Renowned Harvard Law School Professor Alan Dershowitz encouraged Hillel student activists to continue to "fight the good fight" for Israel on campus.
In his videotaped remarks to Hillel's Charles Schusterman International Student Leaders Assembly, Dershowitz urged students to "not be afraid of the facts. Israel is fighting a war for its survival, and the truth and the facts are on our side….You have an enormous responsibility to fight the good fight…. Be strong and be true and go on with your work."
Dershowitz, who was unable to attend the conference, recorded the message shortly after Tuesday's suicide bombing in Jerusalem. He remarked that had the students been on campus at the time, some students and faculty would have blamed the bombing on Israel. "I know that if you were back on your college campuses today, much of the blame would be placed on Israel. We would be hearing about a cycle of violence…and this cycle of violence argument…is the failure to understand modern morality."
College campuses have been at the forefront of much debate over the Middle East in the last two years. Hillel, as the world's largest Jewish campus organization, has advanced a pro-Israel, pro-active agenda providing programming, training, leadership and resources on campus.
Dershowitz praised Hillel activists for "the important work that all of you are doing on college campuses across the United States." He provided copies of his latest book, "The Case for Israel," to each conference participant.