Dershowitz: Anti-semitism rising

Criminal lawyer Alan Dershowitz speaks at the lecture "Global Terrorism: The New World War" last evening at the Annenberg Center.

Amid multiple eruptions of applause, criminal lawyer Alan Dershowitz kept hundreds of audience members on the edge of their seats last evening during his lecture, "Global Terrorism: The New World War."

Dershowitz, also a Harvard law professor, spoke last night in the Zellerbach Theater for the fourth-annual Israel Awareness event.

Although slated to speak on global terrorism, the talk focused instead on the alarming rise of anti-semitism and what Dershowitz described as growing "delegitimization" of Israel.

The talk, running over two hours to an audience sold out by Monday, was heated and fast-paced and even included a brief outburst during the question-and-answer session that required security guards to remove a disruptive audience member.

The night started out with disconcerting statistics of European anti-semitism. According to Malcolm Hoenlein, vice chairman of the Congress of Jewish Presidents and opening speaker for Dershowitz, BBC polls have shown that 56 percent of Europeans find Israel to be "the most disgusting nation in the world," and that, in the United States, Jews are four times more likely to be the victims of hate than their Muslim counterparts.

Both Dershowitz and Hoenlein contended that anti-Israeli sentiments were for the most part redirected feelings of anti-semitism. "It's not politically correct to attack a Jew openly," Hoenlein said. "So they attack the state that represents them."

Dershowitz, an avid civil rights activist, openly voiced his dismay at recent human rights organizations for their misguided focus on Israel over what he sees as other, more pressing issues.

The Human Rights Watch, he noted, wrongly claimed that Hezbollah, a militant Islamic group based in Lebanon, never hid their forces behind Lebanese civilians in an attempt to demonize Israeli military actions in last summer's war, even after well-documented evidence to the contrary surfaced.

Groups like Human Rights Watch "have become human wrongs organizations," Dershowtiz said. "They spend more time [focused] on Israel . than on Darfur, more time on Israel . than on cultural genocide in Tibet."

College senior Aaron Rock said that "Dershowitz is very effective as an advocate for Israel and comes across as very reasonable."

Gabriela Kipnis, also College senior, added that "it was empowering to hear an academic and intelligent moderate speak on the issue - he was tremendously fair."

Comments (20)

why was there no mention of the security issue that took place, when a guy started screaming at dershowitz and had to be lead out? the entire audience was booing him!

Ridiculous. People have legitimate concerns about Israel's foreign policy and treatment of Palestinians, and it's sad that someone known as a defender of free speech is attempting to trivialize and ultimately squelch any criticism of Israel by labeling it "anti-Semitism," thus diverting any dialogue on the matter into a highly charged, overly rhetorical racial issue. And he criticized Carter for oversimplifying things? Basically Mr. Dershowitz's arguments against "New anti-semitism" amount to: either you support Israel 100% or you are an evil, filthy, Jew-hating Nazi pig.

So if we're against Israel's policies, we're anti-semitic? This is the same guy who called opposition to Bush's war on terror unpatriotic and anti-American.

dershowitz is a joke. does anyone take seriously anything he says?

[QUOTE id="ec070561-c161-4ac5-8212-b78eff089f1c"]dershowitz is a joke. does anyone take seriously anything he says?[/QUOTE] APPARENTLY YES, MANY INTELLEGENT PEOPLE DO - HE IS A LONG TIME HARVARD LAW PROF & ONE OF THE VERY BEST APPELLATE LAWYERS IN THE COUNTRY - SO, NOW TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF (DON'T LIE) LET'S SEE HOW YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS STACK UP....... DOPE

I'd like to find out more about the situation with the PoliSci department and crackpot Finkelstein (raised during the talk and Q&A; last night).

criminal lawyer Alan Dershowitz Better editorial judgment perhaps, DP?

[QUOTE id="664f48b8-4975-4a4b-b24f-bbbb512910f5"]"criminal lawyer Alan Dershowitz" Better editorial judgment perhaps, DP?[/QUOTE] Is that you, Dennis? LOL!

[QUOTE id="519e7426-675d-4c58-8d40-6014e0822d45"] For clarification, I agree with THIS POST! Not the other whereby it was said that no one can criticize Israel. Mr. Alan Dershowitz criticized Israel on numerous occasions during his speech Wednesday evening. I concur with the following post because of its 100% accuracy: "You were obviously not at the talk, because Dershowitz was explicit and forceful in stating that there is nothing wrong with criticizing Israel, which he himself has (in public and in writing) for a number of policies. His main points had to do with misinformation (e.g., Carter - read Dershowitz's published response and decide what you think for yourself), the impossible standard to which other countries hold Israel in terms of self-defense, and the fact that while responding to unprovoked kidnappings and the like, Israel and the Israeli army are one of the most humanitarian forces in the world (e.g., issuing warnings so that civilians and terrorists alike can evacuate) but the world focuses on and critizes them more than they do others for what is going on in Darfur, Tibet, Iran, etc. etc. (and the irony and absurdity of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, etc. calling out Israel on human rights)." [I deeply apologize for any confusion]

umm, aside from the ad hominem attacks, who cares about whether dershowitz is a harvard law prof or great appellate lawyer? what does that have to do with anything? by the way, i'm not impressed with law. law=easy. that's why people with english and poli sci degrees do it. now, if he were "one of the very best" physicists, i'd be impressed.

[QUOTE id="519e7426-675d-4c58-8d40-6014e0822d45"]Ridiculous. People have legitimate concerns about Israel's foreign policy and treatment of Palestinians, and it's sad that someone known as a defender of free speech is attempting to trivialize and ultimately squelch any criticism of Israel by labeling it "anti-Semitism," thus diverting any dialogue on the matter into a highly charged, overly rhetorical racial issue. And he criticized Carter for oversimplifying things? Basically Mr. Dershowitz's arguments against "New anti-semitism" amount to: either you support Israel 100% or you are an evil, filthy, Jew-hating Nazi pig.[/QUOTE] You were obviously not at the talk, because Dershowitz was explicit and forceful in stating that there is nothing wrong with criticizing Israel, which he himself has (in public and in writing) for a number of policies. His main points had to do with misinformation (e.g., Carter - read Dershowitz's published response and decide what you think for yourself), the impossible standard to which other countries hold Israel in terms of self-defense, and the fact that while responding to unprovoked kidnappings and the like, Israel and the Israeli army are one of the most humanitarian forces in the world (e.g., issuing warnings so that civilians and terrorists alike can evacuate) but the world focuses on and critizes them more than they do others for what is going on in Darfur, Tibet, Iran, etc. etc. (and the irony and absurdity of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, etc. calling out Israel on human rights).

My question is why does a DP "News" item take on such an editorial tone? Additionally, is it appropriate to mention only two quotes from students who felt the speaker was fair and moderate? It was most certainly not difficult to find a student representing the other view. This was an event for students to listen to an interesting, but in my opinion highly radical, speaker. I find it acceptable that he was invited to campus despite the fact that I may personally not accept his opinion. Why should Finkelstein not have the same respect? We cannot on one hand defend free speech and with the other attempt to squash opposing thought.

Did anybody catch what was written on that guy's shirt? The conspiracy theorist?

You declare that you do not hate the Jews, you are merely anti-Zionist. And I say, let the truth ring forth from the high mountaintops, let it echo through the valleys of God s green earth: when people criticize Zionism, they mean Jews. Lecture by Martin Luther King, Harvard University, 1968, quoted in Abraham H. Foxman, Never Again? The Threat of the New Anti-Semitism (San Francisco: Harper, 2003).

[QUOTE id="efac9e57-cb0e-4ce3-8741-b75fea1c693c"]why was there no mention of the security issue that took place, when a guy started screaming at dershowitz and had to be lead out? the entire audience was booing him![/QUOTE] Actually if you watch the video of the confrontation you'll see that the gentleman accused of causing a ruckus was interrupted by Alan Dershowitz. The questioner is literally in the middle of saying, "...just listen to the evidence..." and as he starts to give evidence Dershowitz rudely speaks over him. It's all in the video. The questioner at that point speaks louder to try to get people to hear the evidence. At this point the crowd starts to behave extremely rude booing him and patronizing him. I don't hear the questioner screaming? I hear him speaking loudly but not screaming. Once again...it's all right here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7516908422528412891&hl;=en

Which guy? Dershowitz? Hoenlein? the Questioner? You've got two guys supporting the official conspiracy theory on stage and one guy supporting an alternative conspiracy theory. Be specific!

[QUOTE id="ec070561-c161-4ac5-8212-b78eff089f1c"]dershowitz is a joke. does anyone take seriously anything he says?[/QUOTE] Dershowitz is a professional liar. Plain and simple.

[QUOTE id="efac9e57-cb0e-4ce3-8741-b75fea1c693c"]why was there no mention of the security issue that took place, when a guy started screaming at dershowitz and had to be lead out? the entire audience was booing him![/QUOTE] How is this a security issue? The guy asked a question which was controversial, and was answered in an appalling manner by a Harvard law professor. Only then did he raise his voice. It seems to me he is the one that needed security - are you saying the people in the audience need "security" from hearing his question?

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