common commitment to freedom, Israel is our front-line partner in the war on terror. Although Osama bin Laden refers to Israel as the "Little Satan," he calls America the "Great Satan." As a beacon of Western civilization in the Middle East, Israel, too, is a target for terror. Like the United States in our own efforts against al Qaeda, Israel is engaged in a just and necessary war against those who would use terrorism to accomplish their goals. However, the partnership with Israel in the war on terror extends beyond the abstract principles to intensive military cooperation, including the joint development of the world's most advanced missile defense technology. Furthermore, since September 11, American special forces and emergency response teams have been trained by Israeli anti-terrorism units.

Beyond the strategic cooperation for defense, Israel is also a global center of technology and innovation. As leaders in the hi-tech sector and in biomedical research, many Israeli companies have been bought by or entered into business ventures with American firms. These close ties between American and Israeli businesses are evidence of Israel's commitment to political and economic freedom, which make such commercial development possible. It is these same values, shared with the United States, that enable Israel to flourish as one of America's strongest allies in the world, let alone in a region that is the breeding ground for anti-American sentiment.

Despite the claims of the propaganda, Israel has in fact made grand concessions whenever peace was attainable. In 1979, Israel returned the Sinai Desert to Egypt in exchange for a promise of peace even though the Sinai was an oil-rich territory three times the size of Israel itself. (At the time, it was now-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon who oversaw the forcible dismantling of Jewish settlements in the Sinai.) Similarly painful concessions were offered by Ehud Barak, but they were rejected by Yasser Arafat who instead launched the current intifada.

It is unfortunate that the past two years of terror have destroyed the lives of many Palestinians and Israelis. It is unfortunate that the Palestinian terrorists disguise themselves as journalists and use ambulances to smuggle explosives. It is unfortunate that the terrorists hide in heavily populated areas and use civilians as human shields. All of those things force Israel to defend itself. As with every war, there are inevitably unpleasant consequences. Sadly, a corrupt and violent Palestinian Authority has deprived its people of any real hope for peace and freedom in the near future. Unlike the many Arab dictatorships, Israel is founded on the same principles of democracy and freedom as the United States. Israel is our partner in promoting these values, and support for Israel is the best hope for peace in the Middle East. Daniel Mark is a senior from Englewood, N.J. He can be reached at mark@princeton.edu.