Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address New York University students and students from other universities at an event sponsored by NYU’s Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life and Caravan for Democracy, a program sponsored by Jewish National Fund and Media Watch International. The event —which will take place on Thursday, September 7, 2006 at 6:00 p.m. will be held at the Great Hall at Cooper Union, 7th Street and 3rd Avenue.
Cindy Greenberg, executive director of the Bronfman Center, said, “The situation in the Middle East will be among the most fractious and enduring world issues confronted by NYU students during their studies and afterwards. It is important that they have an opportunity to hear the voices of the leaders who have been intimately involved with the conflict. Moreover, this event is also a continuation of the Bronfman Center’s tradition of bringing a wide array of Israeli and Jewish voices to campus.”
NYU Caravan Fellow Emily Grunewald said, “At times, the news regarding the Middle East can get overwhelming, and as busy college students we might not always have time to be as up-to-date on all the information as we would like. The upcoming seminar with former PM Benjamin Netanyahu is therefore so important because it will give concerned students from New York City a comprehensive and relevant overview of the current situation. We are so fortunate to have this senior Israeli Statesman come share his expertise and knowledge during this period of uncertainty and opportunity.”
Following the lecture, students will be invited to an informal discussion co-moderated by NYU’s Muslim Chaplain Khalid Latif and Rabbi Yehuda Sarna, the Bronfman Center’s Manager of Jewish Religious Life.
Netanyahu was the 9th Prime Minister of Israel, serving from 1996 to 1999. In 2005, he resigned from the position of Finance Minister in protest of the Gaza disengagement plan implemented by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Netanyahu retook the Likud leadership in 2005, and as of May 2006 became the official leader of the opposition in the Knesset.
Other event co-sponsors include Gesher at NYU, Kesher at NYU, Brooklyn College Hillel, Hofstra Hillel, Hunter Hillel, Columbia/Barnard Hillel, Alpha Epsilon Pi at NYU, Iranian Jewish Club at NYU, and Alpha Epsilon Phi at NYU.
Editors Notes The Bronfman Center Founded in 1996, NYU’s Edgar M. Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life engages one of the largest and most creative Jewish student populations in the United States. The Bronfman Center is home to dozens of student groups and hundreds of innovative programs and projects.
Caravan for Democracy Caravan for Democracy drives constructive dialogue on college campuses throughout the United States by bringing different speakers from Israel to discuss the challenges Israel faces as the only democracy in the Middle East. Since its inception in 2002, CFD has sponsored 176 events, visited over 70 campuses and communities, and engaged more than 20,000 participants at its events and lectures. NYU was the first campus to host a CFD event during its inaugural year. Since last December, NYU students Emily Grunewald and Elizabeth Greenfield have served as CFD fellows, organizing Israel programming on campus.
Jewish National Fund is a non-profit organization founded in 1901 to serve as caretaker of the land of Israel, on behalf of its owners-Jewish people everywhere. Over the past century, JNF has planted over 240 million trees, built over 180 reservoirs and dams, developed over 250,000 acres of land, created more than 1,000 parks, provided the infrastructure for 1,000 communities and educated students around the world about Israel and the environment. Today, JNF is putting its century of experience to work with the Blueprint Negev initiative, supporting Israel’s newest generation of pioneers in developing the Negev Desert Israel’s last frontier. For more information on JNF or to plant trees in Israel, call 1-800-542-TREE (8733) or visit http://www.jnf.org/. To contact your local office, please call 888-JNF-0099 or visit http://www.jnf.org/.
Media Watch International (MWI) is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to advancing Israel’s image by promoting accurate, timely, and impartial media coverage of Israel and the Middle East. MWI’s proactive strategy is predicted upon building positive relationships and fostering a constructive dialogue with the news media, while refining and harnessing the constructive media relations potential of Israeli spokespeople and the community. MWI’s newest website is http://www.mwio.org/. The site provides instant access of first-rate information to counter imbalanced media coverage of Israel and the Middle East.